Sunday, February 14, 2010

Finding success in our practice

Dear Friends:

The new year has come and gone and many of us are suffering from "Commitment-idis" We made some kind of New Years commitment and now suffer from not keeping it:)

The Yoga Sutra says success in our practice comes from practicing over a long period of time, using proven methods taught by a good teacher.

It doesn't say, practice once or twice, feel the effects and they will last forever.

To me success is found in the satisfaction of practicing when we really didn't feel up to it. Moderately, softly on those days and stronger on the days when we are up for it. Success is found when we respond to a situation in life differently than how we might have in the past and we found the patience or kindness we were looking for. Success comes when we realize we have enough and we are happier than we used to be.

This kind of success comes from building the mental muscle to breath when life turns sideways or throws a pothole on our road.

This muscle takes time to build and it takes time to undue, sometimes, years of habituation of negative habit patterns. No pill will make it better and no one out there has our answers. Those answers are found in the quite, in the moments of patience and kindness. We just have to have the strength to get ourselves to stay in the heat of those moments rather than numb out or run away.

My advice is to practice moderately, regularly over a period of time with a teacher who seems to live the ideals they teach. In addition, meditate, pray or contemplate daily even five minutes can produce wonderful results.

I look forward to seeing you in class soon.

In Peace
Brian