You can only loose what you cling to

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