(This is the 8th and final principle for Stepping up to the Edge by Baron Baptiste taken from his book -“Journey into Power”.)
Photography by Heather Bonker.
“Stop trying, stop willing and just let it happen.
”
Trying hard invites strain and struggle.
When we try hard, we use willpower, which is powered by the mind. And sometimes when we try too hard to please, too hard not to disappoint; too hard so as to look good, we unconsciously tend to over-do. All of us has a tipping point, which leads to either the exhaustion of the mind or the body, to the extent of physical and mental sickness (injury, depression, stress etc).
When we step up to the edge, the fear usually grips us first, physically tensing us up. And we force our way through by sheer willpower and determination and most time by brute force.
And what if, we try easy by dropping what we know and trusting our heart, the centre of our being to lead our actions?
What’s possible when standing at our edge, we pause, look within, relax, breathe and surrender?
What’s possible if we stop struggling?
“Willpower = Brute force (mind)
Inner Strength = Soul force (heart)”
Try Easy. Stop Struggling.
In the physical asana, “try easy” means to STOP looking for the right way or a better pose and instead just be in the pose and see what comes up.
When you try easy, all you are doing is STOPPING THE STRUGGLE, both external and internal. You don’t stop the action nor the effort, but you stop struggling.
You commit to the pose to the best of your ability and not sit on the sidelines, watching others nor giving up.
You are in it, doing the work and putting in effort, but finding peace and equanimity from within. Rather than forcing your body to fit the pose, you allow the pose to fit your body.
Everybody’s body is different so every body will experience each pose in their own unique way. It may look different and it is ok.
Be in ACTION, and not INACTION.
It has been a challenge for me to step up to my Edge this year because I’ve been struggling with the physical aspect of yoga.
The asana is how most of us found yoga. And to not be able to practice as much as I can, creates doubt in my ability as a yoga teacher.
If you don’t know this by now, we are the source of our own suffering, due to the words we say to ourselves, our stories and our negative limiting beliefs.
“We never lose our demons, Mordo. We only learn to live above them.
”
And without experiencing what it feels like to be sad, angry, frustrated etc, without suffering, we won’t know the feeling of Joy, Love and Success.
Without this feeling of woefulness, I would not have gotten the gift of the Pause, which gave me access to Relax, Breathe, Surrender, which brings me closer to my new way of being of clarity, kindness and courage.
And in embracing the 8 principles of Stepping up to the Edge, I’ve discovered it’s possible to bring Baptiste Yoga methodology off the mat and into my world.
Take a moment to Pause
Life will be boring without suffering and life will be better without fears and limitations.
Surviving the edge is about finding the balance, sukha stira, moment moment, taking a pause, get present, trusting your heart and committing to disrupt the drifting of our minds so we can recreate a new way of being for ourselves.
And we can survive our Edges by taking a moment to pause and be, without any judgement and needing to fix or get it right.
We have the power to get our head out of our nowhere world of numbness, stories and regrets.
We do.
“Make yourself light.”
Where in your life are you at your edge?
At the end of the day, what do you really want?
You have to want to make things happen, for things to happen.
And if you want it to happen, if you want a change, you have to keep saying yes!
Keep saying YES.
Give up your negative thoughts! (they are not true!)
Give yourself permission to pause.
Request for help.
Keep things simple.
Bring your attention to the present moment.
You have it!
You got it!
You are ready now!
Relax, breathe and surrender.
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Jonathan Fink
ANNNND…………… The 8 Universal Principles For Stepping up to the Edge is now COMPLETE.
I leave you now with Baron’s profound words of wisdom.
When you find that you are straining, whether in a yoga pose or life, you’re probably trying too hard. Our ego is in it, and you are driven by an ambition that ultimately creates imbalance and suffering.
That is point when you should ask yourself:
Where am I holding on?
Am I holding on to tension, or to my ideal of what I am “supposed” to be doing?
Where can I let go more?
Where can I struggle less?
Where can I just surrender?
“If you love what you do, if it’s a natural extension of who and what you are and makes your heart sing, then even the most extreme efforts will have extreme lightness to them.
If, however you are not aligned with your work - if it doesn’t reflect your authentic self - suddenly everything feels like a task. everything is too hard, too much effort, too draining.”
JOURNAL
What are the limiting beliefs that are preventing me from doing the things that I’ve always wanted to do?
Do I meet my life with soul force or brute force? Which works better? Soul force or brute force? Why?
Related Articles:
Intro to 8 Universal Principles to Stepping up to the Edge
Principle 1: We are Either Now Here or Nowhere
Principle 2: Be in the Now and You’ll Know How
Principle 3: Growth is the most Important Thing There is
Principle 4: Exceed Yourself to Find Your Exceeding Self
Principle 5: In Order to Heal, You Must Feel