The yoga sutras 1.12 - 1.16 deal with practice and non-attachment. As I was reading How Yoga Works, I saw Ms. Friday using non-attachment by not desiring "freedom." She instead creates her own idea of freedom by rethinking what it means to be confined whether in a jail or outside the jail. Ms. Friday also demonstrates non-attachment in chapter 26 when she exhibits no desire to leave the jail; the captain keeps trying to explain to her why she will not be released, but she does not actively listen to him and continues to just think about their practice.
Both the captain and Ms. Friday practice. Everyday Ms. Friday practices her yoga, and every week they both have a yoga class together. The captain also does yoga on his own time. However, the captain does not only do physical yoga practice, for he also practices by meditating on the yoga sutras. Throughout the book, the captain has had more and more questions for Ms. Friday and has exhibited critical thinking as well as understanding. Ms. Friday comments that she is very proud of her student for using the time outside of class to think about the yoga sutras and try to truly understand them. Just to double check - does this count as a type of practice?
yes. Absolutely, thinking about the sutras regularly is an important part of practice, in many ways the crux of it.
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