Discipline in Your Yoga Practice: How to Stick With It with Byron and Michael

0:00 Let's talk about discipline Byron. I think you got a definition for us over there. Why don't we start with that? Yeah, so this thing floating around the internet and I really really like what it stirs up. So regarding discipline nobody wants to tell you why discipline is so important. Discipline is the strongest form of self love. It is ignoring current Pleasures for bigger rewards to come. It's loving yourself enough to give yourself everything you've ever wanted.

0:36 Welcome to the going pro yoga podcast, nugget series. My name is Michael Henry, and I'm Byron de Marseille and these short 15 minute episodes. We're going to be answering some of the most common questions in the yoga industry so you can walk away with the answers in a short period of time.

0:51 That's right. Michael with each topic, that we choose will be discussing it from two different perspectives, the teacher, and the student. I'll be approaching these questions as a physiotherapist or physical therapist with over 10 years experience, treating some of the most common and complex injuries. And my guidance will be from the perspective of having taught 7000 classes, roughly 10,000 hours over 10 years. Welcome to our podcast.

1:16 One more time. Nobody wants to tell you, why discipline is so important. Discipline is the strongest form of self love. It is ignoring current Pleasures for bigger rewards to come. It's loving yourself enough to give yourself everything you've ever wanted.

1:33 I feel like Paul wrote that sounds like something Paul like teaches and he's he's all about the delivery positive quote guy for sure, for sure the great quote. I don't know who it's from by the way. So if anybody has that information, you're welcome to share that and yeah, we're just reading that.

1:50 Yeah, that's great. That's super thought-provoking. It's such an interesting word that can be viewed as like a positive thing or an intimidating thing. Someone feels like they don't have discipline or someone expresses that someone doesn't have discipline that it's seen as a bad thing which is a dark side of it I guess.

2:09 But for us discipline is I get least for me, I should speak for myself and speak for us. Discipline, is something that I've always valued as beneficial because I think I've seen what it can do, because I've explored it enough, or maybe I was given opportunities to explore it enough, or maybe pushed a little bit or given some direction, Maybe by my father, or something like that, to just be a little bit more disciplined to persevere. To be determined to keep going

2:39 type of thing, which is masking masculine. I don't know talk about masculinity but I would say that discipline is a masculine quality. What would you say about that? Um, my regarding that question, I'll have to think about it. But okay, to me if I had to break down discipline, it would sound something like Like commits a basically following through with commitments, right?

3:10 No matter what Right? That no matter what part makes it the discipline, right? As opposed to it because it sounds similar to Integrity having spoken about integrity. The, a few weeks ago, Tegrity a few weeks ago. Well, there could be they could be together.

3:26 Probably just some sort of I think Integrity is more about the alignment like with what you're saying and doing and disciplines more about the doing right, the doing like I'm going to do this and you do it. Right? It's an action. So disciplined.

3:47 Such a tough one because I mean there's some conditioning there if you go into childhood discipline means something to everybody in a different way. Did your parents discipline you exactly? You know and I think of like yeah kind of I mean I got slapped a few times and all that. So what an interesting topic fortitude comes to mind too. When I think about going, Through something, no matter what.

4:15 Fortitude might have the a little more about the difficulty of going through it, right? The emotional kind of thing, like, assuming that it's a difficult thing. You're going through, where's disciplines? Like, that's like with the quality that you need to have to go to build fortitude. You need to have discipline to have the fortitude first, I kind of connected as well.

4:37 Yeah. Or the fortitude, meaning, like the build up against and selected to be able to tackle resilience to move past resistance. Yeah. And this is one of our core qualities or let's call him values of going pro. Absolutely. You talk about a lot.

4:57 Like gotta do the podcast once a week. Yes. There's one discipline right there. Yeah, absolutely. In my life, I wake up early and I have a practice, whether it's going to the gym or pranayama meditation or yoga practice, there's some sort of discipline. They're a little two hour window. 90% of the time I get or I create if I don't have a lot of time in the morning where I follow through with it.

5:25 Hmm, I'm sure. I know you do too and it's also written into the yoga. You know, the whole philosophy and the sutras. And the yama's neon has all these. These different forms of discipline like Sasha Sasha, for our listeners, that don't know.

5:42 Sasha is translated as cleanliness. Cleanliness like making your bed. Cleaning out, clutter not holding onto things. Through attachment, you can go deeper, then we kind of spills out into other parts of yoga philosophy, right?

6:01 But I mean, essentially it's a form of discipline Tapas and I'm not talking about the Mediterranean appetizers. Oh you're not although they're delicious and small, very tasty. Usually a great selection to at this restaurant here in the no Tapas is purification through heat also, sometimes called discipline, right? And you could Say that the Tapas is like a running. A marathon is a huge form of Tapas, right? Going to silent Meditation Retreat that pasta know, 10 days.

6:38 Hmm wow stuff's going to come up, it's going to purify something through your body, your mind through the heat, the heat being the challenge, right? The resistance. Hmm. And so the discipline is there to, you know, to actually go through with it, a juice fast right now. Light forms of Tapas or like just going to a class that you didn't want to go to a yoga class. Maybe one time is a small form of Tapas, right? Having a conversation.

7:04 You don't want to have meeting up with someone that you might not want to meet up with. Yeah. But like a milder ones and I think we could all agree. We need a little more of this in our lives. Yeah, I mean, I don't know, a lot of people that are they just have this one down to a science. I dunno if you, but but like it's we pick when were disciplined and we pick one, we're not. But to be disciplined all the time, I might be kind of boring. Mmm.

7:30 Sometimes they're looked at his born. Where is the spontaneity of Like, no, I'm actually gonna not do that thing. I thought I was going to do this way and, you know, we had an episode about Flow State and some might say that that interrupt your Flow State to be disciplined. Right?

7:44 That's true. It's an interesting thing to think about. Yeah. Hmm. You said so many interesting things, I like I don't even like what do I think about discipline? That's what I'm thinking to myself. I mean I know I kind of talked about it a little just deconstructing it as I'm totally about it. Yeah, totally Flow State.

8:00 Mostly yeah, conversation about discipline. Yeah. I mean the thing about talking to, you know, being brought up in like what the word means to you, like discipline could be like a physical disciplinary action. Like being disciplined at school like reprimanded like these types of other out of synonyms, but they're words that are definitely connected in some sort of way. And that's what I meant by like having a negative connotation to the word or a positive

8:26 connotation to the word if this woman has worked really well for you, then you probably, you know, you see its value and even though you don't like necessarily Really love it or hate it, but, you know, you see its value where someone who's struggled with it because of the connotation in which it was used or presented in their life. They might not might be harder for them to use discipline to work past challenges and resilience and you know, maybe it's more the Rebellion which I

8:51 don't know. Maybe the Rebellion is the an antigen antigen and annum Antonia antonyms of discipline. So that's that's the thing that came up for me. When you were speaking about that, So, yeah, it's interesting the just to have the different perspectives because obviously we have our perspectives and like, because it's a value of ours that's important particularly just in our lives personally and then, you know, for going pro, you know, trainings and stuff like that and helping to build discipline

9:19 to like, you know, practice teach and like to stick to the schedule and do all the things like, that structures, kind of really important to us in the yoga space. Because sometimes, it's not, you know, it's lacking a little bit, but to some people discipline might be a completely different thing. Thing in a bad way.

9:35 Well, exactly. So I think defining these, these things are very important. So there are more of us are on the same page. There's not a disconnect there but I started to think when you were talking just about discipline and when we choose not to be disciplined, what are we really saying or doing with that behavior?

9:58 Okay, so I don't go through with the obligation. I committed to myself. I'm going to wake up early and I'm going to do this thing. It's 6:00 in the morning and I wake up, it's 5:30 and I decided to go back to sleep. So why did I do that? And I think freedom is one of our talks. We can go back and listen to the freedom part and what is it? And there's something we weren't willing to give up because we valued whatever it was.

10:24 Let's say sleep in that circumstance. Over the benefits of getting up and doing that, meditation and yoga practice. In that moment, at least we decided that that was more valuable to same bed, right? So it's like a, it's a lack of Freedom.

10:41 Like, oh, I want the freedom to be able to choose this other thing that I wanted. So what would you call that like the discernment or the intelligence to know when to be disciplined? And when it's okay to To not be I guess. Yeah.

10:55 I mean you could say discernment or you could just say compulsive. I think that's really where if you want to go deep. Just cut to the chase deep yoga kind of come velocity. Then compulsive is the answer. Hmm. It's why people are not disciplined. So I am not as planned sometimes probably it's the same. Probably why you are?

11:14 This is my my opinion, but it's I think if you dig into it enough you'll you might agree with me. Hmm. Well tell me explain a little bit more. What do you mean? I think It just kind of like in that moment, like, I'm just going to compulsively choose This and like, how I push the other thing off on tenuously and the discipline thing that I know is good for me that I set in this mind state, where I knew it was good for me so I planned it. Now at the time has come and I

11:37 feel differently and so now it's easy to to just not choose it right, you know. Mmm. So it's allowing so it's like yeah that wow. That's an interesting one. Yeah, it's making me think it is because compulsive. The it is what it is, you know, it's got a pretty bad reputation, right?

11:56 You can call, but it is not how it's a favorite is a good thing to be compulsive, right? Impulsive is different. Yeah, impulsive and compulsive. So compulsive. It almost seems like another way of saying trusting your intuition in the moment I would say compulsive and environment have to look this up and like verify it compulsive his own more like Behavior. Oriented physical body Behavior, like action-oriented, and impulsive, might be more intuition, like you said, okay? And also the impulse to think,

12:34 quickly, gotcha to follow that. That so the as well as possible would be the action without the thinking. Is that what I'm hearing? The ACT. Yeah, pretty good. That's pretty good. The action without thinking compulsive and just things and just the way I think about it, interesting.

12:52 Hmm. Okay my brain is thinking a lot right now. I don't know if I'm gonna be able to continue the. Do you have the discipline to continue the podcast? We're going to compulsively stop it. Who it's a good example you know? Well we still have some time.

13:04 I mean I can keep talking. How many minutes is it? We got like three minutes left. Okay? Yeah, yeah. Well then stick it out. Okay. I think the fortitude baby. So what's what are you currently using discipline as in your life? I mean, just think about being a yoga teacher, The discipline to show up regardless unless you're sick or something really comes up or you you really have a necessary vacation coming up or trip.

13:30 You know, the discipline of showing up doing your job. The discipline of, you know, I would say even with your sequencing to, to do what, you know, within your heart yourself to be the best strategy in your career choices, not just compulsively. Say yes to a job opportunity.

13:54 That has you teaching something you don't want to teach. If you're a new teacher, you might rethink that because you need to get your foot in the door at a certain point drawing the boundary of I'm not just gonna say yes to everything.

14:06 I don't think that's a good idea and then somebody asks you hey you want to teach that myofascial release class that you really don't have any passion about let's say and you're like yeah, of course. I'll do it for two months straight and now you're kind of stuck into this commitment.

14:22 But you might create some resentment for right? And you might put some stories behind that. Like, I'm this way. I'm just such a sucker, right. That's a good opportunity to use discernment to. Yeah, I'll see to decide. Is this an opportunity?

14:38 Is this a time where I should be disciplined as a time where I need to? Yeah, so there's that discipline to like say no and and then a discipline to say yes to the things you've already known and like paved your path with totally You know. Yeah, the thing that comes up for me is like Clear My Throat. Let Me Clear.

15:00 My Throat is the connection with discipline to food particular just because I think that's probably relevant for everyone regardless of who you are. That there's probably some sort of subconscious thought about discipline with removes the phone. That's a good one.

15:16 You know, for example myself and I know for you is like we try to avoid eating gluten, try to avoid it. Corn and you know, all these foods that have this kind of sticky binding agent. Just because, you know, we're trying to explore ways to improve our lower back pain that we occasionally, have and wondering if there's inflammation from food and the gut stuff like that.

15:35 So in order to explore that in to learn about it, there's no real, you know, depending on who you talk to, you're going to get a different opinion on whether or not it's a BS or not. But what we're doing is, we're exploring it by trying it out ourselves, but the only way we can do that is by being disciplined enough, to not eat it for the period enough time.

15:50 Absolutely, you know, maybe Bring it back in and see if there's a change or difference, which is kind of what we're doing. And it's learning that there is some sort of correlation and when we don't eat it, it feels better. And that might not be the case for everyone at least for now. That's the general feeling that we're getting. But the discipline gave us that reward of understanding that. So, and then the other thing for me, sweet, potatoes, for some reason, someone told me that I'm

16:14 probably allergic to sweet potatoes and I was like, I don't know if that's true. I love sweet potatoes. I've never really noticed but I was like, I need to find out I've been not eating sweet potatoes for the last. I don't even know how to three months.

16:27 Yeah, I don't know if I've noticed the difference on that one, but Ike I wanted to take the discipline to find out for sure. You care about yourself, totally self love. Yeah. Otherwise you wouldn't do that. Yeah, you know.

16:38 So it is just the people who are out there, we know what came up as well, was kind of this. What's the word gluttonous? Behavior. No, not glued to you say, gluten and manage trigger that but gluttonous, like, where you're just like moderation. It doesn't exist to you.

16:52 So you you do way too much all the time, maybe you value pleasure or this heightened, like feeling of, like, whatever it is that you kind of get from that Rush of doing that thing, that buffet or that. Who knows. I'm real, I could literally choose like a lot of different Pleasures in the world and then maybe you add to Pleasures or three or four on top of each other now.

17:17 And now, you're just like in that super gluttony gladness state. I think of like the old King eating the turkey leg and I can our slobbering all over himself, kind of Fat Bastard and Austin Powers if you can remember how my God. Yeah you know the gladness favor, the discipline itself. Love you care about yourself so much, you're not willing to give in to the temptation of that compulsive Behavior. Again, come back to the compulsive thinking, this is, it is as simple as that.

17:47 Mmm, so learning. I like, I like, now, I'm coming back to where you were the discernment of Am I being compulsive or not? Okay. And then if I am, what are the good things? This is the way you turn it around. What are the, what's the benefit of me being compulsive?

18:03 The benefit is that. I'm going to fuck in. Feel this Rush of high. Go to bed with the fat belly. Yeah. And then the opposite of that what's bad about it. Well, I went into it earlier, maybe the resentment, it eventually gets created from the guilt that you have from or if at the very least you'll have to see that you're lying yourself at some point.

18:24 If you choose If you choose that route and you'll realize that my gosh I'm just creating another story to give myself permission to not be disciplined. But you have to keep going back to the discipline to see that you lied to yourself.

18:41 Yeah. Yeah if you just kind of set one thing up and you're not disciplined with it, you may not catch on but if you continue to be like I'm breaking that thing going back and making up a new story that you're going to look at that. Be like, I'm just great.

18:56 Her story maker upper hmm. I think anyways went in there a little bit that web, that's cool. We'll end it on that lots of things to ponder and think about a little over time, but that's okay. Maybe think about a spider now, discipline, they are to spend those webs and then you, you know, knock it down because it's in the way of your house. And then all of a sudden, they're like, okay, I guess I'm gonna make another one.

19:18 Bro. I did that today. No, no. Last night last night, I walked through the biggest spider web, it felt like a resistance against my face, like it. Like holding my head back for a second, and I did my best to practice my non-attachment to like freaking out. It's like, no.

19:33 This is okay. There's not probably a spider on my face. It's just the web. Yeah, that might have time that it took him two or him or her it to make that spider web. And now it's like yeah. Alright, let's end on that. So that's this one.

19:50 Let us know if you have any thoughts on discipline thoughts examples stories. Different perspectives. We welcome at all. We I mean we don't know everything. We're just sharing what our experiences. So something resonates with you.

20:03 Let us know. Otherwise, we'll talk to you next week. All right. Listen up everyone, Paul Byron and myself have been working so hard on putting together a platform dedicated specifically to yoga teachers and the good news is it's almost ready for you soon. This platform is going to be publicly released but we want to actually make a special offer to those who have been dedicated to following us since the beginning. So that's a lot of you listeners

20:34 right now we want to make a special offer for you and if you are interested in being one of the founding members, Verse of this going pro platform, then you're going to have an opportunity to do so all you need to do is just go into any of the description of any episode and you'll be able to sign up to the waitlist for this going pro platform.

20:52 So that you can take advantage of this offer will hope to see you there. Verse of this going pro platform, then you're going to have an opportunity to do so all you need to do is just go into any of the description of any episode and you'll be able to sign up to the waitlist for this going pro platform. So that you can take advantage of this offer will hope to see you there.