Strong and Relaxed

OFF THE MAT

Weekly Thought Offering:
Sthira Sukham Asanam
-Yoga Sutra 2:46
Sthira- strong, steady, and stable
Sukham- comfortable, happy, and relaxed
Asanam- Seat

Weekly Journal Prompts:
I am strong, steady and stabile when….
I am not strong, steady or stabile when…
I am comfortable, happy and relaxed when…
I am not when….

Weekly Mantra:

I am strong, steady and stabile. I am comfortable, happy and relaxed.

JUMP TO THE FLOW BELOW OR READ ON!

Hello Sadhakas!
Ok, what the heck is the above thought offering?! Well, for those of you who are not familiar, it is the Sanskrit of one of the versus of The Yoga Sutras. The YS are one of the most prominent yogic texts we use here in the West. Just like with most translations one word can have multiple meanings. In Sanskrit that is even more so the case because there are so many more words than there are in English.

I personally love to look at various options for what the different words can mean. It has long helped me to find insight into the sutras and into how they apply to my life and the lives of my students and friends.

This is one of the classics. “Postures should be a balance of strength and relaxation”. Basically, that is all it’s saying but OOOOOOOOHHHH boy if it doesn’t also say so much more. This is one of the most referenced sutras, especially in teacher trainings. In the entirety of the YS, the yoga poses are mentioned a whopping one time, two depending on the translation you are reading. In the West we think yoga is only the poses but that is just very much not the case and the YS highlights this by mentioning only one instruction; they should have strength and relaxation. And some say the seat being referenced here is a mediation seat (nope not that handstand you’ve been coveting).

This is a LOT of backstory getting me to the point this week. ;)
The point is this week ON and OFF THE MAT we explore finding this balance. ON THE MAT we are looking to either keep the shoulders and hips together (connecting to strength) or let them move apart (connecting to relaxation) in our first week of revolved wide legged forward fold. OFF THE MAT we explore where in our lives we are all effort and need to bring ease and vice versa, where we are all ease and need to find some effort.

Bliss arrives when we find a balance of strength and relaxation in our “seat”, and I venture to say that the “seat” can mean wherever you are in any given moment. So, where is your seat right now and how can find more balance?

With great respect and love,

Nicole