04/28/2026
Do your best. Then, step back, relax, and trust. That’s how I interpret what Patanjali says in Yoga Sutra I.12. Abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṃ tan-nirodhaḥ. The mind can be stilled through a combination of consistent practice (abhyāsa) and non-attachment (vairāgyā).
How often in life do we sell ourselves short by doing just the minimum required to get by rather than doing our best? Abhyāsa as a spiritual practice is the consistent, dedicated, and enthusiastic effort to show up, to act in alignment with our values, and to do our very best, moment to moment.
On the other hand, how often do we do our genuine best but then still waste hours upon hours of time and energy replaying what we’ve done, worrying about the outcome, and feeling anxiety over whether things will work out as we planned? 🙋🏻♀️
For me personally, the abhyāsa comes more naturally. I like to work hard, and I have a deep need to always do my best. The harder part of this equation for me is the vairāgyā, or letting go of the need to control the outcome.
Vairāgyā is the recognition that, while we ARE the co-creators of our destiny, there are also many things that are out of our control. Perhaps more importantly, we often can’t see the big picture in the moment so, in some sense, even when it feels like things AREN’T working out for us, maybe they ARE from a bigger perspective. I remind myself of this often. Instead of obsessing over immediate results, we are better off to focus our energy into taking the right steps and having faith that everything will ultimately work out for the highest good.
In this way, I live out the beautiful paradox of spiritual life. I must always be striving to grow, to learn, to improve by showing up with energy and effort (Abhyasa) and yet, in some deep and profound way, I must also recognize that I am already there (Vairagya).
You are already enough.
This moment is already perfect exactly as it is.
The exact circumstances that you find yourself in at this moment are the perfect conditions to bring about your awakening.