Vritti

Vritti refers to the fluctuations or modifications of the mind - the thoughts, perceptions, memories, and mental activities that constantly arise in consciousness. Patanjali identifies five types of vritti: valid cognition (pramana), misconception (viparyaya), conceptualization (vikalpa), sleep (nidra), and memory (smriti).

These vrittis are classified as either painful (klishta) or non-painful (aklishta), depending on whether they cause suffering. Even pleasant or neutral thoughts are vrittis that obscure our true nature when we identify with them.

The practice of yoga aims to still these mental fluctuations (chitta vritti nirodha). This doesn’t mean eliminating thoughts but rather establishing the capacity to witness them without being swept away. In the gaps between vrittis, in moments of mental stillness, the true Self is revealed.