We all want to enjoy the benefits of regular yoga practice, such as better mood, energetic energy and stronger and softer body. A continuous daily practice, no matter how short, can change your life in a profound way that you never thought of. According to Yoga Sutra, practicing yoga is also considered as a way to avoid future pain.

Yoga Sutra 2.16- heyam duhkham anagatam, in the second chapter of Sahana Sutra or Practice Sutra, the rough translation means “the coming pain should be avoided.” What does patanjali mean in this main line of yoga wisdom?

In essence, we do have the ability to avoid or minimize future pain and suffering through daily yoga practice. In other words, what we do today can help alleviate our pain in the future. Our human experience includes pain, but through yoga, you can change your perspective and the pain changes you may have perceived.

By practicing yoga every day, we can adjust our true thoughts and feelings. When we pay more attention to our own values and desires, we begin to make better choices in all areas of our lives. Think about the analogy of yogis like gardeners or farmers. Today, you are planting and cultivating your garden with hope and plan for the future.

Sometimes, if we have no connection with our own thoughts and desires, we may inadvertently create a future that cannot really resonate or represent our longing.

These unexpected or careless behaviors may now show up as future challenges, which could have been avoided by paying attention to what we create every day. By practicing yoga, we become more consistent with our true self and pay more attention to how our current behavior affects our future. In other words, we made a better choice.

Yoga practice is not optional-if you don’t practice, you can’t cultivate your desire and dream of life. Period. It takes effort to cultivate consciousness.

The good news is that even if you are really busy, you can still practice yoga quickly and get benefits. If your schedule is full, don’t be hard on yourself-consider quality instead of quantity.

Release any pre-thought that you must practice at a specific time every day for at least a period of time before accepting yoga gifts. Of course, it takes you more than ten or fifteen minutes to carry out truly comprehensive exercises, including pranayama (breathing work) and meditation. But if you are flexible, you can squeeze out a quick class in some days, and keep balance with longer classes at other times. Consistency is the key. It feels better to choose today and all your tomorrows.