Emotional Intelligence in Practice: Working with the Kleshas

The heart/mind of each one of us is essentially open, dynamic, and connected to all life. However, we easily lose track of that open-hearted fluidity and feel isolated and disconnected. This is due to our limiting habitual tendencies, which can be very tenacious. These tendencies are called ‘kleshas’ – afflictions that both stir us up and narrow our view of ourselves and life.

On this retreat we’ll explore how we tie up energy, and how it can be freed into something much more creative and unlimited. Through learning and practising the 5 meditative methods set out in a Tibetan text called ‘The Great Peacock Which Overcomes the Poisons’ :

1. Strengthening our motivation to be free of them.
2. Applying specific remedies to subdue them.
3. Transforming the energy caught up in them.
4. Seeing into their true nature.
5. Taking the kleshas themselves as the path.

We’ll enhance our capacity to relax, release, see through, and liberate the energy tied up in negative emotions. Doing so automatically creates space for more love, peace, centredness and freedom to appear and express itself in our lives.

This is a profoundly optimistic path highlighting the dynamic and intrinsically unfettered nature of experience while providing practical steps to living in this way.