The Yoga Sutras - Chapter 1, Sutra #14
Sa tu dirgha-kala-nairantarya-satkarasevito drdha-bhumih (in Sanskrit)
What does it take to become an expert or master performer in a given field? 10,000 hours of practice. It's a common rule of thumb, popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in his bestseller Outliers: The Story of Success. What are 10,000 hours? It is equal to 416.67 days. But this is still the beginning, as there is no limit to perfection, and we learn all our life.
This is what Sutra #14 is all about. Patanjali stated that in order to become unshakable, the yoga practice must be performed without interruption and it must continue for a long time. One cannot attend success in a few months only. Dedication is required, respect, and devotion. To achieve the goal of yoga, which is the liberation of the "true self", the realization of the innermost self, a lifelong commitment to the yoga practice must be made.
Let us take a look at a great example of a garden, maintenance of which requires devotion and uninterrupted care. If left unattended, within a remarkably short period of time, even the most devotedly cultivated garden becomes overwhelmed by weeds. All one’s hard work is easily undone. Likewise, with yoga, the practice takes constant attention and devoted uninterruptedness over a prolonged time.
I wish you great yoga practice!
Check out previous and future posts about the Yoga Sutras following the hashtag #yoga_sutras_by_anastasia.
Stay healthy and happy.
Namaste
