In yoga it's referenced a lot about being a slave to the mind and senses. Allowing ourselves to be pulled all over the show by flickering sense desire, or following the whims of what we 'feel' like doing (which is what we may think is ‘freedom’). But when we are thoughtful and have a goal we are working towards, we need a level of discipline to help us to engage in the things that we need do in order to reach that goal, whether we feel like it or not.

In spiritual life, it is advised that we make our mind 'our best friend' (a tool we can utilise on our self-discovery journey), rather than our worst enemy (something that controls us and takes us away from our ultimate goal and higher purpose).

Bringing the mind under our control can be achieved most directly through meditation, although meditation itself (and living a life that supports our growth) requires discipline. So practicing and cultivating discipline in our daily life can work in favour of supporting our spiritual practices, too.

The funny thing is, we may think freedom is 'doing whatever we want'... but we soon learn that discipline and being able to be steadfast in our lives gives us a kind of strength and ability to be able to do what we set out to do, being less swayed by the tides of life (emotions, obstacles, desires, etc). Discipline plays a role in creating the peace and freedom we desire.