The dance between effort and ease
After class this morning, a friend and student asked if I could talk more about a concept I mentioned in practice, sthira and sukha, or effort and ease. In our asana practice, we are asked to move with this balance in mind and it is like a dance, simultaneously working toward something and at the same time, letting go of the outcome. This is one of the many lessons we introduce on the mat in yoga that is also a powerful too off the mat as well.
Let me elaborate…
You may have heard your yoga teacher mention this or similar concepts in practice on the mat. When you are moving through asana, there are times of challenge. A difficult pose perhaps or a new transition that requires your full attention and a little bit of hard work. This is sometimes a necessary part. At the same time, your teacher might ask you to also find the ease within the effort. Can you feel your way into the pose, slowly, purposefully, rather than mindlessly pushing yourself into an end goal? So much of the experience on the mat is about the journey, not just the destination.
As with many (almost all) yoga teachings, the same is true off the mat. Often times, we are so set on an end goal that we lose sight of the present moment and the process. Life may require us to get something done, like these past weeks for me. And there is certainly a time to hustle to get tasks accomplished, especially if we have a deadline. But is it possible, to step back, slow down just enough to actually enjoy and find ease in the effort?
I believe the answer is yes! For example, this past week, I could have put my head in the sand and simply pushed through all that needed to be done. But being present for the experience was way too important. So I planned ahead as best I could, worked with what I had, asked for help when I needed it, and genuinely enjoyed each moment. Did I need a nice long nap this weekend, absolutely, and I also felt a sense of accomplishment and contentment that I don’t believe I would have felt had I let the effort consume me.
On a more grand scale, the teachings of yoga emphasize the need to balance sthira and sukha when it comes to our life path, or our dharma. What is our life’s purpose, calling, the age old question of why am I here? We do a whole workshop on this in our teacher training course. I will try to distill into a short paragraph.
Basically, we all have a dharma or calling. Some are meant to write a book, paint, be an active, supportive parent, or even teach yoga. When you discern what you are meant to do (I’ll save more on that for another day), then yogic philosophy teaches us to do it full out, focus and unify our energy, let go of doubt and simply do it because we know that it is what we are here to do. To me this is the effort, or sthira, part.
Then once we’ve started this path, we are asked to let go of the fruits of our labors, to let go of the outcome or our perceived definitions of success or failure. Here, we are asked to find ease, or sukha. To surrender all of our effort and know that we are simply meant to do the task, to be present with our creations and trust that everything will turn out exactly as it as meant to.
This can be a hard concept to swallow, and when we do, it is so worth it. We find gratitude and joy in each moment knowing that we are exactly where we are meant to be, doing what we are meant to be doing. And when you let go of the outcome, you release the pressure. You are in full absorption in the present and the feeling is one of pure bliss.
From the little things, like transitioning from a runners lunge to a standing split, to the big things, like finding your life’s calling and immersing yourself in the process, and everything in between, sthira and sukha remind us to find balance. Do the work, do it fully, and smile along the way, knowing you are exactly where you are meant to be.
Hugs and so much love,
Loren