Effort and Ease

Musings On Body and Mind

My yoga practice, over many years, has brought me many benefits.

I first came to yoga as part of a journey to soothe an aching spine. First, the physical discipline certainly helped me heal. There was benefit there, and that was good. Having brought a strong athletic drive and a long held competitive spirit to my early learning, my practice was full of the kind of striving that is just one aspect of yoga. As I studied the history and meaning of yoga as a practice of the mind and the body, I learned the value of turning my attention inward. I found myself in yoga class after yoga class and little by little I learned to let go of the urge to compare my physical abilities to those of my classmates. I began to learn about the benefits of finding a balance between effort and ease.

This is an age old journey. It is part the very earliest thoughts and writings on yoga.

In an interview, my teacher, Natasha Rizopoulos says this:

 Q.How does your Asana practice help you focus and make decision from your gut without wavering?

A.A consistent Asana practice teaches the powerful principles of Abhyasa and Vairagya, persistent effort and non-attachment to results. If you believe that you’ve given your best, then you trust the outcome whatever it is.

Click here to see the entire interview.