22/02/2026
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, we are given a foundational teaching:
Abhyāsa vairāgyābhyām tan nirodhaḥ (1.12)
The fluctuations of the mind are stilled through practice and non-attachment.
Two pillars.
Abhyāsa — steady, devoted practice over time.
Vairāgya — freedom from clinging.
When students first encounter this in teacher training, non-attachment can feel abstract. Or worse — cold. Does it mean not loving deeply? Not caring? Not forming bonds?
Quite the opposite.
Non-attachment is not withdrawal from love.
It is love without possession.