Sthira & Sukha | Effort & Ease
One of the great Vedic rishis (seers), Pantanjali, is known for distilling a vast body of Vedic / yogic philosophy into 196 Yoga Sutras. A sutra is something that connects or binds together - like a stitch or suture. Each Yoga Sutra is a simple, yet deeply layered statement intended to guide the spiritual seeker towards greater realisation of their highest nature and away from mind-induced suffering. Each sutra can be applied both in the context of spiritual practice (e.g. on the yoga mat, while sitting in meditation) as well as in the context of daily life.
One of the sutras that has felt most relevant for me in my exploration so far, and the one I continue to keep my attention on, is Sthira Shukam Asanam, which can be translated as the pursuit of finding balance between effort (sthira) and ease (shuka).
As someone who used to push myself to absolute breaking point in order to achieve what I set out to accomplish (because I tied my worthiness to my achievements) the unfolding of this wisdom in my own awareness has created immense freedom for me.
Before Vedic wisdom entered my life, the concept of moving in the direction of my goals, of creating progressive change in a way that was easeful, had never entered my consciousness (and was frankly quite bizarre). For me, achievement and progress were associated with struggle, strain, sacrifice, pushing and hard-work. I was no stranger to pulling all nighters in my corporate role to meet a deadline. Back then, I would rather sacrifice my own health (and sanity) than admit to my client or boss that I needed more time to get something done. As you can imagine, this was a pretty crappy way to live my life and one of the predominant factors in my health crash in 2018.
The Yoga Sutra, Sthira Shukam Asanam, teaches us that we enjoy maximum flow in life and alignment with nature’s intent when we imbue our actions with both effort and ease. That there is immense strength and wisdom in pulling back, going softly and waiting for more information from nature (in the form of a subtle feeling or intuition) on what our next move should be.
When we have purified our vessel (mind - body - nervous system) to a great enough extent, we start to be able to sense whether more focus, intention and movement (sthira) or more softening, slowing and ease (shuka) is needed in each moment. This means, you don’t have to think about whether the present moment requires you to bring effort, or ease. You feel within yourself the need of the moment, and respond according to that fine level of feeling.
With that said, we might be committed to our meditation or yoga practice which purifies the system of stress and ama (undigested food and experiences), but if we continue to hold the same beliefs around pushing / hustling / getting things done, we’ll continue to put that stress and fatigue right back into the body and therefore miss the subtle cues that exist in every moment to guide us towards our most evolutionary path.
This Yoga Sutra teaches us that there is immense value in slowness and stillness. That if we continue to effort without allowing any ease, we will not only burn out and sabotage our own enjoyment of life, we’ll miss nature’s cues as to where to move next. Today’s western, cultural narrative has strayed far from this ancient wisdom, and it shows. Effort and hard work are taught and revered, with little to no emphasis placed on slowing down, listening to the wisdom of your body, getting still in order to hear the whispers from nature’s intelligence that are present in every single moment, if only we practice listening and being receptive.
Sthira Shukam Asanam teaches us that knowing when to be in dynamic activity and when to go slowly and softly, is wisdom in action. Through techniques such as yoga asana and meditation, when properly taught, we practice sthira and shuka, and create a reference point in our system of what the dance between the two feels like. Of when to accelerate, and when to back off.
I liken this to the work of a skilled and artful driver. They know the process of driving (the technique) and the car (the vessel) so intimately that they can sense their next move without having to think about it. The process of driving masterfully becomes innate, because they use their sensory apparatus and practice total present moment awareness.
Through a committed twice daily Vedic meditation practice, a practice of effortless transcendence, I taught my system how to shift from effort to ease, and how to know which to apply, when, in my eyes open daily life. I did this through direct experience of being easeful in meditation and through contemplation of Vedic wisdom, such as Sthira Shukam Asanam. This is the power of the Vedic tradition - all of the practices and knowledge belonging to this ancient tradition compliment each other in aid of leading us home to ourselves and our innate wisdom.
Through this continued practice and devotion to embodying these teachings, my life is immensely more fulfiling and purposeful, with so much less effort and considerably more ease.
Already practicing Vedic meditation and feel like you’d benefit from a private conversation to refine your daily practice? Interested in learning Vedic meditation but feel intimidated or have some questions? Book a complimentary phone conversation with me, Caroline, and I’ll support you to find greater harmony between sthira and shukam in your own life. Click here to schedule a call.
Caroline x
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