Daily practice is time to be with yourself.

I’m struck by how special and unusual it is for someone to be willing to take on a daily yoga practice.

When we do…

We practice viyoga - separating ourself from other people, obligations or enticements for some amount of time every day. 

We affirm our autonomy within a system that emphasizes dependence and heteronomy.  

We invite pratyahāra, a quieting of the stream of sensory input that is such a big part of modern life. Manas is the aspect of mind constantly seeking stimulation and distraction. When we withdraw from the world of the senses, another more refined mind, citta, can take charge.

We employ tapas - a discipline of consistently participating in an activity despite the fluctuations of mood, circumstances and enthusiasm for our chosen path. 

We connect within, which means making friends with an internal landscape that can be inviting, magical, hostile, grim, or many other things on any given day.

Daily practice isn’t always easy to come to, but the skills we develop and the values that we embrace by engaging again and again help us to be present in our lives and opens the doorway to realizing our inner potential.