The Yoga Sutras have a word for daily practice: abhyasa.
It goes on to say that abhyasa means having an attitude of persistent effort and that to become well established, this needs to be done over a long time, without a break.
(Apparently the ancients had the same understanding as my 3rd grade piano teacher, Mrs. Collier. )
Our daily practices shape us. This can be in the positive such as daily exercise or daily prayer, or this can be in the negative such as daily junk food and reality TV.
The thing about our daily routines is that we get to choose. No matter how busy our days or how deep our responsibilities, we can pick the first 30 minutes and the last 30 minutes of our day. (And if we can't then we have to set the alarm earlier.)
Whatever it is that we want in our life, we have to choose it daily. I think this is especially true of our art. Whether we are writers, poets, chefs, musicians, painters, quilters or athletes, daily practice ensures that we get better. It takes the art from "that thing we do" to "that thing we are."
We all have the ability to choose our daily practices. Are yours aligned with who you want to become?
(I am currently working on mine.)
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