There are a million excuses we can come up with to not do yoga. This is true when it comes to going to a regular yoga class, and more so when it comes to a home practice. Even my teacher in India admitted to me she used to be off and on in her routine. Finally, she realized she had to do yoga everyday. She constantly suggested her students do the same. Now, I’m beginning to understand why.

If yoga was just about staying in great physical shape, three times a week would be enough. However, yoga has much more to do with staying in shape mentally and spiritually. That is what makes it a discipline. My teacher knew it wasn’t about getting exercise, but about making a commitment to our own spiritual growth and following through. That was the important part. Only by doing yoga daily, could we develop insight.

She tried to show us the two meanings of the phrase, “Everyday Yoga.” On one level it means we meet ourselves everyday for a yoga routine. On another level, it means that everyday, in everything we do, there is yoga. We breathe into the hard stuff, and relax into the easy stuff.

She knew, if we didn’t understand the first meaning and participate in the discipline part of it; if we couldn’t keep our commitment to ourselves to move and practice each day, we wouldn't be able to call on yoga in our normal lives, either. The discipline part of yoga, the routine part of it, prepares us for using yoga in the moment.

So, what is a daily yoga discipline? It doesn’t have to be lengthy and elaborate. It can be as simple as consciously showing up to meet your breath and body. It does not matter if you choose pranayama, asana, a mixture of the two, or alternating routines. The practice works when you touch your center each and every day. You make a promise to yourself to do it, and then you keep that promise.

For a few of us, this might be a non-issue, but to the majority of us, saying we are going to do something for ourselves and actually doing it are two very different things, especially when we don’t have anyone to hold us accountable. When you follow through, it may amaze you how something so simple can be so important. If you can do it for yoga, you can do it for anything. And with yoga, the rewards are even greater.

Choosing to engage in a daily practice strengthens you in several ways. It is more than doing what you say you are going to do, it is actively investing in your own inner growth through work and cultivation. It brings you greater peace, increases your concentration, and gives you better control over your emotions. It helps you cut through your illusions, and may even keep you from forming new ones.

Everyday yoga means doing yoga every day, but it means more than that. It is showing up to shake yourself free of ego and to feed your spirit. Only if you do the work can your practice shine through you, always. Then, you see yoga everywhere you turn and in everything you do.