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RIP Legend!

Discipline is self-care. I’d never really put that together until seeing this but it’s very true. Taking care of your body, taking care of your mind, taking care of your heart, and taking care of your spirit all require discipline. It is easier not to exercise, not to contemplate and talk out our difficult thoughts and feelings, not to meditate. It takes discipline to overcome the momentum of what is easy and familiar. Yet by doing so, not only do you grow and heal but you also redetermine what is natural for you. Eventually when you have experienced the benefits of self-caring discipline, it no longer takes such force of will to stay the course. Instead, you will be naturally attracted to what is healthy for you and repulsed by what is poisonous. Take heart, be brave, and be disciplined. It will be worth it. #spirituality #yoga #meditation #mindfulness #inspiration #discipline https://www.instagram.com/p/BsWaUfKnU9D/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1k4tu8tpveamx

rqqu

i have a problem with this kind of thing because, ignoring for a moment the different definitions of discipline, the idea of ‘self-control’ i think can very easily be used to alienate you from yourself. one of the worst things i ever learned how to do was to ‘defer pleasure’ because it just meant i was ignoring my natural impulses for some external goal (which, surprise, was entirely molded by capitalist/productivist notions of what a body should be doing). in earnest, i do think that the idea of discipline or self-control is predicated on an idea of the self as being like… as if you are an animal and you need to whip yourself into shape, and i think that’s not only incorrect but entirely harmful. you necessarily approach yourself from the outside, at least in my experience.

and this kind of thing i’d guess would come up in response to like, laying in bed all day eating ice cream as “self-care” which anyone would agree is not the best, but i wouldn’t say that “discipline” is the thing that’s needed in that situation. instead, actually taking stock of what it is you want and need. i know that when i end up spending all day in bed, it’s usually because there’s something i need to deal with that i am not confronting or whatever. and for that what i need is to pay attention to myself and my needs, not “discipline”.

but anyway, the future does not exist, only the present exists. if we deny ourselves our impulses in the present, how can we learn what it is we actually want?

lazyyogi

I like that you’ve really thought about this. Here are a few things I would bring up to further your thinking, if you feel like it.

We are not talking about giving up the past in order to obtain a goal in the future. We are talking about clarifying our intentions in this moment so that our small wants/preferences don’t disrupt the merging of clarity and passion.

Example: Daily meditation. It takes discipline to meditate daily. Yet meditation is not about focusing on the future, nor does it alienate you from yourself.

External goals molded by capitalist, productivist, or any “ist” notions is called conditioning. In spirituality, it is recommended that we become aware of our conditioning and burn it in a bonfire of laughter.

Actually stopping, taking stock of what it is you want and need, is exactly what we are talking about here. For some people, even doing that makes them feel squeamish. Even taking a good long look at themselves and their life is difficult. It takes discipline to be willing to do that regularly. And once you’ve done that as clearly, honestly, and sincerely as possible, how do you make it happen? More discipline.

In a sense, this post is about destigmatizing the very notion of discipline. For me, it always felt harsh and totalitarian. Now I feel it differently. It serves me; I don’t serve it.

Lastly, many people might benefit from discipline. My guru says his own mantra is “dedication, devotion, and discipline.” However, there are as many paths as there are people, and probably even more. You bring up reasonable points and your own style may preclude the need for discipline entirely. There is certainly something to be said for the hedonistic taoist approach as well.

Namaste my friend.