“The end of discipline is the beginning of freedom.”
- B.K.S. Iyengar
In an interview I read years ago with Sting and his wife Trudy Styler, they
said they took up the study of yoga because they traveled so much; they needed
an activity that did not require hauling around all kinds of equipment. The only
tool they needed was the will to practice.
But how do you learn to practice?
Fortunately, after many years of attending classes, workshops, intensives,
and retreats, my senior teacher ordered me, “Stop coming to class. I don’t want
to see you anymore. Learn to practice!”
I had so many questions. How? Where? What? How long?
The first step was the most difficult. I recalled wisdom gleaned during an
Iyengar Yoga intensive many years prior.
It was my first Iyengar Yoga workshop. I was a beginning student. At the
end of the workshop, one student asked our esteemed teacher how to learn to
practice, how to start, and how long to practice once you get started. The teacher
was eating some dried fruit and nuts and continued chewing.
After a few moments, he said, “If you go out and try to pick up a big rock
or a boulder, you will struggle to lift it and throw it any distance.” He paused
before continuing.
“If you go out and pick up a small stone and toss it, that small stone will go
a great distance – a much greater distance than the big boulder.”
The teaching: start small. Begin with a commitment to a few minutes.
Once a week if you can. Soon, you will want more.
Tossing my small stone, I began with 10 minutes two times per week
(three poses). Eventually, my desire to practice grew to 20 and then 40 minutes. I
was practicing three times each week, but I needed more structure.
First, I used a cassette tape from John Schumacher at Unity Woods Yoga
Center.
Next, I bought videotapes of Patricia Walden.
I followed one of the recordings once per week in the beginning. Within a
month or two, I was using the cassette or the tape or new tapes more than once
a week. I bought a tape of standing poses and practiced at least three times each
week.
The tapes provided a framework. They were the implements to structure
myself. It remained, however, like taking class. I had a framework. I had
structure. But I needed to practice. Alone. On my mat in the room. By myself.
With Guruji.
The asana courses in Appendix I of Light on Yoga provided an outline for
week by week. They are daunting. Although it was clear I should begin with one
labeled “1st and 2nd week,” I needed to build my confidence.
I started with the “asanas for emotional stability” sequence from Light on
Life. It impacted me in several ways. I felt confident in exploring the sequences
behind Light on Yoga. Doing the 15-asana sequence for emotional stability
yielded insights that supported my personal sequencing decisions.
Confession: At this point in my practice journey, I think through poses
and make many decisions in the days and hours leading up to my practice. I
always discover there is another pose I want to practice. Sometimes I remember,
sometimes not. Letting go of regret and self-criticism is part of my practice.
Today, my practice is a daily practice that I greet with my “small stone”
attitude. I begin. I do as much as possible for as long as possible in the allotted
time. I do not reach for anything beyond the first step to begin.
My small stone means that at least once a week, I am using Light on Yoga
as my guide, more like tossing a pebble into the ocean of knowledge. On other
days, I organize my practice using the different architectures Guruji teaches:
Standing poses during the first week of the month.
Forward Bends the second week of the month.
Backbends during the third week of the month.
Pranayama for the fourth week of the month.
When the month has extra days, I practice twists and miscellaneous
poses.
In my practice, I incorporate a version of six essential poses into every
practice: Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Halasana, Setubandha, Viparita Dandasana,
and Viparita Karani. (And Savasana!) Doing just these poses for ten minutes
each makes an hour of practice!
During a particularly stressful and sad time, I felt my practice was lethargic
and unfocused. I was disappointed in myself. I kept practicing, but I was
despondent. I told this to a teacher I trusted enough to reveal what I considered a
failure.
She told me Guruji said, “Steady and regular practice in the worst of times
is more meritorious than any practice in the best of times.”
The habit of practice breeds strength and discipline, perseverance, and
the ability to be free of old patterns and silly mistakes. It gives feedback and a
deeply satisfying sense of self.
When others praise me for my self-discipline or dedication regarding
my almost daily practice, I think how much harder it is to miss a day of practice. If
I don’t practice, I miss it very much. The consequence of habit is reliability.
The wisdom, this idea of a small stone, continues to accumulate weight
and meaning for me. It is my boulder of strength. It is a solid and reliable rock.
Start small. One step at a time. Little by little. Toss one small stone and
move mountains.
“All glory comes from daring to begin.”
-Anonymous
Laura Shapiro Kramer is a writer and dedicated Iyengar Yoga student. Various editions of her book, Uncommon Voyage, are available in print, digital, and audio. Her travel articles have appeared in many publications and, along with other essays, can be read at laurashapirokramer.com.
About The Light
The Light is the magazine of the Iyengar Yoga community of the U.S. (IYNAUS). Community-driven content is published regularly on this Substack publication by the Marketing, Communications, and Media Committee. Submit article ideas or content to publications@iynaus.org.
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