Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.12

That stilling comes through practice and non-clinging.

अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोधः ॥

abhyasa-vairagyabhyam tan-nirodhah ||

That stilling comes through practice and non-clinging.

This sutra provides the ultimate, two-part formula for calming the chaotic whirlpool of the mind (matching the exact advice given to a struggling Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita 6.35). The first part is abhyasa (consistent practice). In daily mental health, this means keeping the "hinge of the day." Whether you feel motivated or not, you maintain your core stabilising routines—waking up at the same time, taking a short walk, or swallowing your prescribed medication. You do the necessary work. The second part is vairagya (non-clinging or letting go). This is the psychological flexibility to drop the rigid demand that your day, your mood, or your recovery must be absolutely perfect. If you have a stressful afternoon or a sudden wave of anxiety, you do not cling to the failure and declare the whole week ruined. You simply let the bad moment go and return quietly to your practice.