Abhyasa
Open-knowledge reference entry
Abhyāsa, or abhyāsa-yoga, refers to the disciplined spiritual practice of sustained study with serious interest in Hinduism. It emphasises consistent practice and is maintained over a long period of time. It appears prominently in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, where it is defined as a sustained, repetitive practice or exercise to establish stability of mind, and is presented as functioning jointly with vairāgya to bring about the cessation of mental fluctuations. It has been prescribed by the great sage Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, and by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita as an essential means to control the mind, together with Vairāgya.
An abhyasi is a spiritual seeker in the esoteric mystical traditions of Asia, notably Indian subcontinent. The word abhyasi means "one who practises" in Sanskrit. Ram Chandra defined an abhyasi as an "aspirant", or "one who practices yoga in order to achieve union with God".
Interpretation and significance of Abhyāsa
Sutra 1:12 "Both practice (abhyāsa) and non-reaction (vairāgya) are required to still the patterning of consciousness.".This foundational verse introduces abhyāsa alongside vairāgya as twin disciplines necessary to calm the mind and attain yogic stillness.
Furthermore, Sutra 1:13 states "Practice is the sustained effort to rest in that stillness." as translated by Chip Hartranft in his work The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. According to Swami Krishnananda sutra 1:13 means "Abhyasa or practice is the effort to fix one's own self in a given attitude." Prolonged periods of practice within a given attitude to align ourselves with our soul's freedom, this is practice.
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