Yoga and the mind

One email I received not long ago said the following:

I am so inconsistent in terms of living a disciplined lifestyle. Using two yoga classes I recently participated in as an example. On the first class I turned up on day three of a water fast. On the second class I turned up after eating to excess just prior to the class. This is a good example of knowing I can be disciplined, but also being very inconsistent.

The example above is just in relation to a yoga class, but on a wider scale this relates to my whole lifestyle. I can stick with something in a very disciplined manner, but when I have a relapse its not a minor relapse, but a major one.

Putting this in context of Patanjali's "Eight Limbs of Yoga", I feel that in terms of Yama & Niyama I could improve a lot. If only I could be surrounded by peers aware of this, I feel I could be a better person and my yoga would improve.

I'd like to eventually explore other limbs: pratyahara, dharana, dhyana & samadhi, but get frustrated knowing I've been unable to do well enough in terms of yama & niyama.

What advice can you suggest please?

My reply was along the following lines:

I think you're hitting the nail on the head as to what Yoga is about. It's not about the physicality, it's about the mind.

The situation you're describing, ultimately, is rooted in the mind's activities: The "will power" (the fasting) as well as the "won't power" (the over indulgence).

It's something most people are struggling with albeit different things for different people. For one it's food, for another it's power, or money.

The Yoga Sutras (where the eight limbs are listed) say: "Yoga is the containment of the minds activities." (YS 1.2) The word 'containment' is key here.

Yoga is not about a cessation of the mind by applying some incredible will power. Yoga is not about arresting the mind in the literal sense. We can't just "stop the mind". Only when we die the mind comes to a complete halt.

What we can do, however, is create conditions that are conducive to us containing the mind.

Aiming to have a proper diet & nutrition, finding something to be passionate about, having proper sleeping patterns, and of course a regular yoga practice are just a few things that help us create the environment for the mind to be calm, centered, and clear.

We can't stop the flow of a river's water. We can create banks around the river to steer the flow in the right direction.

Then, with patience and practice, things are more likely to change. I've blogged about this recently (click here). You may find it interesting to read.

Practice is not just what happens on the mat; arguably, practice is what happens during every waking moment. And practice does not mean having to be perfect.

Practice is practice; the effort to be in a better place.

I've heard my teacher use a wonderful quote on various occassions: "Abstinence is easier than temperance", adding with a smile: "Just have a little piece of chocolate". What a great way of putting it . . .

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