Yoga for Slackers?

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra #1.14:  sah tu dirgha kala nairantaira satkara asevitah dridha bhumih: “a practice is firmly established only if one engages in it seriously and respectfully over a long uninterrupted period.”

When I signed up for a 30-day Lifestyle Intensive last February, I really had no idea what I was in for.

I knew I wanted to do something for myself, and that my current lifestyle was leaving me drained, stressed out and downright grumpy.  I had practiced yoga in the physical sense for years, off and on, but had never learned very much about the spiritual side or philosophy behind it.

We met as a group weekly, and were given challenges and assignments to practice on our own at home.  On day one, we practiced several rounds of Surya Namaskar A & B, as well as four other postures before settling in to savasana.  We were told that although we would not be practicing on the mat as a group for the remainder of the intensive, we were expected to practice that sequence, at a minimum, on each of the 30 days ahead of us.

I was nervous and somewhat anxious about fitting this in to my life on a daily basis.  I had a variety of excuses run through my brain, including my kids, my job, my lack of space, my schedule – none of which were condusive to a daily yoga practice.  (After all, if it were, maybe I wouldn’t feel the need for a lifestyle intensive!)  Everyone in the class gazed around the room at one another, as if to say silently, “Yeah, right.”

However, when I want something, or when someone wants something from me, I find the strength to be disciplined.  The skill has served me well over the years. From religiously counting and tracking points on Weight Watchers to ultimately lose 35 pounds (packed on by a steady diet of college bagels and beer), to recently training to run a 5k, and ultimately completing a 10k only a month later, I often live by the motto:  ”Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Little did I know that at our second meeting, we’d be asked to add on another layer of yoga practice, pranayama breathing sequences.  Week #3 brought on the challenge of studying (svadhyaya) yoga philosophy, and week #4, meditation or dhyana.  By the last week of the course, I had successfully brought a daily practice of asana, pranayama, dhyana, and svadhyaya into my life.  I felt a spiritual connection to myself and to a higher presence, something I had been missing without even realizing it.

Throughout the course, we studied and discussed the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.  Each week we covered several verses from Book One on Contemplation.  I was fascinated and completely thrilled to study the ancient text, as it had so much relevance to today, even though it was written thousands of years ago in a far away land.  Clearly this is how many feel about the Bible.  I had just never been exposed to something so meaningful at a time when I so clearly needed it’s guidance.

When the workshop was over, the real challenge hit me.  I had my doubts that I could keep up that kind of yoga pace.  I just had too much on my plate, and there weren’t enough hours in the day to completely shut out my world to focus on yoga.  I remember the teachers saying to us, “Day 31 is when the real challenge begins.”  They were right.  Without the support of my class, or calendar reminding me I’d have to face the music each Tuesday night, I wasn’t sure how I’d keep the momentum going.

At the time, I told myself that it was okay if I could not actively engage in each of the four practices as I had for that month.  I thought that if I could just devote myself to practicing one every day, that I’d reap the benefits of a steady, continuous practice, as Patanjali said in Verse 1.14.

And so, here I am, six months later.  Although I’ve gone through some different phases of how and when I practice, I will admit, I have not devoted myself completely to a daily practice.  The yoga sutra 1.14 says that the only way to achieve enlightenment through yoga is to practice “seriously and respectfully over a long, uninterrupted period.”  I’m not there yet, but that’s okay.  The greatest acheivement I’ve made in my practice, is my discovery of Svadhyaya, the spiritual practice which has led me to living a more peaceful life.  The yamas and niyamas outline 10 guidelines for living in the moment, and I think about at least one of them every day.  Ahimsa, or non-judgment, has come in handy when I normally would want to wring someone’s neck for their bad behavior.  Satya, or truthfulness, has given me the ability to speak about my feelings, rather than hiding from them and keeping them bottled up inside.

I find that Patanjali must have had someone else in mind, when he wrote Verse 1.14.  This serious and respectful yogi must have loads of free time to devote to yoga, and none of the distractions of kids who won’t go to bed or dishes that refuse to wash themselves. But in the spirit of ahimsa, I will not beat myself up for my inability to devote myself completely to the yoga limbs taught in the workshop.  Instead, I will accept what I have done in terms of self-study and physical practice, and congratulate myself for bringing yogic principles into my world off the mat as well.

How do you devote yourself to yoga, even if you cannot live up to Patanjali’s definition of practice?  Do you take 3 deep breaths in the morning upon waking, or read a yoga blog in the evening after the kids are asleep?  I’d love to hear your comments.

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