The Endless Loop of Suffering

According to Yoga philosophy, we’re stuck in a loop of suffering, and freedom becomes available when we stop pretending otherwise.

When we stop arguing with reality, something shifts. The identities, expectations, and beliefs we keep propping up start to lose their authority. A lot of what we call suffering is just the fatigue of constantly defending who we think we are.

The world is rough. Bodies age, people leave, circumstances change, violence happens. All without us asking for it. Pain and uncertainty are cornerstones of the human experience. Denying them isn’t hopeful, it’s resistant.

It’s a cliche but it’s true: our freedom starts in how we respond, not in trying to control what can’t be controlled. Most of our reactions come from ego, but beneath that is the Self, which isn’t seeking perfect outcomes or chasing approval from anything or anyone.

The Gītā says “you have a right to action alone, never to its fruits.” Acting without attachment to results starts to move identification away from ego and toward the Self. This is karma yoga: doing what needs to be done without turning it into a story about yourself.

It’s not about transcendence or perfection. It’s about remembering, again and again, of what you truly are (the Self) and what you’re not (the ego).