Yoga as Practice

You know the old saying: "Practice makes perfect."

And you think to yourself, "Right. Sure. Practice. Perfect."

There's a certain smugness to the phrase, and one is quite right to not feel at ease with such a tone: Practice makes Perfect.

Perfect?  Well, what does that mean, and how does that relate to yoga?

I can tell you, it doesn't--at least not in the usual sense.

Yoga most definitely is a practice.  Like any other form of artistic or athletic expression, it cannot be done half-heartedly or once-in-a-while.  It demands commitment from you.  It demands work.  And that can sometimes be very hard--believe me, I know.  There are definitely days when yoga practice and I do not get along.  So I take a break and rest because yoga is also about what we yogis call the Self.

According to yogic philosophy, the Self is Perfection.  It is always present, always ready.  We just forget sometimes that it's there.  And yoga practice, whether it be asana (poses), chanting, or meditation is a way to remind ourselves that such a perfect and wonderful being exists within us.

And then you might ask: "Right. Sure. Perfect. Self...Huh?"

You heard right, perfect.  And this is why yoga practice is so very hard at times: It is a practice that asks us to re-connect with that Self, to find union.  And more often than not, we have a lot of things obstructing that connection.  So we need to practice establishing it.  That is why we do asana or poses in yoga.  The poses (and all the physical, emotional, and mental work that comes with doing them) help strengthen us.  To do a pose requires us to have courage and confidence in ourselves, to cultivate acceptance of limits, and to be open to grace.  All those qualities are needed to find the Self.  Perfection.

So maybe the old saying should go: "You are Perfect. Practice that."