By Diana Diaz
I think it’s fair to say that we all have our personal reasons for practicing yoga in its many forms. Hatha Yogis enjoy moving the body, while Raja Yogis gravitate toward the calming and clarifying effects of meditation. Japa Yogis immerse in chants and prayer. Karma Yogis take it into the world in the form of selfless service, and Jnana Yogis spend lots of time pondering and studying their mind. And some embrace all aspects as the road to spiritual enlightenment.
Whatever your choices and goals, Yoga as a practice is a continuous journey, not a destination. Of course, your journey is as individual as you are, and it’s perfectly okay to enjoy certain aspects over others. But true mastery of any practice comes from sustained, uninterrupted effort and sincere commitment.
As yoga philosophy tells us, “Practice becomes firmly grounded when attended to for a long time, without break, and in all earnestness.“
I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t sound like a whole lotta fun. But when we think about it, this is what we expect from people in roles we look up to. Let’s take pilots, for example.
My father’s family is from a tiny island off Puerto Rico, called Vieques. It’s next to another tiny island called Culebra. To get to Culebra from Vieques, you need to take a boat to the mainland, wait a few hours, then take another boat to Culebra. Depending on the day and the sea, you might have just a few moments to look around before the last set of boats leave, or the captain might decide he’s done for the day, and you might get stranded overnight.
Or you can hire a private pilot to take you. And that’s what many people do. The thing is, it’s a short but tricky route. As the plane is descending, the pilot must maneuver between two mountain peaks, then make a hard landing on a short runway.
So, say we’re on Vieques and we want to fly into Culebra. We get to the pilot’s lounge and there are a bunch of them waiting to be hired.
“I need to go to Culebra,” you announce.
The first pilot says, “I can take you! I’ve been flying for 10 years.”
“That’s great,” you think. Then you ask, “How many times have you flown to Culebra?”
And he answers, “Well, I fly around to wherever I feel like going at the moment, but Culebra is hard and I don’t even remember the last time I was in Culebra.”
So pilot number 1 has practiced for a long time, with enthusiasm, but not continuously. We can see where this is problematic with a tricky landing. No, thank you.
You look around the room and a second pilot chimes in, “I can take you – I’ve been flying to Culebra every day for 10 years.”
“GREAT! Let’s GOOOOO!”
And they respond, “Wait, like now? Right now? I mean, okay, I guess. Let me finish this beer, Let’s get this over with and maybe I can make it back in time for happy hour.”
So, the second pilot has been practicing for a long time, continually, but not with enthusiasm. And it’s in the enthusiasm and wholeheartedness where you’ll build focus and the mindful details of your practice.
The third pilot stands up and offers, “I can take you. I’ve been flying to Culebra a few times a week for the past eight years, mostly just for fun. I love gliding between the mountain peaks, and the angle of the sun at every time of day – I can wait to fly you back, and in the meantime, I get to see my family for breakfast or dinner.”
“Great, let’s go!” you exclaim, and head for the door.
“Not so fast!” She says, “We will go, but we have to wait till this tropical shower passes. Sit for a few minutes and we’ll leave when it’s clear. Have some coffee with me and tell me what you’d like to do there. I’m certain we’ll make it there before lunchtime.”
Needless to say, she’s our pilot.
And it begins to be obvious that, in any important endeavor, all three need to be in place: Practice for a long time, without break, and in all earnestness. In addition, we also need to bring in the three personal qualities we’ve seen in our third pilot: patience, devotion and faith. Because without these, it just won’t work and eventually you’ll get frustrated and won’t see the point.
Now of course, there is much room for interpretation. For starters, what is considered “a long time?” And “Without break?” EVER? The beauty of Yoga is that your practice is truly your own. You decide what a long time is in your journey. Only you know how much you can do “without a break.”
Obviously, there are natural breaks in everything we do in life; here, we’re talking about more of a commitment to consistency. Maintaining a steady practice, as opposed to sporadically. Being truthful with yourself. Small, consistent efforts can yield more significant progress than dragging yourself through more than you can handle.
Because unlike the first two, there is no wiggle room with “in all earnestness.” This means wholeheartedly, happily, and without resentment. Set yourself up for success. In fact, whatever you think you can do, cut it in half. Think you can do an hour? Start with 30 minutes.
Ultimately, when you approach your Yoga practice with sincerity and joy, you’re more likely to continue and enjoy the lasting benefits of your efforts.
