11/18/2025
We all have automatic reactions to stress, conflict or challenge. These deep-seated habits (samskaras) can leave us feeling stuck, anxious or powerless, trapped in cycles that limit our joy and engagement with the world. We try to “practice” our way out, but often find ourselves attached to a specific outcome, leading to more frustration.
How do we remain engaged without being overwhelmed? Yogic philosophy offers a powerful framework: the duality of abhyasa (persistent practice) and vairagya (dispassion or non-attachment).
This 60-min session explores how these two forces work together to create a path through reactivity, not just around it. Abhyasa gives us the tool of unwavering attention, while vairagya provides the balanced mindset to practice without gripping. Together, they offer us the power to move beyond habitual responses and reclaim conscious choice. Drawing from his personal experience with anxiety and chronic pain, Witold will share how this framework provides a practical path to poise and equanimity.
Together, we will:
∙Explore the relationship between abhyasa (practice) and vairagya (dispassion) as tools for transformation.
∙ Befriend our samskaras (automatic reactions) to transform them from obstacles to guides.
∙ Learn a 4-stage process to release them.
∙ Engage in guided group meditation and breathwork to repattern a reaction to a recent personal challenge.
∙ Practice Constructive Rest as a technique to calm the nervous system and integrate our insights.
