The word “discipline” has the connotation of work. It also can bring up thoughts of reprimand or punishment from an authority. The official definition from Oxford states “the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.” Discipline can convey structure and rules but can it also be an entry point into a bliss state?
Regarding yoga, to develop a “discipline” is the act of returning to the “practice” everyday.
You may think that everyday may be a bit hard core when it comes to practicing yoga, but if you think of yoga as meditation and a mindset rather than just a physical activity it may not seem out of reach. In reality yoga, as it pertains to meditation, develops control of the mind and the building of awareness. This process is known as “mindfulness” in the spiritual community, and when practiced correctly, yoga teaches us to develop a discipline of healthy habitual exercises physically, mentally, and emotionally. You can think of it as strengthening the core on both a muscular and a spiritual level. In a yoga practice we work to become more aware, to become more present for our lives rather than being caught up with the past, which has already passed, or in the future, which is guaranteed to arrive differently than we can imagine. Thoughts are powerful drivers of emotion and so the less emotionally involved with our thinking mind, or shall I say, the less we engage in “mindless thinking”, the more we can come into our lives in the present moment, right here and now. Living simply for the present moment allows us to be gratified throughout our day without all the expectations and judgements that normally create emotional dissatisfaction.
To be clear, this type of disciplined behavior and control of thoughts takes regular practice to master. Yoga brings to the lives of committed individuals a lifelong journey into awareness of the unconscious mind (some call this the “subconscious”) so to maximize control of the emotional state. To build “awareness” is to shift from the typical conscious mind with its reaction and response behavior to an increase in consciousness which allows for controlled action and measured response. In essence, the discipline of yoga allows the practitioner to be less attached to outcomes, less expectant of others, and more balanced emotionally in all aspects of their lives. Becoming more flexible in the mind allows for the reduction of discrimination in the form of judgements and an increase of acceptance regardless of the circumstances. To develop a yoga mind is to build emotional control as a core strength.
Yoga as a self development practice eliminates the confines of identity that we inherently bind ourselves to throughout our lives. To “identify” with a personality type is imprisonment within the parameters that either we’ve created for ourselves or have bought into from other peoples judgement of us. The discipline of a mindfulness practice allows us the deconstruction of the confines of self identification and who we “think” we are, or should be, so we can simply just “Be”. When we are free to just be a human with a set of strong values we can finally live in truth, essentially breaking out of the lifetime of labeling. To realize that the thoughts and stories which come into the mind can cause emotional upset is to begin to untangle from them, to stop identifying with the repetitious cycles of negative imprisonment and to interrupt those thoughts quickly before they affect the emotional state.
With discipline we can control our minds and cultivate conscious awareness. In place of judgement and criticism we can develop a mind that is open, positive, and free from emotional imbalance and upset. To navigate towards the lighter aspects of our selves we can begin to
“be” more kind, more loving, and more accepting. The discipline of yoga cultivates a joyful life path and allows us to live in contentment, appreciation and with the experience of gratitude. Developing a yoga mind takes discipline as does building a strong, energetic body. To create this balance and harmony in ourselves ultimately leads us to a blissful life.
This article by Kat Severi was originally published as a monthly column piece for Vernonia’ s Voice, a small town newspaper located in Vernonia, Oregon