#PERFECT BALANCE YOGA HOW TO#

“ Asana sthiti”, the steadfastness in the posture. Sthira is the fire the part of the practice that requires you to be fully present when you enter experiences of discomfort, whether it emerges from the physical body, the mind, or the energetic body. Finding stability in the body and the mind while practicing asana, meditation, or any other yogic practice is what can ultimately bring us to balance. Sukha refers to comfort, ease, and openness, and the literal meaning is “good space,” from the root words su (good) and kha (space).Etymologically it arises from the root stha, which means “to stand, to be firm”. Sthira refers to stability, intent, and strength.The sutra that refers to these terms is sutra 2.46 – “ sthira-sukham asanam”. This sentence can be roughly translated as “postures should be stable and comfortable”, and it is also often reworded as the balance between “effort” and “ease.” These two concepts are found in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a collection of 196 Sutras (aphorisms) on the theory and practice of yoga.

The concept of Sthira and Sukha in yogic philosophy alludes to exactly that the polarized yet completely balanced nature of life. We experience it when there are highs in our lives followed by heartbreaking lows. Yet we may often find, through the teachings of yoga and the lessons of life, that harmony lies in the balance. We see it in the Earth and Moon cycles in the tides of the oceans as they rise and fall. The very nature of life manifests as the ebb and flow of light versus dark, strength versus weakness, good versus evil. I know online yoga will be around for a long time, and I feel blessed to have that confidence and familiarity with it.When it comes to the practice of yoga and philosophies that come with it, the concept of finding balance is recurring, and boldly relevant. If teaching feels this amazing to me via Zoom, it can only get better once things get back to normal and we can all connect in real life. All the feedback really helped me to grow in confidence and adjust my teaching thanks to observations and suggestions. The faculty was truly wonderful and the teaching was enhanced by having such a supportive community. Even though the training was via a screen, I felt I had the same opportunities to learn and practice, and my needs were met 100%. Like everyone else, I had to adapt to a new reality, so I decided to approach it with an open mind and make the most of it. I didn’t plan it, but due to travel restrictions, I ended up attending the whole course online. I went in wanting to learn more about yoga, little did I know what joy teaching would bring. Natasza Biernacka completed the whole training online, first from Poland, and then from Spain. It provided the perfect, distraction-free environment for us to find our feet and gain confidence before teaching groups ‘in person’ later in the course.

Being able to do this one-on-one in Zoom ‘breakout rooms’ was an ideal way to start. Our course leaders at PYC also adapted, and still had us practice teaching with each other right from day one.

#PERFECT BALANCE YOGA HOW TO#

Starting our YTT journey in January 2021 when the UK had just entered another lockdown, it was evident we would need to be online (and figure out how to turn our living space into a yoga studio…not an easy task when you live in a London flat!). We are constantly learning how to accept these challenges, shifting our perspective, and (with a little help from Zoom) opening ourselves to a whole new space in which to learn and practice. However, along with the rest of the world, the pandemic showed us how quickly life changes from one day to another, often out of our control. Yoga was either at the gym, in a studio, or via YouTube with Adriene. Eighteen months ago, the idea of attending a live yoga class online, let alone training to be a teacher, was something few had considered.

Perfect balance yoga