The Dance With Discomfort
Learning to dance gracefully. That is what I see when I read Sutras 2:46-50. However, it takes a measure of effort in order to find that balance between effort and ease. We have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone and push the boundaries if we ever intend to grow and blossom. In order for the postures of meditation to embody steadiness and ease, we need to be willing to sit and work that mental muscle as well as the physical muscles so that we can sit without distraction, judgment, attachment, or violence. Preparation is the key and it takes time, patience, and grace to get there.
I think back to when I took my first yoga class. I had no idea what to expect. People who had been practicing for years surrounded me; their bodies moved fluidly from pose to pose and understood what the teacher was asking them to do. I felt like the proverbial bull in the china shop, struggling with what seemed like very basic poses and forcing myself into options that my body was not ready for. When we got to the end, the whole savasana concept was so foreign to me that I could not relax enough to quiet the mind. I kept peeking about, seeing if anyone else was doing something different. But I kept at it, pushing back that wall of discomfort while also yielding when I encountered it, until finally I felt competent enough and comfortable enough to experiment with new options. It was around that time that I figured out the whole connection between breath and movement and learned how to listen to the symphony of my breath, as well as allowing the rhythm of my breath to set the pace of my practice. It is with this dance of discomfort on the physical level that I learned how to apply the same principle to developing my meditation practice.
Sutra 2:46 says that the postures of meditation should embody steadiness and ease. Should. That does not mean that this will automatically happen once you sit on your cushion. If you have not prepared yourself properly, then sitting on your cushion will be anything but steady and comfortable. Erich Schiffmann says, “…for yoga to feel right, a proper balance is necessary between push and yield.” We might be able to find that balance on a physical level because of training, but the mental level may prove to be the dance partner here in the dance with discomfort. I read somewhere that training your mind to stay in the present moment is very much like leash training a puppy to walk beside you. Distractions will cause the puppy’s attention to wander and pull against the restraint of the leash. With consistent patience and guidance, you bring the puppy’s attention back to where it should be and over time, the puppy will walk beside you, ignoring the distractions. Same thing with the mind, only our breath is the leash to bring our attention back to the present moment. At first your mind may stay with you for just a few minutes, but over time and with a consistent practice, your mind will have an easier time staying with you as you meditate (Sutra 2:47), your body and mind are no longer fighting between push and yield (Sutra 2:48), and your breathing becomes relaxed and rhythmic (Sutra 2:49-50).
It takes willingness to intentionally, and intelligently, dance with your own discomfort so that you can grow. Life begins outside your comfort zone. The magic is in the dance.
