Tension in the body is usually sub-conscious. While there exist imbalances in our anatomy, there will be some need for compensation and hence effort. As this compensation is ongoing, we become so accustomed to it we may not be aware of it until it becomes acute pain or diseased. The journey of asana is the journey of shining the light of consciousness on our sub-conscious physical habits, and from there, correcting them. This is typically a long process requiring dedication and patience. However, it is never in vain as every step on the path brings increased ease in the body and clarity in the mind.  When perfect stability and ease are finally developed in the body, the body no longer stands in the way of deep meditation.

The Yoga Sutras define Asana as “Sukham Sthiram”, that is to say, a posture which is both stable (Sthiram) and in which we can feel comfortable and at ease (Sukham). Mastering Sukham Sthiram is the goal of the Saoirse practice. Through the asana practice, we aim to expand the limits of our comfort and stability. When we expand the limits, on returning to a simple meditative posture, the sense of stability and comfort go deeper. Then, as the Yoga Sutras put it, we can focus on our infinite nature. For this reason, development of Sukham Sthiram is the basis of the Saoirse Yoga practice.

To work at the right level of effort is key to the practice. We should never practice in a lazy or distracted way – if we do so we will lose presence, and presence is what we wish to cultivate. We wish to do a practice that will require our full presence in order to do it.  Neither should we push ourselves beyond our comfortable limits. If we overstrain, we bring tension into the body and mind. Tense bodies and minds are precisely what we wish to remedy through Yoga, and yet people often approach the practice as if it were something to conquer in a short space of time To practice correctly is to work close to your comfort limits, and hence expand them. To practice at the right level of effort is to practice Sukham Sthiram. Understanding this, no matter your yoga experience, age or condition, you are ready to practice. Clearly how this looks from the outside will vary depending on the individual. For this reason, in Saoirse Yoga we wish to develop individual sequences.  

Even if you have no interest in formal meditation, expanding your comfort limits will bring an increased sense of well-being into life, both physically and mentally. Practicing Yoga correctly will liberate tension from the body. As the body and mind are intimately connected through the nervous system, bodily tension is continually felt by the mind, albeit sub-consciously. By liberating tension physically, there is a corresponding liberation in the mind. As stability and ease grow in the body, they simultaneously grow in the mind.

The endless challenges life throws at us do not stop through the practice of Yoga, but by practicing correctly, we learn to remain more stable and more at ease as we face them. Ultimately what we call practice here, is practice for dealing with the unpredictable nature of life.