How do I actually learn something new if I keep forgetting what I study?

Patanjali understood something neuroscience is only now confirming: you don't learn in isolation. The Yoga Sutras emphasize *abhyasa* — sustained practice in context — not cramming. When you study disconnected from where you'll use that knowledge, your brain has no anchor. It treats it as noise. The fix isn't studying harder; it's studying *somewhere*. Learn the new skill in the environment where you'll need it, or at least with people and problems you actually care about. If you're learning a language, speak it with someone immediately. If you're studying management, apply it to a real project. Your mind isn't broken — it's just waiting for context to make something real. The forgetting you're experiencing is actually your brain being efficient: it's discarding what seems irrelevant. Give it relevance, and retention becomes almost effortless. Start this week by moving one thing you're learning into the actual situation where it matters.