The Way Back | A Poem On Yoga Sutra 1.13

We wander. We forget. We lose our rhythm. And then, somehow, we find our way back.
Inspired by Yoga Sūtra 1.13 and Patanjali’s teaching on abhyāsa—steady practice—this reflective poem explores the quiet courage of returning again and again.
It is a reminder that practice is not perfection, and consistency does not mean never drifting from the path. What matters is the willingness to come back: to the breath, to awareness, to presence, to yourself.
Listen when you feel discouraged, when you have fallen out of a routine, or when you need a gentle reminder that beginning again is not failure—it is part of the practice.
If you would like to continue exploring the practical wisdom of yoga philosophy, I invite you to join my Living the Yoga Sutras group here on Insight Timer, where we explore the Yoga Sūtras and other yogic teachings through reflection, meditation and everyday practice.
The path is still there. Return when you are ready.

Transcript

This poem is inspired by Yoga Sutra 1. 13, Where Patanjali begins to deepen our understanding of Abhyasa. Which is practice. Practice is not about getting it right every time. It is the sincere willingness to return to awareness, To steadiness, To the present moment again and again. As you listen, Allow the words to remind you that wandering does not mean you have failed. The return itself is part of the path. This is a poem about beginning again. The path of return. You do not fail because the mind has wandered. You do not lose the path because your footsteps paused. The river does not shame itself for bending around stone. The dawn does not refuse to rise because the night came once again. Practice is not a perfect line drawn cleanly through the years. It is the quiet turning back through distraction, Doubt and fear. A breath remembered, A hand unclenched, A thought released, A step resumed. The path becomes a path because you walk it more than once. The glass remembers your return before the mind believes it can. Some days you come with strength. Some days you come with almost nothing. Still, The doorway does not close. Still, The breath receives you. Do not confuse devotion with never falling away. Devotion may be simply this. You notice and do the turn. Again to the body. Again to the bread. Again to the quiet place beneath the noise of becoming. You need not force the mind into silence with your hands. Steadiness grows differently through patience, Repetition and trust. So when you lose the rhythm, Do not build a home in blame. Begin with one small movement. Let one moment become enough. One breath can find the path. One pause can change direction. One return can remind the heart of what it never truly lost. TATRAJTI TAO YATNO APYASA The effort is to the main. And when remaining slips away, The practice is to come back again. Return without punishment. Return without demanding proof. Return because the way is there. Return because you still can. And little by little. The part beneath your feet. Becomes familiar enough to feel like home.