How to deal with unwanted breaks in practice
>> Sunday, December 12, 2010 –
tips
If you like to follow your passion you will most likely face resistance. The resistance could be from other people or also from circumstances, and it could be true for any passion including your yoga practice.
For example, if you think that you will practice yoga everyday at a particular time there would be invariably some urgent or unavoidable task which would come up that time. It could be having to pick your kid from the school or helping someone due to some medical emergency or it could also be pressure from your family members to spend time for them.
I also face similar situation regularly and many times it leaves me irritated. I feel I have missed some important routine of the day and the day is not the same. Few months back I traveled to US for some official work and I was staying in the guest house. The practice was nice since there were only two of us. Later few other colleagues also joined and the practice stopped. It hurt, but there wasn't much I could do at that time.
Then on November 8th my mother in law passed away and I flew back to India. The house was full of relatives who had gathered for mourning. The sequence of practice had been broken.
Practice requires discipline and dedication and our mind resists these two qualities. Once the practice sequence is broken it is difficult to start again.
I have started again, but here is the simple thing you need to do and what I also could have done earlier.
What I have observed is, practice gets obstructed due to either some emotional disturbances like death, problems in personal life or job or change of environment like visiting a new place or guests coming to stay with you. Here are few tips which can be helpful.
Just Start
The secret is just practice whatever is possible in the circumstances. It need not be full fledged practice. You do not need much space for many of the poses. If nothing else just sit in Vajrasana or padmasana and practice pranayama like Nadi Shodhana. This would calm the mind and you would be in touch with your practice.
There are also few relaxation exercises which can be done while sitting with mindfulness which can help you continue your practice.
Another option if available and if the weather permits, would be to move to a park in the early morning and practice there.
Once the practice sequence breaks for me or many of us, it is difficult to start again. The fact I wanted to emphasize is to continue the practice in however tiny form it may be. Just being mindful for few minutes focusing on the breathing will keep the thread unbroken. It is not easy but it can be done.
Once the bad phase for practice passes over sometime later, you will not find it difficult to switch to full practice.
Here is wishing for everyone - May the practice continue may the journey continue...
For example, if you think that you will practice yoga everyday at a particular time there would be invariably some urgent or unavoidable task which would come up that time. It could be having to pick your kid from the school or helping someone due to some medical emergency or it could also be pressure from your family members to spend time for them.
I also face similar situation regularly and many times it leaves me irritated. I feel I have missed some important routine of the day and the day is not the same. Few months back I traveled to US for some official work and I was staying in the guest house. The practice was nice since there were only two of us. Later few other colleagues also joined and the practice stopped. It hurt, but there wasn't much I could do at that time.
Then on November 8th my mother in law passed away and I flew back to India. The house was full of relatives who had gathered for mourning. The sequence of practice had been broken.
Practice requires discipline and dedication and our mind resists these two qualities. Once the practice sequence is broken it is difficult to start again.
I have started again, but here is the simple thing you need to do and what I also could have done earlier.
What I have observed is, practice gets obstructed due to either some emotional disturbances like death, problems in personal life or job or change of environment like visiting a new place or guests coming to stay with you. Here are few tips which can be helpful.
Just Start
The secret is just practice whatever is possible in the circumstances. It need not be full fledged practice. You do not need much space for many of the poses. If nothing else just sit in Vajrasana or padmasana and practice pranayama like Nadi Shodhana. This would calm the mind and you would be in touch with your practice.
There are also few relaxation exercises which can be done while sitting with mindfulness which can help you continue your practice.
Another option if available and if the weather permits, would be to move to a park in the early morning and practice there.
Once the practice sequence breaks for me or many of us, it is difficult to start again. The fact I wanted to emphasize is to continue the practice in however tiny form it may be. Just being mindful for few minutes focusing on the breathing will keep the thread unbroken. It is not easy but it can be done.
Once the bad phase for practice passes over sometime later, you will not find it difficult to switch to full practice.
Here is wishing for everyone - May the practice continue may the journey continue...
