Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Tapas, or Discipline

Another Niyama is Tapas. No, not dinner at Hola Restaurant in Marshfield Center (although I fully endorse that too!) . . . Tapas is defined as discipline.

Tapas is about being focused and working to achieve goals. Determination. Having the willingness to do what is necessary to reach a goal.

In yoga class, you might employ Tapas to keep yourself from being lazy. Having the discipline to focus on your breathing, for example, rather than letting your mind wander off to other, less-immediate topics (such as what you’re going to order for dinner at Hola).

In life, you might use Tapas to help yourself reach a goal. Say you decide to work with a personal trainer to make your back stronger. She gives you a set of exercises to do three times a week. You might be excited about the new routine at first, but then, when it loses its novelty, you could employ Tapas to help yourself stay faithful to your practice and dedicated to the goal of strengthening your back. Willingness, determination, dedication. That’s Tapas.

And when you achieve your goal you can celebrate with a nice dinner at Hola!

Note to the unfamiliar: Hola serves Spanish-inspired tapas cuisine.

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