Sthira and Sukha in Life
Finding balance through effort and ease.
It is that time of year when we experience colder days and nights and increased susceptibility to colds and viruses, particularly when we are not living in perfect balance.
When we do succumb to any illness it often gives us time to reflect. How did I arrive at this state of illness? Have I been pushing myself too hard? Did I compromise my self-care needs?
As a yoga teacher, I pride myself on undertaking a comprehensive self-care approach, so that I can live with steadiness and ease much of the time.
In the ancient yoga texts, known as the Yoga Sutras, the statement 'Sthira Sukham Asanam', was recorded and consequently translated. This is a simple and immensely important statement, 'each asana (pose) should be approached with a balance of steadiness and ease'. This is a concept often lost in the practice of modern yoga.
The steadiness relates to effort. Yes, we need to put in the effort to get into the asana, but we need to be able to recognise our edge. Our edge is the point at which we have maintained a level of ease so that our breath is steady and is unhindered by the effort.
In a back bend like Bhujangasana (Cobra) we need to use a combination of an active breath combined with the effort of lifting our head and chest into the pose and engaging our back muscles. The ease can be recognised as we hold the pose for several more breaths without strain.
This brings me back to winter illnesses. To maintain our wellbeing, we must find balance. We must find Sthira Sukha.
Every day, we experience life like a pendulum, swinging between effort and ease. Of course, there are times in our lives when the pendulum is out of balance. Inevitably this occurs through increased demands on us and/or a crisis.
When life is out of balance for longer periods of time, our health is at risk. We move from having a strong constitution that can fight off illness to a weakened state that succumbs to disease which may be mild, acute, or serious as our natural resources are no longer available.
The key is to recognise that the pendulum has been swinging to too much effort for too long, our health has been impacted and that we are not maintaining our need for Sthira Sukha in daily life.
In my experience, I recognise the imbalance in its initial stages and the way it manifests in my reduced level of energy, mental agitation, the increased need for rest and reduced sleep quality. I recognise these warning signs and I know I need to do something before my body decides to give me a very loud warning.
If nothing changes, that loud warning arrives in the form of illness. And it will give me no option for anything other than rest and selfcare. It is also creating time for self-reflection.
By being present to this process and through our wisdom and experience we recognise that Sthira Sukha must be restored. And it is time for a new strategy to manage the even flow of the pendulum.