Last week, Ashley wrote on Yoga Sutra 1.2 and
chitta vritti
, or mind chatter. The subsequent Sutras suggest how we might begin to settle these distractions of the mind (meditation, repetition of mantra, etc.). One such Sutra, Yoga Sutra 1.32, has been a welcome reminder for me this week. It goes like this:
“The practice of concentration on a single subject is the best way to prevent obstacles.”
Sutra 1.32 reinforces the idea of one-pointed concentration. Pick a thing and stick to it. Devote your energy and time to
just that one thing
. Sounds simple, right? It’s not so easy in practice, especially when we’re all hyper-connected and engaged. Just last week, I caught myself making mistakes at work as a result of multitasking.
It was this line in Sri Swami Satchidananda’s translation that resonated:
“There’s no value in digging shallow wells in a hundred places. Decide on one place and dig deep.”
I’ve been challenging myself to have a single focus at work. If the phone call or email can wait, then it will wait until I’ve completed the task at hand. The same goes for my yoga practice. On my mat, I’ve been picking one thing – breath, mantra, bandhas – and focusing on
just that one thing
.
Give it a try. Notice when your attention is divided. How many times a day do you reach for your phone? Are you present in conversation? Or, are you digging too many shallow wells?
Happy practicing,
Alicia
