Focus and Flow (Allowing Space For Grace)

Ahhh.. Sthira Sukha 

A lesson very close to my heart and a practice that will continue to serve me for the rest of my life. It is so important to me that I have it tattooed on my left forearm as a constant reminder of how to steer my ship, to come back to what I know and trust from my very core of my being. So you wanna learn more about this right? 

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Sthira and Sukha are both Sanskrit words, an ancient language brought east by the Old Indo-Aryan civilization many thousands of years ago. Sthira has many translations, one would be effort or force. Sthira makes things happen by way of exertion and shows up in our lives in everything we do. Being an adjective, one can apply sthira to anything and so for now let’s look at how sthira applies to our lives. Both physical and mental, body and mind, are greatly influenced by the aspects of sthira. It can be a great thing! Leading us to improve our lives, our situations, it is simply an impetus for change. Take a moment and consider where you exert effort in your daily life? And let me ask you now, is it too much? Have you ever noticed when things seemed forced, or there is a pressure to achieve or accomplish something in your life even to the point of burnout? Oh yes? I imagine so! If you are anything like me that is haha. Sthira is a tremendous aspect of our lives, and left out of check creates toxic imbalance, frustration, impatience, stress, and all kinds of chronic problems. That experience of trying to make something happen that was not meant to happen is the epitome of a life overdriven by sthira. 

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I can always find Sukha (ease) at the pause of an exhale.

Let’s turn our focus to sukha or ease. Quite literally the antidote to sthira, sukha is a relaxing force. It is space in our body and mind, fertile ground. I won’t elaborate on what having too much sukha in one’s life looks like, because I don’t see it as being a primary issue in our world. Many healing sciences seek to treat disease in the body by means of creating sukha. This space is essential. I have noticed many times in my life where change simply could not occur because sukha was not accommodated. An example of the many times I tried to create new habits or routines and simply didn’t create the space, the circumstances, that would facilitate that change beforehand. It is like trying to eat healthier but you’ve still got Oreos and doughnuts in the pantry. Throw that shit out to make space for your your vegetables! 

Perhaps you can imagine the revolutionary concept of putting these two forces together in our lives? In yogic philosophy, there is a very special and fundamental text which outlines different paths toward achieving yoga or union and oneness with that higher consciousness, or whatever you want to call it. In that book, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a yoga posture of perfection is one of SthiraSukhaAsunam. Literally: the steady easy posture. Taken at face value, I initially didn’t find this very interesting until one of my teachers translated the concept into our everyday lives; how we carry ourselves, how we interact with others, how we move forward. 

 

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Sometimes I forget to...

Like right now if I take a deep breath and relax my face muscles, the words begin flowing again, because I needed some sukha, I was trying to force this essay complete.

First, I want to say that the phrase can’t possibly carry any sort of significance unless it is understood experientially. THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS WHOLE THING! Experiential understanding means I know what my life feels like if I am operating in the balance of the two. “Balanced action” and it truly is magical. Like right now if I take a deep breath and relax my face muscles, the words begin flowing again, because I needed some sukha, I was trying to force this essay complete. Too much Sthira. And many other times in my life where doors and opportunities seemed to fly open because the balance was met. That’s how it works, and if we learn to operate from this framework it will radically change our lives. This is a big frickin’ deal, like “here’s the keys to the whole universe!” So reflect on the times of your life when you weren’t trying to force things, and yet you weren’t static, you moved forward, consciously toward your goal with ease, like nothing could stop you. And try to remember what allowed things to happen that way. For me, It is a game I get to play until I die. I believe it is a dance with the universe, when do I have control and when do I let things happen as they can only happen? And can I be alright with this moment being a puzzle peace in a much much bigger picture?