Back in 2001, I took part in the Art of Living Part 1 Course here in Australia. I was taught a breathing practice/exercise called the Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY). It's a short and powerful daily practice that has many positive effects on the mind. Although I was elated by how the Kriya made me feel, it was difficult to be consistent with my practice. Even though the benefits of even irregular practice were quite palpable, I found that it required a lot of discipline. I was unable to sustain daily practice for more than a couple of months at a time.
Back in late Feb 2006, after attending a medical conference on SKY in Delhi, I decided to set myself a challenge – practise every day until the end of the year. At times it was a real struggle, but I did it. Alas, I stopped a couple of weeks after the year was up.
This was followed by the usual fits and starts, maybe averaging only 2 or 3 Kriyas a week. Five months later, it was my birthday and I just had to do something to get back into regular practice. The only thing that seems to work for me is to set myself a "Grand Challenge". So, I made a commitment to not miss a day for 2 years... or... 731 days!
The grid below diagrams my progress (green means I practised in the morning; amber means afternoon; red means the evening). Hmmm... that grid doesn't look too big now, does it.
