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to be steadfast on the path. That one 

thing is moderation. 

Moderation is at the heart of all 

yoga practice. Yoga is about balance 

from the outset. An adage says: “yoga 

is learned by yoga”. Think about the 

age old fable of the tortoise and the 

hare and which one finishes the race. 

The driven motivation of the hare 

burns out before the race concludes 

but the patient step-by-step dedica-

tion of the tortoise prevails. When we 

are new to the path, its promise and 

perhaps our initial experiences are so 

encouraging that we are inclined to 

want to have it all, do it all and be it all 

immediately. We hear about the saints 

who rise at three or four a.m. to medi-

tate two or three hours, followed by a 

full practice of asana and purifications, 

then study of scripture. A light and 

pure breakfast of fruit, whole grains, 

nuts and fresh milk is prepared and 

eaten mindfully and then the time for 

service in the world begins. The temp-

tation is to try to start there, with that 

level of intensity. However, it is much 

better to start with modest steps and 

build on them than to stretch your-

self too far and then give up. Medi-

tating consistently for thirty minutes 

everyday is preferable to starting with 

two-hour vigils that are sporadic and 

difficult to maintain. 

I remember thinking in the begin-

ning, “This yoga is a full time job!” I 

wondered “How will I ever find the 

T

raversing the path of Self-real-

ization is a lifelong adventure 

that brings progressively 

clearer insight about how to live a 

fulfilling life with wisdom and 

compassion. To be successful in yoga 

is to not only reap the daily benefits of 

spiritually conscious living, but to 

follow the way to its summit—libera-

tion of consciousness or enlighten-

ment. Like any worthwhile endeavor, 

success on the path of yoga requires 

commitment, intentionality, discipline, 

practice and an element of grace. We 

have to apply ourselves. The great yoga 

master, Paramahansa Yogananda, 

advised seekers of truth to “let their 

devotion for God be like a wood fire 

that burns strong and long, not like a 

straw fire that burns fast and bright 

but quickly goes out.”

There are those who dabble in yoga, 

take a class here and there, try out one 

practice or another, start to meditate, 

read a good book on yoga philosophy, 

but then find that their initial motiva-

tion falls away. It seems too difficult 

to maintain the required discipline. 

What makes the difference between 

those who lose interest and those who 

“go the distance” and remain steadfast 

on the path of yoga? While there are 

many reasons one could point to, one 

of the most common places to look is 

at our approach, or how we set about 

engaging in this practice. One thing 

makes all the difference in our ability