Discipline takes practice
Discipline takes practice and effort to build. It's important to see where you put effort to be disciplined in your life and where you lack discipline to put effort. Everything takes effort so it's important to choose wisely where to apply it and to be disciplined about applying it to things that give you prana or life energy and positivity, rather then drain you of prana.
Laziness can come quick and the more you give into it the more it begins to sit into your energy field. You can see it manifest in the slugginesh in your mind, heaviness in the body, shortness of breath. These have terms in Ayurveda, and it's worth getting familiar with them so they can serve you as flags that it's time to make a shift. Dullness of the mind is know as Tamas, which is described as lethargy, dullness, inertia, inactivity. Heaviness of body is known as a kapha dosha, when Kapha or earth element is out of balance, this can be perceived as cravings for salty, heavy, fried foods, need for coffee, mucus in the body, slow metabolism, too much sleeping,laziness. Shortness of breath is agitated uneven mind which is Vata dosha expressing itself. When Vata or the air element is out of balance it will create anxiety, lack of appetite, dizziness when getting up, scattered energy, restless mind, dry skin, insomnia, nervous disorders, amongst other things.
How Can the mind arrive at a state of sustained discipline ? Yoga. Yoga as in 'yoga chitta vritti nirodah'.
It is only when we can know our thoughts and control them that we can become disciplined. Yoga serves as a gradual process of preparation that will eventually allow us to hold our attention on one object for extended periods of time with no effort.
Sthira sukham asanam. The posture should be steady, stable, and motionless, as well as comfortable.
We learn about balancing effort with effortlessness and instability with stability through consistent asana practice. The Yoga Chikitsa or primary series is mean to establish the physical body in health so that the mind can find a more comfortable and steady atmosphere to rest in. When learned through the asana practice this teaching slowly moves into our thoughts, speech and actions.
Without interest there will always be distraction. We need to cultivate curiosity to study and immerse ourselves in the study of yoga. What are the consequences of achieving this ability to direct the mind?
'Then the individual begins to truly know her or himself.' Sutra 1.47
When you allow the quality of tamas to take over: mental discomfort, negative thinking, inability to be at ease in postures, and difficulty in controlling one's breath will be part of your existance; you become enslaved to your senses which are the door to perception. By placing effort on disciplining the mind through yoga you workout the muscle that leads you to inquires within before reacting to the sense organs.
tat pratisedhartha mekatattva bhyasah "If one can select an appropriate means to steady the mind and practice this, whatever the provocation, the interruptions cannot take root" Sutra 1.32
