Are you sitting comfortably?..
Sit comfortably. And I don’t mean in a seated yoga pose which is supposedly comfortable but that you find torture, I mean, really sit COMFORTABLY. For you. Let the facial muscles relax, drop the shoulders, notice where you’re holding or clenching unnecessarily and let that tension go. Put one hand on your belly and allow it to be soft. Feel it inflate as you breathe in, then fall as you breathe out. Look ahead at one spot, or even close the eyes. Take five more breaths like this.
Is the mind calm, the heart rate steady, the breath smooth?
Now imagine, or come into, side plank, or a posture you find very challenging. Is the mind calm, the heart rate steady, the breath smooth?! Is it as easy to ‘let go of unnecessary tension’?! To keep the face relaxed, to hold the pose with comfort?
To me this is the most workable, understandable way to explain the yoga principles of ‘sthira’ and ‘sukha’ (and predictive text had fun with them..!?!).
I wrote some weeks ago about how yoga is more of a mindset than just making shapes on a mat, and that when we are focused and ‘dwelling’ in the posture, we aim to go beyond the physical. And gold star to you if you remember that I mentioned that I’d write more about two principles to help us do that. (-:
So what do these weird Sanskrit words mean? And by the way, pronounce them as you like!
Sthira can be translated as firm, strong, calm or courageous. If it seems odd maybe to have calm and strong in the same grouping, I like the image of a powerful lioness, steady and calm, surveying her territory (before she goes and kills a cute little something for her dinner).
And sukha can be broken down to the literal translation of ‘su’ meaning good and ‘kha’ meaning place, or interpreted as joyful, easy, agreeable, even ‘a smooth ride’ (one text I read claims that the term was used to describe the smooth dynamic rhythm of a well-made or well-fitted carriage wheel).
Originally, these terms referred simply to being in a ‘seat’ or position comfortable enough to then practise meditative absorption. But they’re often used to aid our physical practice and make us aware that whatever shape the body is in, we’re aiming for the experience to be controlled and steady with an easeful, fluid movement of prana, or energy.
Of course I’m not suggesting that the two physical examples at the start are directly comparable. There are some postures we take to energise and build strength, and others where we want to purposefully switch off almost all muscle engagement for it to be a restful, restorative experience. But my suggestion is, could the amount of mental effort be the same in each..? The answer is often likely to be ‘no!’ but if we have this notion of ‘steady ease’ as a guiding principle, it might just make a difference.
These principles can be applied to the breath too, and to our attitude towards our practice, and as with everything ‘yoga’, in my opinion, they can be applied and are probably more pertinent off the mat. Here’s a quote from an article I found really interesting and useful to refer to for this week’s ramble.
“Cultivating sthira and sukha as we move through the days and seasons of our lives establishes a foundation for fully realizing our spiritual aspirations, for accomplishing our worldly goals, and for weathering the inevitable changes and difficulties that come our way.”