My dear friend, Carly Brown, posted this recently. It is so simple and important to remember. Our modern culture has conditioned us to keep jumping from one thing to the next, looking for the next ‘best’ thing. I often have to remind those I work with (and myself) of the importance of doing what works.

“What’s the best practice for me? The one that you DO.” – Carly Brown

MORE, MORE, MORE!!

Accumulating, grasping, collecting, saving…these are all conditions of trying to feel ‘good enough’ by looking to and using the external world. An example of this are books. Are you someone that keeps buying books because they sound great? Then you look at your nightstand or book shelf and realize you haven’t read half of those books?  Having those books does nothing. You have to open them up, set time aside to read them and spend time with them to gain knowledge or wisdom.

If you want to feel more calm and at peace, have more joy in life, then you have to practice. The important part is practice, not accumulation. Choose 1 practice you’ve learned over the years and start it. And keep doing it until they are a part of you and your life. Most people I work with, who have gone to therapy, attended workshops and retreats, or gone through training already have the tools they need. They just aren’t practicing them.

MILLIONS OF PRACTICES…WHAT IS ONE THAT RESONATES WITH YOU?

My biggest takeaway from my first Yoga teacher training wasn’t how to do a pose, sequence a class, or pick the right playlist. It was this: “I’m 100% responsible for my life.” I took this statement and committed to living by it from April-December 2012. That practice significantly decreased my tendency to blame others or situation, make excuses, and avoid the tough stuff. It also helped me become a more effective mental health specialist. And I had no idea that would have been my biggest takeaway from that training!

Another practice I committed to was using a Sankalpa – a resolve or intention. I created one with my teacher at the second Yoga Teacher Trainings I attended. Three years later, I was at another training and I went up to my teacher. I let him know I had been using my Sankalpa daily the past three years and asked him, “When do I know if I’m ready for a new one?” (I was feeling a bit bored with the one I had been using). He asked me, “Does it feel 100% true.” I smiled, chuckled to myself and said, “Thank you.”

It definitely did not feel 100% true. It felt closer to true, but not 100%. I’ve been practicing it daily for the past three years since then. That means six years. It’s been amazing to see how this resolve has and continues to unfold in my life. It feels closer to true than ever. And…I’m still not there. So, I will continue this practice.

UNLEARNING TAKES PRACTICE AND TIME

To unlearn and decondition the mind’s patterns and habits take time and practice. The word in Sanskrit is abhyasa. Abhyasa is mentioned over and over again in both the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Sutra, both even have entire chapters focused on the topic:

• “A Yogi should constantly practice concentration of the heart, remaining in seclusion alone, subduing body and mind and being free from longing and possession (sense of ownership).” (BG, 6.10)*
• “With understanding held by firmness [clarity], and mind established in the Self [practicing sadhana], let them (thus) by degrees attain tranquility [over time], let them not think of anything else.” (BG, 6.25)*
• “Doubtless, O mighty-armed, the mind is restless and difficult to control; but, O son of Kunti, through practice and dispassion [detachment] it can be conquered.” (BG, 6.35)*
• “These mental modifications are restrained by practice and non-attachment. Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break and in all earnestness.” (YS, 1.12-13)**
• “By the practice of the limbs of Yoga, the impurities dwindle [gradually] away and there dawns the light of wisdom, leading to discriminative discernment. (YS, 2,28)**

Knowing about certain Yoga or spiritual practices doesn’t mean that they will be effective. Unless you take action and practice the tools and techniques, nothing will change. The mind will think it’s superior because it can spout off knowledge it has learned, but to truly embody the tools and fully understand them you have to practice.

START PRACTICING

So, where to start? This is where it can be helpful to find a teacher to help start and guide the process. Choose a teacher who is dedicated to their practice, not just someone who teaches the poses a few times a week. To be guided, the guide must be immersed in what they teach daily.

If you don’t have a teacher, make a list of all the tools that you’ve tried in the past that have helped you feel more grounded, connected to yourself, and uplifted. Then choose 1-2 on that list and commit to doing them each day. The more consistent you are, the more (over time) you will see positive shifts happening in your life that are lasting.

Seriously, even just starting with 5 minutes a day of breath awareness or being in a few yoga poses with self-awareness or consciously breathing or reciting a mantra can be where you start your practice. Do something and keep doing it…no matter what.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

Remember, the best practice for you is the one you do.

Namaste.

P.S. Sign up for my FREE Masterclass on April 14th, 2022: “3 Steps to Start Saying ‘YES!’ to Yourself Now.”

* “Srimad Bhagavad Gita,” by Swami Paramananda

**“The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” by Sri Swami Satchidananda, Revised Printing 2012.