“Live a life that is well balanced; don’t do things in excess.” ― Daniel Smith
Weekly Focus: Sthira sukham asanam // “Postures should be stable and comfortable.”
Sutra 2.46: often translated as a balance between effort and ease
Sthira: steady, stable or still
Sukha: comfortable, easeful or good place
Asana: seat
Doing your best doesn’t necessarily mean always pushing yourself beyond your limitations. Personal best will change from day to day — how do we acknowledge this within ourselves and relate it to an appropriate proportion of efforted + easeful work? It is up to our Selves to find this balance within us.
Align/Flow: Baddha Virabhadrasana // Humble Warrior
While we may have two feet on the ground during this pose, Humble Warrior still requires balance to keep us steady + stable. Part two of this pose is the ability to surrender ourselves forward. Working to strike balance between strength + stretch creates opposition in compliment of each other.
When practicing at home, remember that your back foot can be flat to the earth (think about Warrior 1 or even 2) — lifting the heel will increase the effort to balance. If we want to be able to surrender fully, granting ourselves permission to ground the back foot will aid in surrender.
Stretch/Restore: Supta Matsyendrasana // Supine Twist
Supine Twist invites a release for the spine and the low back. With our heart and chest open and receptive, we allow our knees and shoulders to surrender, releasing to the floor.
There are many ways to modify or alter this pose to make it more easeful in it’s release for you. If you find your top knee floating with nowhere to rest, try folding up a blanket or even using a pillow between the legs, encouraging the top leg to relax. Your knees also do not need to be perfectly stacked. We can stagger the legs or slide them lower on the mat, to accommodate our needs.