sa tu dīrgha-kāla-nairantarya-satkārāsevito dṛḍha-bhūmiḥ
saḥ tu dīrgha-kāla-nairantarya-satkāra-āsevitaḥ dṛḍha-bhūmiḥ
“And, it (abhyāsa) becomes well-grounded when it is returned to over a long time, without interruption, and with intention to discover the truth .”

Patañjali further describes abhyāsa (practice)–in particular, what qualities help practice flourish, take root in the soil of our daily lives.

….

“A firmly grounded practice is not simply an ingrained routine of spiritual exercises but an anticipated time of connection to deeper levels of self.”–The Reverend Jaganath Carrera, Inside the Yoga Sutras, p. 38

“Practice implies a certain methodology, involving effort. It has to be followed uninterruptedly for a long time, with firm resolve, application, attention and devotion, to create a stable foundation for training the mind, intelligence, ego and consciousness.”–B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, p. 16

“Yoga is not a Path of Woe; it is indeed a Way of Joy. If the effort is prolonged and uninterrupted and yet lacks this quality of joy then it is hardly of any worth at all. The effort must have an element of passion about it, for one cannot go to the door of Reality like a skeleton, completely squeezed out.” –Rohit Mehta, Yoga, the Art of Integration, p. 28

Questions:
• Do you approach practice cheerfully or with a grudging acceptance? What brings you enthusiasm?
• What does it mean to you to practice with devotion? Is that the same as to practice with commitment to the truth?
• What has been your experience of lack of continuity in practice—because of illness, schedule, lack of motivation? Have you discovered approaches to help you be more continuous?
• What role have time and repetition played in practice for you? Have you experienced time bringing no change? Quick change?