Discipline Equals Freedom
As we wrap up the second full month of the new year, and head into spring I’ve been thinking a lot about discipline. This is the time of year that I start seeing the commitments that people made to themselves at the start of the year begin to wane. Regular yoga practice, healthier eating, more sleep, and more exercise start becoming less and less frequent as folks slip back into their old habits and patterns.
Habits can be hard to break. It takes persistence, mindfulness, and discipline to develop new patterns of thought and behavior. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary discipline means, “to train or develop by instruction and exercise especially in self-control”. Many of us lack discipline, or self control. We live in a time when we can get almost anything we want, any time we want it. This culture of instant gratification has diminished our ability to plan and execute the steps needed to get what we desire, and has led to the expectation that everything we want should be available to us immediately.
But, most of the best things in life, and the things that we really, truly desire - more health, more financial freedom, more free time, more mental clarity, and more joy - don’t happen over night and with no effort. Financial freedom, for instance, requires financial discipline. If you want to save enough money for a comfortable retirement you must be disciplined in your day to day spending. You must work, save money, and be mindful of where and how you spend your money. You want more free time? Be more disciplined with time management - set boundaries around your social media usage, how much time you will commit to your job, how much time you spend on each daily task.
Ex Navy Seal, Jocko Willink, coined the phrase “discipline equals freedom”. At first, the two words - discipline and freedom - seem contradictory to each other. How free can you be when you manage how you spend your time, or manage how you spend your money? But when you consider the examples above, it makes total sense. A quote often attributed to Abraham Lincoln beautifully explains what Jocko Willink is talking about — “discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most”. Discipline is choosing — do you want the new shoes now, or do you want the financial freedom that comes with smart spending later in your life? Do you want to scroll social media now, or do you want the time to enjoy a walk outside, reading a good book, or soaking in a hot bath?
When it comes to transforming our lives through yoga practice, this same discipline is required. Yoga really only works when we practice consistently and with dedication for a long time (yoga sutra 1.14 - “practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break, and in all earnestness”). So, if it’s a more stable state of mind, more joy, more happiness, and more peace in your life that you really want, the only real way to get it is through discipline. Instant gratification doesn’t work with yoga. Transforming your life in a positive way doesn’t happen by itself - you have to make it happen!
So if your new year commitment to yoga practice (or healthier eating, or more exercise, or more sleep) is waning, ask yourself every time you think about skipping practice (or eating a cookie, or skipping a workout, or staying up too late), what do you want now versus what do you want most? Discipline, and choosing what you want most, will lead to freedom!
Need help getting more disciplined in your practice? Try these tips:
Put your yoga practice on your calendar like an appointment, and KEEP IT!! Set down with your calendar every Sunday and schedule your classes for the week. Add them to your calendar the same way you would add a doctor's appointment or a work meeting, and then prioritize them the way you would prioritize those appointments. You wouldn't skip a doctor's appointment would you? So, don't skip yoga either.
Practice first thing in the morning. We often have good intentions to practice when we start of the day, but days can be unpredictable, and those good intentions can get lost in the hustle and bustle of every day life. Practicing first thing in the morning ensures you’ll get your practice in before the day gets away from you.
Something is better than nothing! Drop the idea that your practice has to be an hour long or more to count. Any amount of practice is better than no practice! Just hop on your mat a do a few of your favorite āsana, a few rounds of sun salutation, or just focus on moving one body part through its ranges of motion (move your spine in all directions, move your hip joint or shoulder joint in all directions). You could even sprinkle a few short stretches into your day several times.
Find an accountability partner. Everything is more fun with friends, including yoga. Find a friend who wants to do yoga with you and make a yoga date (or two) every week. Commit to showing up for each other (and for yourselves), and don't let each other make excuses for not showing up.