Are You Hard or Soft?
Are You Hard or Soft?
One of the great yoga texts says that yoga postures must be practiced with both stiram (effort) and sukham (ease). This sutra advises us to practice a dynamic balance of effort & surrender, of contraction & expansion, of strength & flexibility. An excess of one or the other (too “hard” or too “soft”) may result in an out of balance practice.
The key to understanding and implementing this sutra is to understand that we all have tendencies. The practice of yoga is to practice the opposite of our tendency so that we might find balance and ease. This applies on the mat in our practice, and off the mat in our lives.
Examine your asana practice. Is your tendency to be hard, effortful and strong? Or soft, surrendering and flexible? Once you have an insight, try practicing the quality that does not come naturally. You may feel uncomfortable, but indeed, this is when yoga begins.
Let me know here how it goes!
Love and light,
Time does not heal. Time just passes. Insight heals. – author unknown
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