Dear friends
After a Shabbat talk about consciousness with our friends, I felt inspired to share awakening through the lens of yoga.
The Yoga Sūtra abhyāsa-vairāgya-ābhyāṁ tan-nirodhaḥ (1.12) is
Abhyasa means disciplined, uninterrupted effort to stabilize the mind through consistent practice. It is the “spiritual muscle” built by daily dedication to yoga, meditation, or self-inquiry. Vairagya means, non attachment to outcomes, sensory pleasures or material desires. It’s a profound inner detachment rooted in discernment – recognizing that transient objects cannot fulfill the eternal Self.
How do we cultivate and integrate those two?
We should set a non negotiable time and space for meditation, pranayama or mindful movement. (abhyasa)
Observe without grasping, become aware of cravings or distractions like restlessness during meditation but without judgment (vairagya).
Embrace impermanence and when attachments arise, recall their transient nature – not to reject life, but to engage with freedom.
Through this balance, the mind’s fluctuations quieten, revealing our innate stillness.
In the Yogapradīpikā it is said:
“Yoga is not suppression but mastery — redirecting the mind’s flow toward liberation”
This sutra reminds us that awakening is not a sudden revelation but a patient dance between effort and surrender.
As you practice this week, consider: Where can I apply disciplined focus while releasing rigid expectations?
What inspires me, in my practice, are the words of the great Guenka:
“Work diligently. Diligently. Work patiently and persistently. Patiently and persistently. And you’re bound to be successful. Bound to be successful.”