The Surya Namaskar:
“Embracing Discipline”
By: Ali Haci
Yoga is described as many things: a practice, a lifestyle, a philosophy. One term that is often left out of the description is discipline. Many practice yoga as a form of renewal, a way to escape the stressors of our modern day lives. It brings a sense of peace and control within ourselves in a world that often feels like an unrealistic luxury. With time and effort, yoga begins to seep into the further reaches of our lives, or as you often hear, “beyond the mat”. Yoga philosophy lists the “eight limbs of yoga”, a variety of practices (beyond just Asana, i.e. poses) that are meant to work hand in hand to reach Samadhi, the yogic state of consciousness. While it would be fun to cover all the limbs of yoga, today we focus on the niyamas, the self-disciplines, or more specifically the niyama tapas, or cultivation of heat.
Heat works as a metaphor to represent discipline, drive and passion. Tapas is that inner flame, our agni, which burns and purifies us in mind, body and soul. Fire is many things; it is destruction, it is a purifier, it is a source of light. Within us, fire churns and ignites our passion to grow and to face the world with determination and ferocity. Whether that be on the mat holding a chair pose or out in the world fighting on behalf of ourselves, it is the fire of discipline which ignites noticeable change in our lives. As we journey through the cold and dark half of the year, cultivating agni within ourselves becomes even more of a necessity.
Balance is a common theme throughout all wellness practices. Ayurvedic philosophy teaches that we should strive for balance of the three doshas. Taoism teaches us to master balance between yin and yang. Modern day HR offices remind us to find a work-life balance. While the philosophies can be a tad more difficult to fully grasp, the practice itself is a simple one. Where there is too much cold, bring heat. Where there is too much decay, bring life. One way to embrace balance through the winter is by leaning into fire. It can be hard, swimming against the tide that is pushing us to hole up and hibernate, but leaning into discipline through this time can help to offset the less than lovable side effects of winter. Like hibernation, our bodies feel anti-social, we lack decent sleep, feel groggy and withdrawn. After spending so much time and energy with the holidays, we enter January, a cold and dark month that lacks much excitement. Then there is February which only brings relief to those expecting Valentine’s gifts. It can feel lonely and dull.
Despite the “January blues”, we can reinvigorate the fire within ourselves by returning to discipline. For some it may be career oriented, working on new projects and chasing new aspirations. For some it may be on the mat, maintaining a regular practice and pushing boundaries of depth within the practice. For some it takes more physical forms through sweat and pushing the body. Whatever the case may be, invite discipline into your day to day and maintain it. Accountability is a tricky subject because setting unattainable goals leaves us high and dry, but keeping to a realistic yet challenging set of goals can be the key difference between a hibernation time and a time of growth and experience. So reflect on the stagnancy within your life. Where is it that you feel you need change? Where is it that you feel you need more discipline? And give it everything you’ve got to give. It doesn’t need to be a dramatic and aggressive change, because again, we search for stability, not short lived passion. But find the little things that can really make a difference. Making your bed every morning, keeping an active gratitude journal, or getting ahead of responsibilities. Embrace tapas and reignite your passion and drive. To return to simple, physical metaphors- if you are perfectly comfortable within a stretch and feel nothing at all, you will remain within your limits. It is only when we push the boundary just a little further where we see growth and results.
Statistically most resolutions are forgotten by February. If you have faltered and lost your progress, let this be a reminder that attaining your goal won’t happen by giving up and putting it off another year, but rather by picking up and continuing to move on with it. And to relate back to the practice, you will never get where you want to be by remaining still and if you fall out of a pose, you must try it again to get better. It takes a few smacks to the ground to achieve a headstand and it takes a lot of wobbles to get to a tree. What makes us yogis is the fact that we try and then try again. That is where the discipline comes in, with commitment and a drive for growth. And what better time to keep trying than the dullest months of the year? Tapas is the action of leaning into the higher self, no matter what it looks like within our own practice. So find your tapas, your fire, your discipline. Use your inner fire to light the way through the dark half of the year and towards the future.
Ali Haci
February 3rd, 2025
Release Yoga NJ
The Surya Namaskar:
The Surya Namaskar:“New Year’s Resolutions”
By: Ali Haci
Happy New Year! To begin, I invite you to give yourself a pat on the back for getting another year under your belt. Or, perhaps, give yourself a big hug and take a deep breath, find comfort in your space and truly take a moment to appreciate everything you have experienced through 2024; all the laughs, all the love, all the grief and tears. Take it all in and be proud.
New Year’s is an interesting holiday, as it is prescribed to the common Gregorian calendar’s ending and beginning. Many other cultures celebrate New Year’s based off of the cycles of the moon or alternative calendars. So it is more of a random marker of a trip around the sun rather than a date of true significance. But the beauty of New Year’s is the significance we give it as a culture. This is a time to look to the future, make plans for ourselves and set goals; a time for new resolutions. It is easy to resonate with the holiday, humans are built to change. We’re built to adapt, learn and grow. This holiday gives us a point of reference to, hopefully, take pride in our growth and embrace the changes that have occurred within our lives.
Resolutions are the common manifestation of goals we set for the new year, but the system is flawed. Setting a goal too ambitious leaves your resolution lost in the wind by Valentine’s and too small of a resolution is too easily achieved. So, if you are setting a sankalpa (intention) for the year, I invite you to dissect it a little further. Why is this your resolution? What contentment will it bring you that you don’t already have? I encourage you to grow and explore, but set an intention that will nourish your life rather than your ego. When someone says their resolution is to “Do a split!”, their resolution isn’t to do a perfect split. It is to be more dedicated to their yoga practice, give more attention to their physical body, to be more consistent within their stretching routines, to learn more about their anatomy and apply it to their goal. This same logic can be applied to any resolution- it isn’t the goal that we are reaching, it is the journey that we are committing ourselves to.
A different perspective of New Year’s leads us to dissect the past. How did we size up this year in comparison to others? Was it a “good” year or “bad” year? If there was a period of struggle, times of grief or loss, what is it that you learned from the situation? Every experience can introduce a lesson. Of course, some lessons take longer to learn than others and maybe you are in the midst of one right now. But when you look back at the year, don’t just see the failures, disappointments or the resolutions left behind, but take an inventory of all the happy moments. Maybe we didn’t hit all of the material goals, financial or physical but think of all the laughs you shared, all the times you felt at peace with where you were and all the time spent doing what felt right. Not everything that matters can be measured, but that doesn’t mean they lack importance. Looking back at and recognizing these lessons and little wins brings a balance to the year. It motivates us to go into the new year with more mindfulness of the little things. Not how many yoga classes I made it to, but rather the time I made to go to as many as I did. Not that I didn’t drink enough water, but that I reminded myself to drink as much as I could. This mindset gives a more sustainable approach to goal setting because it doesn’t require you to be perfect. And I’ll let you in on a little secret; you’re not perfect. I’m not perfect. Nobody is perfect. But there is so much beauty in imperfection, it is just a matter of finding that beauty and appreciating it for what it is.
Remember, each new day is a chance to begin again with intention, consistency and care. I wish you a year of growth, optimism and joy.
Ali Haci
January 8th, 2025
Release Yoga NJ
