Tapas: Touching the Yoga mat counts
A case for a gentle approach to disciple in Yoga. Tapas means discipline.
“Just as one eats morning, noon, afternoon, and night, so also will one have to meditate four times a day if one wants to realize truth quickly.”
Swami Rama in Lectures on Yoga
I am a writer and for years I struggled to write. Don’t get me wrong. I loved writing but every time I sat down to write my mind wanted to do something else. It wanted to eat or watch television or chat with someone on the phone. Then I read about an accomplished writer. An admirer asked him how he managed to write so well and so consistently. To this the prolific writer replied, “I make it a point to be inspired everyday at 9 a.m.”
This story stuck in my head and I thought, “If it works for him, it should work for me too!” So everyday at sharp 9 a.m. I sat down at my desk, tapping away at the keys of my typewriter.
The mind loves routine
Now, decades later, at 9 a.m. you will still find me at my desk, my fingers dancing across the keyboard!
Much has been said and written about discipline. But let’s face it, no one likes the word. It conjures up images of military style rigidity. Discipline is, in fact, dynamic, it is flexible and fun. It is really about creating new habits. The mind loves routine. You can use time to condition your mind. That’s why at 9 a.m. I can only think of one thing - yes, that’s right, writing!
But I must be honest with you, though I sit at my desk everyday at 9 a.m. I don’t always write. There are times when I didn’t feel like writing. So I promise my mind, “If you don’t feel like writing, then don’t.” I use that time to edit something I have written earlier, or plan for a piece I am going to write later. Sometimes my mind doesn’t want to do that either. I don’t want to fight with my mind, that would be violent, wouldn’t it? So I decided, just thinking of ideas for new articles is counted, just switching on the laptop is counted, and “Mind, if you don’t feel like doing that either, don't, because just touching the keyboard is counted!”
Everything counts
Don’t fight with your mind, lower your own expectations of yourself. In a competitive world you not only expect too much of others, but also too much of yourself. Train your mind gently, not with force. If you use force you will only strengthen impressions of self-violence.
When we start to practice Yoga, we begin with a burst of enthusiasm. We take on too much - too many asanas, too often, and of course long periods of meditation. Then the untrained mind rebels and soon we miss one day, then another and another...until we have forgotten all about our practice.
Create a new habit gently. Fix a time for practice and stick to it. Do short practices, then gradually do them more often. And if you don’t feel like doing it, don’t. Just touching the yoga mat counts!
Using the filter of time
Just imagine you practice for only 5 minutes, 4 times a day, and now look at the numbers!!!
Day: 5x4= 20 minutes
Week: 5x4x7=140 minutes; 2 hours and 20 minutes per week
Month: 5x4x30= 600 minutes; 10 hours
Year: 5x4x365=7300; around 121 hours
“To break the habit pattern, to change the grooves that you have created in your mind, you have to constantly practice meditation, regularly, every day, at the same time. Why at the same time? Why do we stress much on the time? Because your mind is conditioned by time, space and causation. Time is a great factor in your life; it’s a great filter in your life.”
Swami Rama in How to tread the path of Superconscious Meditation
Infographic by Radhikaji
Dicipline is your friend
The spirit of discipline is a unique response to every situation. If you are flexible, you will adjust your practice to the current phase of your life and to suit your unique lifestyle. When the head and the heart agree, that perfect coordination is called discipline.
“This is an important point to understand: if you do something according to a specific time schedule, that regularity of time does something beneficial for your mind. Because time is a prime condition of the mind, it is a great factor in strengthening your practice. If you want to learn to meditate, follow that process of establishing a specific time for your practice.”
Swami Rama in Art of Joyful Living
You can practice for just a few minutes 4 times a day: in the morning before breakfast, at noon before lunch, in the evening before dinner and at night before bedtime.
You can use this gentle method to create new healthy habits as well as break unhealthy habits. Don’t make resolutions you cannot live up to. Go easy on yourself, take a day at a time. If you slip, don’t condemn yourself, after all you are human and the best of us make mistakes. Forgive yourself and start all over.