YOGA: Skillfulness in Action

In the Bhagavad Gita, yoga is called skillfulness in action.  How does our work on the mat bring about skillfulness in our life off the mat? 

Let us begin with the asana as steady and sweet.  What is happening when our postures are both steady and sweat? 

In headstand, the weight rests squarely on our shoulders, the legs come straight out of our hips, the balls of the feet press upwards, the toes are awake.  This is being steady, this is giving.  In headstand we bring out attention to our center of gravity in the hips and we achieve an exquisite balance so that the experience of the posture is effortless and focused.  This is being sweet, this is receiving.  

We are not overly invested in either sweetness of steadiness, we are simply steady and sweet, giving and receiving occur simultaneously.

In our daily lives, we attend to our responsibilities, our duties, our spiritual practice, our worklife, our relationships.  This dharma; it is being steady, it is giving.  In our daily lives, we are honest in our dealings with others, ensuring that we are fair and being fairly treated.  We take action on our own behalf, seeing to it that we are living our dreams and being adequately receiving. 

We are not overly invested in either sweetness or steadiness, we are simply being steady and sweet; giving and receiving occur simultaneously. 

Thus it can be said that the asana teach skillfulness in life.

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