Forty Days to a New Daily Practice
By the time this article is published, our studio will be in the midst of a 40-day yoga asana and meditation challenge. We have challenged our students to commit to building a new daily habit. Creating a habit requires discipline and is not easy. The most important part is committing to that habit at the same time every day. In Ayurveda, this is considered dinacharya (daily routine). In yoga, this daily practice is called sadhana.
Forty days is auspicious in yoga. It gives us enough time for a healthy habit to become part of who we are. It is no longer a chore or something that requires force; it becomes more natural and automatic, like brushing your teeth.
We practice yoga asana (postures) to help take care of our bodies. If the body isn’t well, it is challenging to control the mind. The first obstacle to achieving the state of yoga is vyadhi (dis-ease). If you have ever fallen ill or dealt with physical ailments, you know the mind is affected. Pain can disrupt everything.
The true practice of yoga is being able to control the mind when the body starts to rebel or falls ill. The Buddha used a metaphor of two arrows. The first arrow is pain, which is unavoidable in life. The second arrow is suffering, which is optional. How we respond to pain, although not easy, is optional. The mind has a way of running down rabbit holes of the “what ifs” and the “whens”—what if the pain gets worse, what if it never goes away, when will it end, why is this happening? This distracts us from the truth and leads to suffering. Can we control the mind even in the midst of pain?
It is through the practice of meditation that we become aware of these thoughts, called vṛttis in yoga. If we can become aware of the thoughts, then we can choose whether to attach to them or let them go. Choosing thoughts that lead us away from suffering allows us to focus on healing the body and the pain.
Developing a meditation practice is not simple. If meditation were easy, everyone would do it. There are many books and apps that offer guided meditations. What is most important is deciding on a time and place for meditation that you can commit to every day. Start by sitting for five minutes. Set a timer and resolve to sit. Guided meditations are a great way to begin.
Eventually, you come to the same seat every day at the same time and observe the vṛttis. When thoughts arise, you acknowledge them and let them pass. Some people use an internal focal point, such as a mantra or affirmation, to bring the mind back from thinking. Others use an external focal point, such as a picture or candle. Whatever you choose, use the same focal point every day. Over time, the gap between thoughts—the silence—becomes wider. In this peaceful space, where there are no thoughts, time loses meaning.
There are days when a five-minute meditation feels like agony because the mind is overactive. Other days, twenty minutes feels like two. You know you were there, but where were you? Time has lost meaning. It is in this gap that yogis have realized their true nature—the true self.
Whether you want to start a meditation practice or set another healthy goal for the new year, be consistent. And if you miss a day, begin again.
Namaste
Happy New Year!
