Why Do We Practice?
(Photo by LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR on Unsplash)
Do you know anyone who started a yoga practice, was really into it for like 6 months, and now never talks about it anymore? Or someone who couldn’t get enough of her guided meditations but doesn’t bother with them now? Have you, yourself, ever been head over heels for a practice only to have it slowly fade out of your life?
NEW TO PRACTICE
This kind of thing happens all the time when folks start new practices. (By practice I mean anything that you do on purpose to reconnect with your body/mind/heart/spirit) In the beginning we usually feel pretty excited. We’re seduced by the pull of the novel and by the promise of what could come. In the beginning we have big gains and lots of “Ah-ha!” moments. In the beginning we believe that we’ve finally found THE THING that’s going to change everything. The honeymoon is delightful and we’re deeply in love.
IT CHANGES
And then. Things start to change. The practice becomes more routine instead of novel. The gains slow down because we have a bit more skill. Things seem to get harder for a while instead of easier. And we may realize that this isn’t going to be the quick transformation we’d hoped for after all.
Unfortunately, a lot of folks drop their practice in this moment when disenchantment first shows up. They move on to the next shiny new practice. It’s really too bad, because this is precisely when practice starts to offer you much more. When you’re only there for the beginning, you never learn about discipline, beating resistance, commitment, and steadiness. And your practice never has the opportunity to deepen.
I know most of the folks who read my writing are pretty dedicated to one practice or another. But all of us go through times of disenchantment that make us wonder: “Why am I doing this?”
Let me remind you of three reasons why we practice, even when we may not feel like it.
WHY PRACTICE
We practice for fun, for delight, for the play of the whole thing. Far from having to be a sober affair, your practice can actually be joyful. In fact, if you don’t enjoy your practice … and haven’t for a while … it may really be time for a CHANGE. Maybe you need to try a different teacher or do it at a different time of day. Sometimes just putting on different clothes or playing different music can help you fall back in love with your practice. Having practices that you enjoy can make all the difference in your willingness to show up. You’ll fight it if you hate it. But you’ll do it if you like it.
One of my practices is NIA. It’s a great cardio workout, but more than that it’s a lot of fun! I don’t love running… so, I don’t run. I do love dancing and I will dance for hours because of that.
We practice to clear the pathway to the Heart. In life, debris collects around the Heart. Debris can be attachments, frustrations, irritations, worries, fears, old pains and new anxieties. It’s a natural process just like the way dust bunnies collect under the bed if you never dust there. The problem is that if you don’t pay attention to the dust, your Heart space becomes more and more contracted. Eventually it feels almost out of reach because it’s so covered with layers of debris. Practice is like dusting the the mirror of the Heart. It clears the debris so that the love, compassion, kindness and joy that are sourced there may more come through.
On the days when resistance is high and all you want to do is avoid your practice, remember that your practice will most likely help you feel better. If nothing else, it will move the stuck negativity so you feel more alive.
Finally, we practice for the world. Not everyone is called to practice. Not everyone has the safety, time, ability, or resources to dedicate to practice. Those of us who are called and who have the resources have a great responsibility to practice for those who aren’t able in this lifetime. Anytime you cultivate more peace you add peace to the world. Anytime you cultivate more consciousness, you add to the consciousness on the planet. Anytime you touch love, joy or compassion you add those qualities to the world. We all share in the sea of consciousness, therefore all practice has great benefit for all beings.
Practice for the world has big effects closer to home. When you change yourself, you change your world and the people around you. Imagine that you become more patient through your yoga practice. Then your kid takes forever to get out to the car one morning. The patience you built keeps you from flying off the handle. Your kid doesn’t have to armor up against you, and gets a kinder, gentler experience of you. And your connection gets stronger instead of broken down. Over the course of a lifetime these experiences are transformative for both of you.
PRACTICE MATTERS
I’ve been at this yoga practice thing for 20+ years. The honeymoon is definitely over, but I keep coming back. That’s because I honestly still enjoy moving my body in this way. My practice still opens my body/heart/mind and connects me with the Mystery. And now, more than ever, I feel a great responsibility to practice for those who aren’t able or aren’t called to practice. My practice makes me better at creating transformative classes for students who study with me. My practice makes me a more connected, attentive wife, mother, and friend.
It matters that you practice too. It matters because in this disconnected and disgruntled world practice is something that can offer you joy. It can spark your creativity. It can teach you about commitment. Practice matters because this world is giving you one thing after another that will shut the door to your heart if you don’t makes sure to sweep the doorframe clear. And it matters because YOU have the calling and capacity to add more love, compassion, kindness, and peace into the world. Our world needs it. You deserve it. Your practice is what delivers it.
So, go. Get on your mat. Pull out your paints. Find your journal. Light that fire. Make your practice a blessing to yourself and blessing to this troubled world. Everyone who shares in the sea of consciousness, thanks you deeply for keeping your practice going even though it’s hard.