Strength and Softness

This weekend at Stil Studio during Kevan’s morning class he focused on the idea of strength and softness. I immediately was reminded of a  blog I wrote earlier in the year about these two opposing feelings. Our practice is always a combination of both. It has to be in order to be effective. When we are in a physically challenging pose we need our strength to get into the pose and we need softness in order to remain in the pose.

A member of the Stil Studio community has recently had to test her ability to combine strength and softness. Ali Barton was recently diagnosed with a serious heart condition and was told she needed a heart transplant. Since she is pregnant she had to choose to either abort the baby, or wait another five weeks until the baby can be delivered, and then she will be put back on the heart transplant list. She will need strength and softness to get her through the next few weeks. Although I am sure I have probably been in class with Ali before, I have never actually met her. It is clear though, from the outpouring of support, that she is an amazing person who people love. The studio is holding a benefit class for Ali and has set up a site for people to donate to help offset her medical costs during this time. Please keep Ali and her family in your thoughts and prayers throughout the holiday season.

http://www.gofundme.com/rally-for-ali

-Ali

Soft nature of a person does not mean weakness, Remember : Nothing is softer than water, but its force can break the strongest of rocks. ~ Author Unknown

 

Strength and Softness

The other day in class many of the poses we were doing required both strength and softness. While we were required to slowly soften into a pose in order to get optimal benefit, we also had to maintain our strength in order to hold the poses. This idea of combining strength and softness, two things that seem to be direct opposites, is a learning experience. It was not easy to practice these two ideals together, but once I accepted that I could embrace both at the same time, they worked harmoniously together. Sometimes in life we are required to utilize multiple practices, emotions, feelings, ideas, morals, etc. at one time. This is not always easy, but with practice it can be rewarding, almost peaceful. Once I was able to wrap my head around the idea that I had to slowly soften into an uncomfortable position, using my strength to keep me there, I immediately felt all the tension in my body melt away, and over time the poses actually started to feel good!

Moral of today’s class: Next time you are in an uncomfortable circumstance, physically, emotionally or spiritually, try to combine strength and softness to get through it

-A

“Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength”

                                               -Saint Francis de Sales