Sthairya, Stability and awareness

A while ago, I was taking a yoga workshop, one of the teachings that stood out to me was that through yoga we learn to direct awareness. This is an ongoing lesson for me. At some point, we all discover how our awareness fluctuates as we practice. Personally, when I practice, I can catch myself most of the time when my mind starts to wander. As soon as I recognize that this has happened, I gently bringing it back to the task at hand. 

Even though we often relate to stability in yoga to engaging muscles and moving the body, this is actually the outermost layer of what is happening. What we call stability is a reflection of where and how we direct our awareness. Everything else comes after that. The moment awareness shifts elsewhere, even if we are still moving, we are no longer practicing to the fullest of our capabilities or in a truly stable way.

It may seem like tall order to remain that focused,  but it is something we learn over time through practice. When you come to class this week, practice following the alignment cues and become more aware of your breath. This does not mean that you will do things perfectly—it means that you will practice to the best of your ability, with steady and stable awareness.

I look forward to seeing you in class.

Breathe easy,

Blessings,

Jorge Nihāl