As the 28 Day Challenge comes to a close, we have loved seeing so many of our YOTE community in the studio, on the mat and dedicating themselves to their practice. If you’ve not been able to get involved in the challenge this year, we hope you’ve still been inspired by the energy and buzz of the studio.
Now we’re in February and feeling the first stirrings of Spring, it’s a great time to plant seeds and set intentions for the coming months. If you’re feeling great after the 28 Day Challenge, why not set your intention to simply keep going? By showing up to class continuously, you form healthy habits. Habits become behaviour, and established behaviours become second nature!
Yoga Sutra 1.14
It’s worth remembering that consistency in your practice is where we start to find the benefits that yoga truly offers us on a deeper level. But it’s worth remembering that yoga is a gradual process that can develop with us over the course of a lifetime. Its benefits cannot truly be harnessed in a month, a year or by only committing to one part of the practice. Real growth comes through patience, persistence… and practice!
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – a cornerstone text in Yoga Philosophy – we have a beautiful reminder of the importance of consistency in our yoga practice.
Sutra (verse) 1.14 reads:
sa tu dīrghakāla nairantarya satkāra-ādara-āsevito dr̥dhabhūmiḥ
sa tu = this and
dīrgha = long
kāla = time
nairantarya = without break – continuous
satkāra = earnestness
asevito = well attended to
dr̥dha= firm
Bhūmiḥ = ground
(Taken from The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Commentary on the Raja Yoga Sutras by Sri Swami Satchidananda)
This can be translated as: “Practice becomes firmly grounded when it is well attended to for a long time and in all earnestness.” (Translation by Sri Swami Satchidananda)
Exploring the concepts of this sutra, a seasoned practitioner or a yoga beginner might be able to apply this to their own practice:
Consistency
One of the main concepts of this brief aphorism is about being consistent. dīrghakāla, meaning a ‘long time’, and nairantarya meaning ‘without break’.
Sri Swami Satchidananda’s commentary goes on to say, “The first qualification for the practice is that it should be done for a long time. Unfortunately, we just want the result immediately”.
It’s certainly true in today’s culture of instant gratification, we sometimes need a reminder that good things take time, and effort. Even when life is busy, showing up for yourself in the form of regular practice brings the rewards.
Devotion
satkāra meaning ‘earnestness’ and asevito meaning ‘well attended to’.
When we apply ourselves diligently to our yoga practice it becomes a sacred part of our daily routine. So many of us come to yoga through asana (postures). But with commitment, asana may just be the gateway to a far richer practice as we honour the source of yoga and its rich heritage.
Focus
A ‘well-attended to’ practice can also relate to the state of mind in which we approach our practice. In addition to time and patience, to allow ourselves to truly focus, allow us to connect to our practice in a way that extends far beyond the mat. The world around us offers us a myriad of fun, easy, distractions to numb ourselves from going deeper. If you find yourself easily distracted, or put off your practice, maybe create a designated space in your home, where you can close yourself off from daily distractions. Or if you practice in community, allow that to help you stay grounded, accountable and limit distractions.
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If you’re new to yoga, this doesn’t need to feel overwhelming, it can just be a simple reminder to step on the mat regularly – start small with a home practice or join a new class. Small steps become habits, and before you know it, you’re on your way.
If you are a seasoned practitioner, remember that ‘success’ in your practice is not about achieving a ‘perfect’ pose, but deepening your practice physically but also mentally and spiritually. Your yoga becomes a lifelong journey of development and devotion.
Although a brief text, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali have been much translated and interpreted to create a rich text for any yogi to explore. In between your physical practices, why not take your yoga off the mat? Grab a copy and see what you can uncover…
