Selfless Service for Harmonious Longevity

by Ram

Krishna and Arjuna (from San Francisco Asian Art Museum)

Karma Yoga can be loosely translated as a selfless service that is rendered without any personal expectation. A karma yogi  (an individual rendering selfless service) gets rid of all egoistic tendencies while offering such a service. This individual puts the well-being of others as a top priority ahead of his/her personal gain or achievement. In Chapter 3 verse 19 of the Bhagavad Gita, Karma Yoga is defined as:

Tasmad asaktah satatam karyan karma Samacara
Asalto hy acaran karma param apnoti purusah

This verse is translated as “Therefore without any attachment, without interruption, perfectly perform prescribed actions since by performing prescribed actions a person achieves the highest good.”

In “The Essence of Spiritual Life,” Swami Rama explains that to do selfless service one needs to cultivate two qualities: non-attachment and a loving attitude to do selfless service. Selfless service requires that an individual perform any service without any attachment or expectation and remain unaffected by the results of such service. At the same time, such an individual needs to cultivate a loving attitude toward such a selfless task, without developing any stress from it, no matter the outcome. However, if you do not love doing some task and yet you do it, it creates a conflict in mind leading to an emotional upheaval. So learn to create love toward your selfless duties. Furthermore, notice if you are happier and satisfied at the end of the day because this is what true karma yogis have experienced; seek them out and you will commonly hear them saying that the more they serve selflessly, the more true happiness they receive. Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa come to mind if I am asked to name some karma yogis.

The essence of the Bhagavad Gita, which is repeated throughout the text, emphasizes the benefits of selfless service. Here is how Krishna puts it, regarding selfless service in Chapter 2:

“Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward, Work not for a reward; but never cease to do thy work. Do thy work in the peace of Yoga and free from selfish desires, be not moved in success or failure”—translated by Juan Mascaro.

And this approach—performing a task without any expectation, letting go of all results, whether good or bad, and focusing on the selfless action alone—is the essence of karma yoga. In the light of non-attachment, the selfless doer attains freedom from emotional disturbances, including but not limited to desires, ambitions, fear, worry, anxiety, judgment, rage, etc. This leads to true happiness.

A recent research study on volunteerism and its effects on longevity, "Motives for Volunteering Are Associated With Mortality Risk in Older Adults,” by Konrath, et al,  confirms the importance of selfless service as advocated by the Bhagavad Gita. According to this study, people who volunteer may live longer than those who don’t, as long as their reasons for volunteering are to help others rather than themselves. Researchers analyzed data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study that followed a random sample of 10,317 Wisconsin high school students from their graduation in 1957 until the present. In 2004, respondents reported whether they had volunteered within the past ten years and how regularly. Respondents also mentioned their reasons for volunteering by answering ten questions. In that list were some questions regarding motives that were more oriented toward others and some that were more self oriented. The researchers then determined how many of the respondents were still alive in 2008. Following were the observations drawn from this interesting study:

1. Nearly 2.3 % of the volunteers had died, compared to 4.3% of non-volunteers. The frequency of volunteer time mattered as well; less than 2% of the regular volunteers had died as opposed to 2.5% of occasional volunteers.
2. The participants who volunteered only for compassionate reasons achieved the most health benefits. However, the ones who volunteered purely for personal gain or self growth were as likely to die as those who didn't volunteer at all.
3. Respondents who listed social connection or altruistic values as their predominant motive were more likely to be alive compared with non-volunteers.

According to one of the authors of the study, “It is reasonable for people to volunteer in part because of benefits to the self, however, our research implies that, ironically, should these benefits to the self become the main motive for volunteering they may not see those benefits.”

It is easy to understand why volunteering with an altruistic attitude helps an individual to live longer:

• Stress reduction. When helping others, the body releases an important hormone called oxytocin, which assists in buffering stressful thoughts.
• Morale. Merely thinking of a selfless service releases certain “feel-good”chemicals namely dopamine and serotonin (lack of which have both been linked with depression and other mood disorders.
• Self confidence. Self-esteem builds and confidence levels grow when you are passionate about something and helping others in need
• Health and pain reduction. Helping others has proven to help with chronic pain and cardiovascular health.

With a scientific study to back Krishna’s teachings about Karma Yoga, how about performing some selfless acts on a regular basis to achieve a longer life and using this extended life to foster sincere relationships and bring greater fulfillment to your life?

Anger Management: Philosophy, Science and Yoga

by Ram

The Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, and serves as a guiding manual for the daily conduct of life, spiritual uplift and self-realization. It is a treatise addressed to each and every individual to help him or her to solve life’s daily problems and progress towards a bright future (see also Nina’s post Acceptance, Active Engagement and the Bhagavad Gita).

Growing up in an extended family in India, we were regularly counseled by the elders on the spiritual foundations of human existence based on the principles of the Bhagavad Gita. Particularly striking and fascinating within its eighteen chapters are several references to sound mental health, which declare that the very goal of any human activity is to achieve a state of perfect understanding, clarity, renewed strength and triumph.

One particular verse that triggered my interest was regarding the death of an individual triggered by rage and anger.

Krodhad bhavati sammohah, sammohat smrti-vibhramah!

smrti-bhramsad buddhi-naso, buddhi-nasat pranasyati!!

“From anger comes delusion. From delusion loss of memory. From loss of memory the destruction of discrimination. From destruction of discrimination, the individual perishes.” —trans. by Swami Chidbhavananda

According to the textual commentary, the ignorant mind thinks that worldly objects will give it pleasure and happiness. Continuous thinking about the objects of senses creates attachment to them. Attachment leads to desire, and when the desire is not fulfilled, one gets angry (krodha), that in turn leads to delusion (moha) and confused memory (smriti). The confusion of memory causes destruction of reasoning (buddhi) due to which an individual is ruined and dies.

Prickly Catcus by Brad Gibson

I used to recall this relationship between anger and death during my college days and as a graduate student in neurosciences. How did these divine preachers suspect that anger could trigger the demise of an individual? Is there a causal relationship? What molecular pathways connect rage/anger to the death of a person?

Research from several diverse groups, including health professionals, behavioral scientists, psychologists and others, indicates that rage and anger are definitely hazardous to health. A high level of rage/anger has a powerful effect on the incidence of preventable cardiovascular death. Evidence indicates that anger evokes physiological responses that are potentially life threatening in triggering Coronary Heart Disease (CHD).

“When we are angry, not only do we spew out negativity to someone else, but our own body chemistry changes, and these changes can be harmful to our health” —James S. Brooks & Peter Anselmo from Ayurvedic Secrets to Longevity & Total Health

Anger triggers increased platelet activation and thrombosis, resulting in unwanted, pathological, and life-threatening clot formation. Anger also increases vulnerability to illnesses, compromises the immune system, increases lipid levels, exacerbates pain, and produces vasoconstriction of narrowed arteries. Finally, anger has been associated with chronic over-stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. This increased sympathetic activity has been shown to result in increased blood pressure and heart rate, and alterations of ventricular function.

In addition, anger triggers the release of free fatty acids into the bloodstream, and elevates the levels of circulating catecholamines and corticosteroids, all of which ultimately trigger heart disease. According to the American Heart Association and National Institute on Aging, CHD patients with higher levels of anger/hostility are also more likely to engage in CHD-risk behaviors, such as, smoking, overeating, decreased physical activity, decreased sleep, and increased use of alcohol and drugs. Thus, it is imperative to understand the significance of the pathways that connect anger to death. Once a seeker understands these pathways, he or she can then master the technique of controlling/processing the anger process.

In the post by Nina, Baxter recommends pranayama techniques and certain specific asanas to curb anger and achieve calmness. Another method to control/process anger is through meditation (dhyana), the cheapest and simplest recourse to a healthy body and mind.

Meditation transcends gender, race, skin color, profession, monetary status and, above all, religion. It does not require any elaborate setup, materials, clothes, space, doctors, nurses, or hospitals. Anyone who has the time and interest can practice meditation. Its benefits are immense and it is becoming mainstream. While meditation does not cure a person of anger, a person who has a meditation practice sees and reacts to anger differently. The individual will not only have the capacity to transcend the anger process but this person will not evoke the same physical and emotional reactions that are commonly seen in a person who does not meditate. Awareness to the thought and its flow, and awareness to anger arising inside can have remedial effects. And all this can be helpful in the journey to the center.

Yoga Philosophy of the Day, Part 2

by Nina

Almost immediately after I published my post on Monday Yoga Philosophy of the Day, which was about cultivating equanimity in the face of difficulty and “enemies,” I was sorry I hadn’t mentioned the United States election (post posting remorse?). Because for many of us Americans, this election has been extremely divisive, with the feeling on both sides that those in the opposing camp were our “enemies.” I even know people who stopped speaking to those who disagreed with them over candidates and issues. And I confess that I, too, got swept up in some very negative feelings.

Now, this morning, after very intense night, the results are in and the battles are over, for now at least. However, I find that there is still a great deal of intense feeling remaining, on both sides. Gloating, anger, bitterness. Even Big Bird wasn't being as nice as usual. So maybe it’s not too late to add to what I wrote on Monday after all!

If we practice yoga the way The Bhagavad Gita defines it, we’ll need to step back from these negative feelings. As I quoted on Monday:

He looks impartially on all:

those who love him or hate him,

his kinsmen, his enemies, his friends

the good, and also the wicked.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work for the political causes we believe in. As The Bhagavad Gita says:

He who performs his duty

with no concern for results

is the true man of yoga—not

he who refrains from action.

And, after all, it was Mohandas K. Gandhi, one of the great political activists of all time, who called The Bhagavad Gita his “mother” and believed in its message of “skill in action.”

The wise man lets go of all

results, whether good or bad,

and is focused on the action alone.

Yoga is skill in actions.

Now the challenge for all of us is to put this into practice. (See my original post Yoga Philosophy of the Day for information about what The Bhagavad Gita recommends as the way to achieve this.)

I was also thinking about how cultivating equanimity in the way The Bhagavad Gita recommends pertains to healthy aging. Of course, maintaining equanimity in the face of difficulty of all kinds helps make our lives better (and our bodies healthier). But also, as older people, most of us want to make a better world for those who come after us, whether that means for our own family members or for the next generation as a whole. And this will only be possible if we can all work together, friends and enemies alike.

Yoga Philosophy of the Day

by Nina

Reflections of Autumn Leaves by Brad Gibson

When a man has mastered himself,

he is perfectly at ease in cold,

in heat, in pleasure or pain,

in honor or in disgrace.

The mature man, fulfilled in wisdom,

resolute, looks with equal

detachment at a lump of dirt,

a rock, or a piece of pure gold.

He looks impartially on all:

those who love him or hate him,

his kinsmen, his enemies, his friends,

the good, and also the wicked. — trans. by Stephen Mitchell

I woke up this morning thinking about this passage from The Bhagavad Gita. Later this week, I’ll be going on a trip to Europe, including a short trip to Cologne, Germany (Brad was invited to give a talk at the prestigious Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing). To be honest, as a Jew with family members who were murdered in the Holocaust, I never wanted to visit Germany. And I’m nervous now about going. Of course, I’m not worried about being unsafe there. I’m mainly concerned about my emotional reactions to things like the sound of language, with which I have negative associations, and the sight of older people who might once have been Nazis. But while I could have decided to stay in Belgium while Brad went to Germany, I’ve decided to take it on. And I’m thinking about this passage from The Bhagavad Gita for inspiration.

So how does The Bhagavad Gita recommend attaining this level of equanimity? Simply by practicing “yoga” in the earliest sense of the word and that is by meditating:

Sitting down, having chosen

a spot that is neither too high

nor too low, that is clean and covered

with a grass mat, a deerskin, and a cloth.

he should concentrate, with his whole

mind, on a single object;

if he practices in this way,

his mind will soon become pure. —trans. Stephen Mitchell

Naturally maintaining equanimity in every difficult situation is very challenging. And although I know a lot of people who meditate on a regular basis, I still haven’t met anyone who is “perfectly at ease” or has attained the state of equanimity that The Bhagavad Gita says is yoga. But I still find great comfort in thought that this is a goal I can strive for. And even just increasing the amount of equanimity in my life seems a very worthwhile task.

Taking on a Yoga Challenge

by Nina

A highlight of my week last week (at least from a yoga asana perspective) was getting up into handstand by myself again in my class. Although I was able to do handstand for a number of years, I lost the ability to do it due after some shoulder injuries (two frozen shoulders to be specific—who knew you could get that nasty condition more than once!). So I’ve had to go through the process three times of learning/re-learning to do this pose. The way I did it was by practicing the pose home. But how can you practice a pose that you can’t do? Well, I just made up my mind to try getting up into handstand several times a week. Just casually. Just one try. And if that didn’t work, no big deal. After I after finally got up once, still keep practicing. If I failed after that first success, again, no big deal. Just keep practicing. Just keep practicing. Just keep practicing. That’s basically the way I not only learned to do handstand, but also a number of other challenging poses. This process always reminds me of the main message of the Bhagavad Gita.

You have right to your actions,

but never to your actions’ fruits

Ac for the action’s sake.

And do not be attached to inaction.

Self-possessed, resolute, act

without any thoughts of results,

open to success or failure.

Taking an approach like this is one of the many ways your asana practice can teach you about yoga philosophy in action. And this approach to a difficult asana is one you can use for any challenging task that you take on.

But I decided to bring up this topic because this week Baxter and I will be featuring Warrior 3 pose, which is a very challenging balance pose (in fact, this is another one of the challenging poses that I practiced at home on a regular basis so I could become better at it). Do you think you can’t do Warrior 3? And do you want to learn?

1. Start with the wall version (see Warrior 3 (Wall Version)) with hands flat on the wall. We had a comment from one our readers saying her students found the wall version too challenging. But if it’s too hard to lift one of your legs up parallel to floor, you can try lifting it up a tiny bit or even just coming onto the toes of one of your feet so more weight is on one leg. That’s still the pose!
2. Keep practicing the wall version until it’s relatively easy and you can maintain comfortably at least 30 seconds. (If you are not lifting your leg all the way or up or even off the floor, keep practicing until you finally do.)
3. Now try practicing with your hands on the wall to fingertips. Work with this version until you can maintain comfortably for at least 30 seconds.
4. Now try the pose away from the wall for just a brief moment, keeping your torso and leg at angle (not coming full parallel). Yay, you did it! Work with this version until you can maintain comfortably for at least 30 seconds.
5. Experiment with the full pose as we will show it later this week. Start with the easiest version first (arms back), the middle version next (arms out to the sides) and work up to the hardest version last (the full pose). Work through each version the same way, starting with a brief hold and than working up to a longer hold.
6. Once you learn the pose, keep practicing it on a regular basis!

Although this post has been about Warrior 3, I hope this inspires you to start practicing any pose you find challenging. Practicing a challenging pose at home is a great way to start a home practice or to keep your home practice from getting stale. And even though the instructions today were specifically for Warrior 3, it should be pretty easy for you to extrapolate from them to come up with your own path for practicing whatever pose you decide to take on.

Why You Should Study Yoga Philosophy

by Nina

Baxter’s post yesterday (see Does Home Practice Make You Healthier?) was packed full of interesting tidbits, wasn’t it? But one of the most striking comments for me was this one about yoga philosophy:

Notably, frequency of philosophy study was the yoga practice variable that most often predicted health. In addition, more frequent philosophy study also contributed to a lower BMI and higher odds of being a vegetarian. And this sometimes equated to only reading philosophy once a week.

Now I’ve been saying for some time, both to students and on this blog, that I felt yoga philosophy was one of yoga’s valuable tools for cultivating equanimity (see Acceptance, Active Engagement and the Bhagavad Gita and other posts on yoga philosophy). So it was wonderful to hear that this recent study offered some evidence to back me up! And I thought today I’d say a little bit about why I think yoga philosophy is so beneficial, and also mention a few ways for you to get started with yoga philosophy, if you have not already done so.

In general I think that yoga philosophy helps us cultivate equanimity because it provides an alternative way of thinking about our lives. Every day in our society we’re bombarded with advertising that tells us that in order to be happy, we must buy more and achieve more. That’s just due to the nature of capitalism, as, of course, various companies and individuals wanting to make money need to persuade us to be unhappy with our current situation and urge us to improve ourselves by buying their products and/or services. And striving for material success also seems to be built into our culture Unfortunately, for most of us, this pressure leaves us feeling continually unhappy and stressed out, caught in an endless cycle desire and dissatisfaction. What yoga philosophy does is remind us that there is another way thinking about our lives, and provides us with a different goal we can aim for: equanimity. The following quote from the Bhagavad Gita describes the yogi who has achieved equanimity. 

He who hates no light, nor busy activity, nor even darkness, when they are near, neither longs for them when they are far.

Who unperturbed by changing conditions sits apart and watches and says “the powers of nature go round”, and remains firm and shakes not.

Who dwells in his inner self, and is the same in pleasure and pain; to whom gold or stones or earth are one, and what is pleasing or displeasing leave him in peace; who is beyond both praise and blame, and whose mind is steady and quiet.

Who is the same in honor or disgrace, and has the same love for enemies or friends.

Although it is obviously a lifelong quest to achieve the state of equanimity described above, I’ve found that it is very beneficial when I notice dissatisfaction taking over, to step back and at least remind myself there is a different point of view. Then I can begin to let go. And obviously the people interviewed in the study Baxter discussed found similar benefits.

Arctic Sun by Michele Macartney-Filgate

So, if I have convinced you to start exploring yoga philosophy, where should you start? The two most frequently read yoga scriptures these days are the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, and these books are a great place to begin. As they are very different from each other (and, indeed, their messages are very different as well), I thought I’d briefly describe them to you.

The Yoga Sutras is likely the most commonly cited scripture these days (though this probably was not true in the past). Composed in 150-200 C.E. by Patanjali, who may or may not have been a single person, the Yoga Sutras is a short, concise work of aphorisms. It is very intellectual and abstract as opposed to Bhagavad Gita, and while some people find it too dry and abstract. I myself find it a brilliant work on psychology and the nature of the mind. The Yoga Sutras is often considered by some to be the climax of a long development of yogic technology, and Patanjali’s school has come to be considered the authoritative system of the yoga tradition referred to as “classical yoga.”

There are many different translations, some with detailed commentaries, others with little or no explanation. I suggest you peruse several different versions to find the best one for you to start with. Being something of a nerd on the topic, I find myself using several different translations on a regular basis, including:

Light on the Yoga Sutras by BKS Iyengar, with Iyengar’s commentary
Barbara Stoler Miller’s translation
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Edwin F. Bryant
Desikachar’s very loose translation in The Heart of Yoga
Georg Fuerstein’s very literal translation in The Yoga Tradition

The Bhagavad Gita is one section of a much longer work, the dramatic epic poem the Mahabharata, written in approximately 500 to 400 BCE. The Gita tells the story of Arjuna, the most distinguished warrior in the Pandava army, as he stops and surveys his adversaries in the Kavara army. The Kavaras are power-hungry corrupt rulers who had usurped the throne. The peace-leaving Pandavas, on the other hand, have the welfare to the people at heart. So this is considered a moral war. Arjuna sees among the opposing forces many with whom the Pandavas have no quarrel, including highly esteemed teachers and elders. He tells Krishna, his charioteer and great friend, he is determined not to fight. His scruples center on the imagined personal consequences of his fighting: his guilt for the decimation of his people. Krishna speaks with him about yoga—the Gita is their dialogue—until he is once more resolved to fight. Some people Krishna’s advice to Arjuna to go into battle disturbing, but Mohandas K. Ghandi, who called the Gita his “mother,” considered the war to be a metaphor for the battle within our souls.

As with the Yoga Sutras, there are many different translations of the Bhagavad Gita, and I recommend that you search for a translation that speaks to you. Translation can make such a difference; I’ve seen the same definition of yoga translated in these different ways:

yoga is equanimity
yoga is balance
yoga is evenness of mind

I really enjoy both the simple, very accessible translation by Stephen Mitchell as well as the more vivid and dramatic one by Juan Mascaro. And I always turn to Georg Feuerstein when I want a translation that while awkward is as close as possible to the original Sanskrit.

Although these two scriptures are just the tip of the yoga philosophy iceberg, I promise you that these two very different books are rich with insights, and you can read them over and over. And I assure you that if you find just one helpful message or concept, it will be worth your time and effort. If reading these works by yourself is too daunting, consider finding a friend or two to read and discuss the books with (I did that for many years with one of my dearest long-time yoga friends).

Summer Solstice

by Nina

“Life is an ever-rolling wheel

And every day is the right one.” —Mumon Gensen

For us in the northern hemisphere, today is the summer solstice. I don’t know about you, but I always have mixed feelings on this day. On one hand, the solstice heralds the beginning of summer, and summer in Northern California, with its cool foggy mornings and bright, warm afternoons, its sprawling vegetable gardens and blooming roses, jasmine and herbs, is my favorite season. 

White Wisteria by Michele Macartney-Filgate

But on the other hand, because the solstice is the longest day of the year, I also feel a twinge of regret that soon the days will become shorter and the year will begin to wane.

Shadows from a lingering sun

blur into dusk—
falling cherry petals
—Soko

And as I’m well into the second half of my life, I can’t help but take some time to consider my own mortality as well as that of people close to me. The losses I’ve already experienced. The losses that are certain to come. Then I turn back to my practice and the Bhagavad Gita.

This is true yoga: the unbinding

of the bonds of sorrow. Practice

this yoga with determination

and with a courageous heart.

—Bhagavad Gita, trans. by Stephen Mitchell

A Pathway in the Mind

by Nina

Yesterday Timothy posted the following quote from Thoreau on his Facebook page (you can find him there at Dr. Timothy McCall Yoga), and it got me thinking: 

As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives. —Henry David Thoreau

This reminded me so much of the post I wrote about samskaras (see Meditation and Brain Strength). And I wasn’t at all surprised to see a quote from Thoreau that echoed yoga philosophy. After all, Thoreau read The Bhagavad Gita and other yoga scriptures, and even wrote that he considered himself “a yogi."

Free in this world as the birds in the air, disengaged from every kind of chains, those who practice the yoga gather in Brahma the certain fruit of their works. … Depend upon it that, rude and careless as I am, I would fain practice the yoga faithfully. … The yogi, absorbed in Contemplation, contributes in his degree to creation; he breathes a divine perfume, he hears wonderful things. Divine forms traverse him without tearing him, and, united to the nature which is proper to him, he goes, he acts as animating Original matter. … To some extent, and at rare intervals, even I am a yogi.

That being said, I had, a first, a mixed reaction to this quote. I tend to get a bit put off when I hear phrases like “we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.” As a creative writer, I think it’s important not to censor your thoughts and to allow yourself to think about anything and everything. And I tend to rebel at being told to be more positive. But then, just a few hours later, I realized that in some ways I had already been putting Thoreau’s advice into practice for a number of years.

Between Two Rocks by Nina Zolotow

As a person who used to react to stressful situations with anxiety, I have found it very helpful to repeatedly remind myself of this quote (and this translation) from the Bhagavad Gita: 

You have a right to your actions,

but never to your actions’ fruits.

Act for the action’s sake.

And do not be attached to inaction.

Self-possessed, resolute, act

without any thought of results,

open to success or failure.

This equanimity is yoga.
—trans. by Stephen Mitchell

So while I haven’t been censoring my thoughts per se, when I notice myself starting to get stressed out about something, I have been developing the habit of turning my thoughts toward a more helpful way of viewing my life. I thought of this cultivating this habit more as using a new muscle that gets stronger and stronger with each repetition, not as creating a deep mental path or a samskara, but my little epiphany yesterday was: of course! It’s all the same thing.

This is why I think that yoga philosophy, which is indeed is intended to “quiet the mind,” can be as helpful for reducing stress as all the inverted poses and conscious relaxation practices that I also recommend. What do you think? Is there a piece of yoga philosophy that you find yourself turning toward over and over?

Thinking about the Wisdom of Yoga

by Nina

“You have taught the essence of yoga 
is equanimity, Krishna;

but since the mind is so restless,

how can that be achieved?


The mind is restless, unsteady,

turbulent, wild, stubborn;

truly, it seems to me
as hard to master as the wind.”

—The Bhagavad Gita

In my last post "What is Healthy Aging?" I added “wisdom” to the list of tools yoga provides for healthy aging. But since then, I’ve been thinking about how reading a bunch of wise words in an ancient (or modern) text is so different than actually living wisely. Haven’t you all watched someone close to you—or even yourself—be drawn irresistibly into self destructive behavior, even as they know exactly how unwise they’re being? As Arjuna says to Krishana above, the mind seems to me, too, “as hard to master as the wind.”

In The Bhagavad Gita, Krishna replies to Arjuna’s question above by saying that constant practice and detachment are what allow you to move toward wisdom.

"You are right, Arjuna: the mind

is restless and hard to master;

but by constant practice and detachment

it can be mastered in the end."

Gaudi Stairway by Brad Gibson

It is the regular practice of mindfulness that allows us to observe our patterns of behavior and ultimately begin to make changes. In his book Yoga and the Quest for the True Self, Stephen Cope describes it this way:

Acknowledge the pattern. Study it. Observe it. Respect its power. And, if possible, make an intention to interrupt it just at its very end point. For most of us, that endpoint is the reaction to the reaction. Self-hatred. Negative self-talk. Moralizing. Guilt. Let’s begin by deleting a little of that, and then a little more.

When we pare away judgment, something remarkable happens. We’re free, for the first time, to observe how the pattern really works.

He says our behavior patterns are samskaras, which are like ruts in a road that deepen through repetition so becomes inevitable that a car will slide into them unawares. But with our newly gained awareness of our patterns, we can use tapas, the energy of restraint, to stop the slide:

Tapas requires a particular kind of attention—precisely the kind required when driving on a rutted road. We need to be awake. We need to be concentrated in order to avoid the edges of the ruts. And sometimes we need to pull the car wheels—with considerable effort—out of the ridges in the road.