"Why is it so hard to practice?" It felt difficult to answer since there seem to be infinite reasons. Then I remembered the Kleshas, also called the afflictions or obstacles to yoga. The 5 kleshas are: spiritual ignorance, ego, attachment to pleasure, aversion to pain and clinging to life. One of the benefits of practice is it weakens these obstacles. The Yoga Sutras say we need self discipline, self study and surrender. Getting on the mat is the first step for many of us. The more we practice, the more the positive imprints or samskaras are formed.
When we forget that our essential nature is PURE, ETERNAL and JOYFUL we are in Avidya; spiritual ignorance. Our yoga practice trains us to awaken to our true nature.
In YOGA, practice is defined as effort made over a long period of time, without interruption and with devotion. And on this path of Yoga, effort never goes to waste, and there is no failure. Even a little effort toward spiritual awareness will protect you from the greatest fear. Every act of kindness, your asana practice, each long deep breath in and out, this is all Yoga.
There are lot of words for the Soul in the sacred texts. Here are some: the Soul, the Self, the Seer, the Atman, pure consciousness and Purusha. According to the wisdom texts our true nature is PURE, ETERNAL and JOYFUL. To experience this we need to control or train our mind and yoga is a practice to do this.
“Body is the bow, asana is the arrow, & the soul is the target.” BKS Iyengar
In Yoga there is the Self and the self. The self with a small S is Asmita or "I am-ness". I am a mother, I am a teacher, etc. Patanjali, the author of the Yoga Sutras, says that Asmita is one of the kleshas/obstacles on the path of yoga that can cause suffering. Self with a big S is Purusha, the innermost conscious self, not our body/mind. Remembering this is part of the practice.
I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being! Hafiz
Yoga is a liberation (freedom from suffering) tradition and the sacred texts give us several methods to get there. One method is the two fold path of Practice and Surrender. Practice is defined as a steadfast effort, done over a long period of time, without interruption and with devotion. Surrender is giving our best without attachment to the results.
Asana is one of the 8 limbs of yoga. Why practice the 8 limbs of yoga? According to the yoga teachings, practicing the 8 limbs of yoga gives the practitioner viveka (which is discrimination between the real and the unreal). We need viveka to remove avidya (ignorance, the forgetting of who we really are or confusing the body/mind with the soul or the permanent with the impermanent or Self with the non-Self). When ignorance is removed the Seer (our true Self) can be free.
Yoga is so much more than the asanas/poses. Do a pose you enjoy and see what happens. Treat yourself with loving kindness. Close your eyes and breathe deeply through your nose. Lay on the floor and observe the sounds around you. Do not take any more than you need. Have compassion for those in distress. These are just some of the ways we practice true yoga.
If I view (everyday chores) as tasks to rush through on the way to something more important, they become a crushing waste of time. But from the perspective of Buddhist teachings, each of these activities is a golden moment, an opportunity for full awakening. Anne Cushman
