ABHYASA

Last week the city was buzzing. One glorious day after another brought out all things spring in New York:  the trees in the park budding with their beautiful and bountiful blooms, the blossoming of tulips and daffodils in the neighborhood parks. You can smell the lilacs as you pass the Farmers Market or the corner bodega.  With nature in full swing, the humans followed closely behind.  Sidewalk cafes sprung to life like the tulips in the park as people gathered together to soak up the sun and spirits outdoors. As the temperature rose to an unbelievable 80 degrees so did the hemlines. For nothing signals the end of winter so much as the beautiful women in little summer dresses walking down the streets of New York, and the smiles on all the men’s faces as they pass. Spring has sprung. 

It is my favorite time of the year. The days get longer. The lingering sun invites us out of the darkness and hibernation of the past winter, makes us want to play and stay outside as much as we can.  But what of your yoga practice? How can you go to your regular class when all the outdoor cafes (and your friends) are beckoning and it’s 75 degrees and sunny?

So you promise yourself you’ll play today and practice tomorrow. Then it rains for 3 days straight and you just can’t bear the 4 block walk to the studio in the downpour!  Soon you realize it’s been a week since you’ve seen your beloved mat. So for the month of May, our focus is going to be Abhyasa or Practice.

The second portion of the yoga sutras is devoted to Practice.  Sutra 1:12 says that Practice is one of the ways in which we can restrain the mental modifications, which is the entire goal of yoga!  There are three qualifications for abhyasa (practice).  The first is that it should be done for a long time.  Not so easy a requirement in a society that is used to instant gratification.  The second is that we practice continuously. This doesn’t mean a yoga marathon, but rather we build our practice steadily over time, without taking a leave of absence when the next new fitness craze hits the gym.  And third, that we practice with our full attention; mind, body and spirit.  It is how we take delve deeper, go farther and have a fuller and richer experience on the mat.  It is also how we take our yoga practice off the mat and out into the world.  Because we have the opportunity to practice yoga in every moment of our lives. 

Happy Spring,

Love,
Kari