Abhyasa Vairagyabhyam Tannirodhah 1.12
"Then mental modifications are restrained by practice and non-attachment."

Practice and non-attachment are the process of self-mastery. The effort towards a steady mind is practice. It means becoming eternally watchful, scrutinizing every thought, word, and action. Patanjali follows this sutra with the reminder in 1.14 that "this practice becomes firmly grounded when well-attended for a long time, without break and in all earnestness. It takes devotion, patience and faith."

Non-attachment doesn't mean non-caring or being indifferent. It just allows a certain freedom from the outcome. On the mat, I often remind students that yoga is not about attaining a certain pose but maintainng a peaceful attitude. Can you stay present? Do you still smile? Is your breath calm? Or are frustration,  straining, or a longing to be elsewhere getting the best of you? By being a silent witness, we create a space from where we can watch without judgement, disassociated from the outcome.

Ali ibn abi Talib said it best: "Detachment is not that you should own nothing. But that nothing should own you."

When you want something constantly and your mind is tossed by your desires, it's difficult to find mental peace. Every desire is like a ripple formed on the surface of a calm lake when a stone is thrown in. With a restless mind, you cannot have a steady practice. And a steady practice is a guaranteed path toward happiness. Love yourself. Love your practice. 

"When I run after what I think I want,
my days are a furnace of stress and anxiety;
if I sit in my own place of patience,
what I need flows to me, and without pain.
From this I understand
that what I want also wants me."
Rumi 

Pramana vipryaya vikalpa nidra smrtayah 1.6
"The types of mind chatter are true perception, mistaken perception, imagined perception, the void of perception, and resurfaced perception."

Patanjali categorizes thoughts - or turbulences of the mind -  into five categories and notes that they can either bring pleasure or pain. Really, they all are variations of the theme "perception" - or different rays of the same consciousness. For the water animal, the ocean is like a garden; for land animals it's death and pain. In the picture above, do you see the river or do you see the heart in the sky?

True perception, or knowledge, comes from personal experience, inference and insights from the wise. But knowing that our sense organs and our mind are filtered by our past experiences and prejudices - even by time of day or whether we had a good night's sleep - we better take our own experiences with a  grain of salt. Inference is another slippery slope. Just because one individual from a particular race, religion or country of origin has committed a crime, not all people of that group are automatically criminals. But we might use our power of inference to look for the good in all people, giving all the benefit of the positive. We can gain knowledge from books legitimized by experts or prophets. But are they really representations or the "truth" or rather interpretations and reinterpretations, omissions and translations that now mirror the prejudices and perceptions of the author? The greatest wisdom is not the one we read but the one we experience in our hearts. That's really the wisdom we must trust and honor. In terms of your yoga practice, don't just do the pose because your teacher says so. Listen into your own body and make modifications that you feel are right for you.

Mistaken perception, or misunderstanding, often lead into longtime resentments. Family members might carry  a grudge into the grave and following generations have no idea what had caused the dissonance. Communication happens between a sender and a receiver. The message has to be encoded and decoded. A lot can happen in the process. Listen carefully with heart and mind and ask for clarification when in doubt. Be quick to forgive others as the mistake might be yours - if not this time, perhaps next time.

Imagined perception, or imagination, can lead us to or away from our heart. It can be pleasurable or unsettling. Our mind has a negativity bias and since the saber tooth tiger days it is ready to find threats, real or imagined. Do you have a tendency to predict the worst case scenario? Know that your brain's neuroplasticity allows you to form and reorganize synaptic connections.  So you can use your imagination to create a positive outlook. It's a choice. You can create a short positive affirmation and repeat it daily until you feel that it becomes you new truth.

The void of perception, or deep sleep, is a temporary suspension of all thought. It allows us to withdraw from conscious awareness, emotions, worries and cares. While sleep is necessary for health and vitality, it can also refer to a zombie-like state of being awake without being aware. Have you ever participated in a conversation but you were only present with your body, not your mind? Perhaps that happened because you were really tired. When I used to read to my kids before bed, I kept "reading" but strange, disconnected words came out of my mouth. The kids frowned at each other like, "That's not the story, mom." Where did my mind go? Anyway, I guess it's really important to observe what effects a good night's sleep can have on our ability to stay present.

Resurfaced perceptions, or memories, are previous experiences that returned to conscious awareness. They can be either pleasant or unpleasant. Sweet memories can help us through tough times, but dormant, hurt or anger can overwhelm present emotions. The yogic practices can help us release memories and dissolve unwanted thoughts and feelings. Like a bubble from the muddy ground of a mountain lake, they might float through layers of subconscious and then pop on the surface of the conscious mind. Then you have the option to keep it or let it go. When I ask you at the end of class, to decide what you want to leave on the mat and what you want to take along, you can make that very choice. When we are at peace and relaxed, it's a bit easier to control our memories rather than letting them control us. 

Instead of distinguishing between pleasant and painful thoughts, we could also call them selfless and selfish thoughts. Selfish thoughts will quickly usher in misery, while selfless thoughts leave us in peace. If you mind wants you to be selfish, tell it to be selfish in refusing to disturb its peace. Our yoga practice is a place where we can diligently practice the careful watching of our thoughts and perceptions.

"There are things known,
and there are things unknown,
and inbetween are the doors of perception."
Aldous Huxley