Effort & Ease In Yoga

What does Effort & Ease mean in a yoga practice? 

Even if you do not practice yoga, chances are you're familiar that yoga & balance go hand and hand. 

When we say balance, we are talking about the physical ability to balance in tree pose and balance in all areas of life, including balanced thoughts, nutrition, and behavior. 

Effort and ease means to have a balance in our yoga practice. Finding and maintaining this balance is KEY to a long-term yoga practice. 

Too Much Effort

At times, we may practice with too much effort, leaving us feeling overly sore or tired after our yoga practice. When we practice with too much effort, yoga is not as enjoyable and yoga becomes hard to sustain. 

While it seems natural to try harder, yoga wants us to grow gradually, and listen to our bodies. 

Here is how you can reduce effort in yoga: 

• Slow down and be sure you are staying connected to your breath (Pranayama) throughout your practice. 
• Access your whole body. Do you feel sharp pain or deep discomfort? If so, back off. 
• Ask yourself if you need a rest day? 

Too Much Ease 

People who are too heavy on ease may feel like they are not growing or changing with yoga. They may feel like they are not getting the benefits they seek or like they will NEVER learn how to do that one pose. 

When we have too much ease, our practice can feel unfulfilling. 

Here's how you can increase effort in yoga: 

• Ask yourself. Am I doing this pose to my best ability? Are my muscles activated, and am I focused?
• Add an extra day to your weekly practice. Improving our consistency is a great subtle way to improve our effort. 

Conclusion

New students struggle with finding a balance of effort and ease most often. This is likely because they have not learned their body's language just yet. After years of ignoring the body's signs and signals, we begin to get tuned out from them. 

We can become more aware and connected to our body's needs by practicing (Pratayhara), or stillness. When we take the time to experience stillness, we are in touch with how our bodies feel and we can give ourselves a healthy and sustainable practice. 

If you are afraid that you don't have the right balance of effort and ease, do not worry. The best thing you can do is continue your practice. Finding the balance between effort and ease is ever-changing and could look different day by day. Everything comes with time and practice. 

Watch the YouTube Video Below: https://youtu.be/Z537cmTx1SQ