The Courage to Find Steadiness and Ease in Asana Practice

Let's talk about the very essence of asana practice. In all of Patanjali’s sutras, asana is mentioned only once: stiram sukham asanam. This means that the posture (or seat of meditation) should be steady and comfortable. It is in that balance between strength and ease that one finds stillness. Approaching asana practice with this invaluable insight truly embodies the practice of yoga. If your only goal is to mimic physical shapes without aiming for this balance, it defeats the purpose of the practice.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I'm not saying you need to achieve perfect steadiness and ease right from the start, like a serene Buddha. It takes time and patience to understand how to incorporate this idea into your everyday practice (and ultimately, life).

The key lies in the setup. How are you aligning yourself from the very beginning to enter into the asana? Let me share a secret: the posture itself is not that important. I believe that the mark of an intelligent student is how they prepare for the execution of a pose. Take Bakasana, for example. If you are only focused on the final form, you might place your hands on the floor, position your knees haphazardly on your arms, and kick your legs up frantically, hoping for the best.

However, if you approach the pose mindfully, with your hands placed shoulder-width apart and index fingers pointing forward, entering from Uttanasana and placing your knees as close to your armpits as possible, moving onto the tips of your toes by shifting your shoulders and gaze forward, you create a strong foundation. Hold and surrender to that position, even if that is all you can do today. With a well-aligned setup, your toes will almost effortlessly lift off the floor, and you will take flight like a crane.

I remember many years ago when I was learning Hanumanasana (the front splits). Despite my efforts, my hips were still far from the ground. I surrendered to my breath at that moment, making peace with my body in space. My teacher always encouraged us to forget about the posture and focus only on the breath. This relaxes the nervous system, allowing the muscles to find a balance of strength and ease, supporting us in the posture and helping us remain calm amid difficulty.

The sign that your asana is correct is not how the posture looks but your breath and spinal alignment in relation to your limbs. When you try new and challenging postures, your breath may initially be rapid, which is normal. Slowly bring your awareness to your breath, and experience the inner stillness and silence. Can you make your breath long and deep to the best of your ability, no matter where you are in the asana? Then you are doing it correctly, and you are in a meditative state. 

Class update: 

Intermediate level Online Group Classes:

Starts this Saturday! Only a couple of spots left!

The immersive 10-day yoga journey is designed for intermediate practitioners who are confident and comfortable in their bodies.

This series links traditional Hatha Yoga poses into a creative vinyasa flow. You’ll move through ten classes that blend strong standing poses, core work, backbends, arm balances, and inversions to help you open up and move you to your fullest expression. By creating heat from within, you’ll purify your body, melt away tension, and connect to your inner bliss.

This immersion is ideal for those eager to deepen their practice and take on a healthy challenge. Plus, you'll receive recordings of each class to revisit and refine your practice at your own pace.

There are limited spots available for this group series to ensure I can provide personalized attention and guidance. If you're interested in joining, please let me know. I look forward to practicing with you!

If you would like to join, please email me at ✨[email protected]✨

Until next time ✨