Effort vs. Ease

What does it mean to "find your edge" or to balance effort and ease? These are concepts that we should be considering every time we step on our mats, yet I am guessing that for many of us, we simply follow along, moving from pose to pose and occasionally wondering if we are the only stiff or wobbly one in the group.

When I was in yoga teacher training, we learned about something called the golgi response. (Look up golgi tendon reflex to learn more) It is our bodies effort to protect muscles and ligaments from injury. You've felt this process at work if you have ever lost your balance or stumbled. You can feel your muscles tense and jerk in these moments. Our body goes to work in these instances by providing some tightness and drawing in as a way to protect us from injury. The problem is, that at times, our body will also seek to protect us in this way when we are stretching and moving our bodies in new and unexpected ways.

So, how do we send a message to our body that we are safe and do not need our body to tense and protect? We do this by approaching our asanas and stretches with awareness and gentleness. In our culture, we have deeply ingrained ideas that our bodies will respond better if we push to our limits. The old 'no pain, no gain' idea. Next time, instead of approaching a stretching posture by trying to press into your deepest stretch available, move to a very soft stretch. Take a couple of breaths. Then see if the body is open enough to allow a bit deeper expression of the pose. Then, here's the key point: be okay with whatever your body allows in that posture on that day. As a teacher, despite my words to let go of internal expectations or comparing yourself to others, I often see students looking around the room in class. These students are usually looking at the one student that is in the deepest form of the stretch, so I can only imagine the thought process. Maybe it goes something like this: "Look at her, she has her nose on her knee, I can't do that. I must look dumb. I could move like that if I wasn't so fat, maybe I should push and get a little closer." This is only a guess on my part, but I can admit to these types of thoughts myself, so I am betting they are not far off the mark!

The idea of balancing effort and ease requires constant attention and being in the moment. Sure, we want to improve our strength and flexibility, but we need to remember that the body responds best to deliberate and thoughtful movement. Some of us are highly competitive and find letting go of pushing and forcing things very difficult. Others of us may simply quit or opt out before we've really made an attempt. If you can work on each asana with deep awareness and let go of the comparisons, your body WILL respond. Over time, you will be amazed at the strength, balance and flexibility that you gain. There's a reason it's called a yoga 'practice'. We can't get on the mat and expect instant results. Time, patience, dedication, and some allowance for the natural ebb and flow of things usually bring the best results.

Don't beat yourself up the next time you notice yourself pushing or comparing. Just get aware of the thoughts and set them aside. Despite what you think, no one is looking at you and finding you ridiculous (they are all too busy with their own self conscious ideas and beliefs!!). Have fun with your yoga practice and balance all of that effort with some ease and lightness. You'll get better results and feel good in the process.