By Jenny
Many of us might shudder when we hear the word ‘discipline.’ It’s a word that is sadly associated with depriving ourselves, forcing ourselves, or being punished. This makes it difficult for us to truly engage and resonate with self-discipline as we pursue our journeys of growth. But Discipline is really the ultimate reward mechanism, the ultimate act of self-pleasure.
I want to transform the negative associations of Discipline today, because Discipline is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Self-discipline is the most extraordinary form of self-love.
Let’s start with what Discipline is 𝒏𝒐𝒕:
It’s not about accomplishments.
It’s not about achieving.
It’s not about self-punishment or self-loathing.
To be sustainable and effective, Discipline must be rooted in self-love. ‘I am giving this to myself because I am worthy.’ ‘I am practicing this because I love myself.’ ‘I am disciplined in this regard because it helps me grow closer to my Highest Self.’
In this way, Discipline has less to do with accomplishment and more to do with intention and commitment: when we commit to our intention, and when we are intentional in our commitments, Discipline is our gift to ourselves.
In our yoga practice, the very act of Practice is 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. Yoga teaches us to continually keep turning the wheels that we set in motion, whether we need to modify our practice to fit into today’s schedule, or modify our schedule to suit our body’s needs at this moment. We are continually working on our growth journey, from a place of grace and love.
As with all things, the lessons we learn on the mat empower us in our daily lives. The grace and love that our self-discipline is rooted in become the foundations for all of our growth, from transforming our eating habits, our work-life balance or our thought patterns, to becoming the person the Universe is calling us to be.
Below are some recommended practices to help cultivate positive discipline in your life:
https://asdijo12.wpengine.com/classes/discipline/
https://asdijo12.wpengine.com/classes/twist-tone-denise-antoine/
https://asdijo12.wpengine.com/classes/morning-pep-talk/
https://asdijo12.wpengine.com/classes/yoga-nidra-connecting-to-your-highest-self/