The practice of yoga accomplishes its goal of union
through attention and intention—through the conscious
release of conflict and struggle. This is the essence of the
Law of Detachment. Have your intentions clearly in your
awareness while you maintain an attitude of Thy will be
done.The coexistence of these apparently contradictory
forces—intention and detachment—cultivates the flexi-
bility that enables you to fulfill all your goals in life.
Put the Law of Detachment into effect in your yoga prac-
tice and in your life by making a commitment to the
following three steps:
- Practice detachment. The goal of yoga is flexibil-
ity, for which detachment is an essential feature.
Detachment and flexibility go hand in hand. Attach-
ment breeds rigidity. Commit not to rigidly impose
your ideas of how things should be. Allow yourself
and those around you the freedom to be natural.
Notice that when you force solutions on problems,
you often create new problems that did not previ-
ously exist. Remind yourself to engage in everything
with detached involvement. - Embrace uncertainty as an essential ingredient of
your experience and watch how creative solutions
to problems spontaneously emerge out of chaos.
Cultivate an attitude of curiosity and innocence as
you live your life and notice how a deep inner security
develops within you, independent of things around
you. - Surrender to the field of pure potentiality. Com-
bine your focused intention with detachment from
68 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga