This week's class theme was Sthira Sukha (#SthiraSukha), looking at and translating it to various apparent opposite and yet complimentary pairings - Stability/Flexibility, Effort/Ease, Strength/Comfort and Balance/Fluidity and trying to find them in our practices. We experienced them in different ways, using fun, childhood memories with 'The 3 Bears' and 'Simon Says' and even Winston Churchill got involved! We took things slowly through 3 planes to find 'Good Space', tried to find the point of balance between strength and comfort in a challenging floor based core class and finished with a fluid Golden Seed Sequence and slightly wobbly Warrior 3 (#Virabhadrasana 3) ! However, my week began before class on Monday morning, wakening up to an early Spring flurry of snow, prompting me to take this video.....
This 'hiccup' in the Spring weather is the perfect example of Sthira Sukha in the world around us. We have on the one side Sthira - the 4 Seasons, which, foregoing any human intervention, all arrive reliably each year in some form that we know and recognise, bringing continuity and stability. On the other side is Sukha, the flexibility of all living things to adapt to change where necessary. Here it is seen in the songbirds stopping their nest building and in the buds of flowers and trees waiting for this moment to pass before opening. The natural balance is still there. Mother Nature teaches the best lessons, much better than I can ever do in a Yoga class!
We need to all be ready to adapt to lives 'hiccups'. In order to do so, if one word could be added to the premise of Sthira Sukha, for me it would be Patience. Patience - waiting for the moment to pass, giving us time to stop and reflect and find space to alter our position, physically and mentally if necessary, building strength to facilitate an easier path, thereby allowing balance to continue.
As we come to the end of another week of our April Yoga Pop Up, challenge yourself to take this Sthira Sukha (and a little bit of patience!) we found through our practices with you and enjoy the balance it brings!
Namaste X
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