Effort and Effortlessness

YS 2:46

As a yoga teacher, I have over-arching themes and concepts for my students to explore. This year “effortlessness” has been the theme. So let’s begin the beguine again, and if we are starting from a yoga point of view, where better to turn than to the master of Yoga himself – Patanjali.

From Patanjali’s  yoga sutras, three of them talk about asana – the poses – the meat (or should I say “veet” for the vegetarians) of what comprises modern day yoga in the West. YS 2:46, 2:47, and 2:48.

2:46 – Sthiram Sukham Asanam.  Steady, comfortable poses.  Many have written about this sutra, myself included. But this sutra is so rich, we can (and do) keep coming back for more. 

Sthiram Sukham Asanam.  Steady, comfortable poses.  According to Patanjali – that is what we strive for in our asana practice. Seems simple enough. Hold the pose, don’t move, be comfortable. Right... Most of us who have tried this have found that it is not as easy as it seems. Something has got to go in that equation whether it be the steadiness, the ease/comfort of the pose, or the pose itself. My dog, Winston, is a master of this sutra. He can stay in one position for a loooooooooong time without effort and without moving. The ultimate "down dog" pose is my dog stretched out in a half-sleep state. His eyes are open, yet his body is totally relaxed. It’s as if he could stay there forever. And he does. Until the next thing comes along or I think he is so cute I have to pet him, pick him up and hold him. Is there a position or state that we can hold and feel so comfortable and steady that we find no reason to get up? I mean, even watching TV – at some point aren’t we moved to get up off the couch if only to walk to the kitchen to make a snack?

So how do we practice Sthiram Sukham Asanam? Tune in tomorrow. It will be interesting to see what comes next. If anything...

steady?

comfortable?

hungry?