steadiness and ease. these are the words used to describe asana practice in yogic texts. sukham means (according to various translations) happiness, sweetness, comfort or ease, while sthiram means balance, without difficulty, firmness, steadiness. this is relatively easy to imagine in terms of asana practice, but when looking at yoga as a whole system, not simply as a physical one, it quickly becomes more abstract. what does the mind look like and feel like when it is both steady and relaxed?
this sounds marvelous to me, but it is not so easy to accomplish. it has something to do with the play between effort, challenge, and then release. In a truly relaxed state, the mind can be ready for anything, because energy is not being wasted unnecessarily. likewise in the body. when our energy is not misspent on tensions then it is free to put that energy toward a goal. our efforts become fruitful. and, since I don't really believe in any sort of mind-body split, the body-mind that is both firm and relaxed, which acts with both steadiness and ease, is one that is best poised to meet its goals, spiritual or otherwise.
so, how does one accomplish this? little by little every day in both the physical and mental challenges that we set for ourselves or are put upon us every day. we make a conscious choice to continually redirect our energy toward mindfulness and ease, even at the apex of our efforts. step by step and day by day, one hopes we arrive closer to the goal.
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