The chitti vritti misapprehension or perception, is the “most frequent activity of the mind” and therefore the one with the most influence on how the mind moves. Within perception is another layer–kleshas. They are obstacles to understanding and clarity and influence our thoughts and behaviors. Yoga offers a way to break free from these patterns of thoughts and behaviors. 

The purpose of yoga is to calm the mind. Thoughts and feelings ebb and flow, mostly without our direction. According to the Yoga Sutra, there are five states of the mind — the chitti vritti. These can be either helpful or harmful, depending on various factors. The chattering chitti vritti create tangled perceptions that influence how we behave. Yoga calms the chitti vritti and let's us be chill.