Sthira & Sukha
With Valentine’s Day this week, it had me thinking of what true love feels like and looks like - as well as this idea of self-love - which receives a lot of hype these days. Each of us are unique in how we feel loved, cherished, and adored, which is why the 5 love languages have become prominent in our culture.
When I take time to sit with and feel into the idea of love or self-love, I don’t find that it caters to our every whim. Instead, I find a strong foundation of respect, compassion, and authenticity. Love without the boundaries to contain it, feels more stifling than uplifting. True love is grounded, not a fleeting feeling. Within love, there are roots of authenticity, connection, and compassion, similar to a tree’s roots - strong and grounded. And yet within this robust foundation, there is this beautiful giving and receiving between the roots and the earth. The soil where this tree is planted has to be cared for, acknowledged and watered. There has to be a steady ground or else all will be washed away.
I believe our time on the mat is a beautiful reflection of where we can practice and strengthen our capacity to ride and hold the waves of our humanness. In Yoga, sthira and sukha, two Sanskrit words used in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, is what I like to refer to as the “steadiness” and the “sweetness”. When moving and breathing on our mat, we can begin to explore and find a balance between the two. Where is the steadiness within each pose? Where is the sweetness? Then you can apply this concept off the mat. You begin to look at where you might have too much structure and need to invite in softness or vice versa.
This isn’t about right or wrong, it’s about finding balance and harmony within your life and your being. It begins and ends with YOU. You are the source of sthira and sukha within your life. If there is too much steadiness and structure, it doesn’t leave space for spontaneity, fun and passion. But if there’s too much sweetness, there are no boundaries, no structure. We get lost in the waves of emotions and feel unmoored. It’s about finding our unique balance between the polarities, in our relationship with others and ourselves. How can we cultivate steadiness and sweetness that coexist in balance? Just how the earth beautifully supports the tree.
I invite you to explore the short series of movements below. See how you can cultivate a sense of softness within a strong and structured pose. Can you let a certain pose feel more grounding? Can you release your expectations or what you thought it should be like and invite in something new? Get curious about how these polarities feel in your body. Begin to play with how you can bring sthira and sukha into harmony within your life and relationships.
Remember, the most important relationship you will ever have is the one you have with yourself. So, prioritize the structure, routines or rituals you need to truly meet yourself with compassion and sweetness when you need it most.
Sthira + Sukha: A Yoga Flow
Practice this flow 2-3 times to mindfully feel into the sthira and sukha of each pose.
Child’s Pose - Let yourself ground down into the earth beneath you. Where do you feel weighed down? Can you soften and release here?
Cat/Cow - Can you feel the groundedness through your hands and knees on the mat? What would a cat/cow look and feel like if you invited in a softness? In what ways would your body love to move?
Downward dog - Again, feel where you are anchored and steady in this pose and then let yourself express movement in a nourishing and gentle way.
Plank - This is such a fierce pose. Connect with your core, your center of strength, and find places where you can maintain a softness.
Upward dog - Feel the openness of your chest and heart, yet the strength in your core and your arms. This is a beautiful pose to find balance between sthira and sukha.
Child’s Pose - Back to where you began. Notice any changes. What feels different when we move with an awareness of both sthira and sukha?
Practice this 2-3 times and see what comes up for you.
Thank you for being here - I send you love and light!
Shar(e)on Lightly