The Philosophies of Balanced Action
Often when we seek out practices such as yoga, we are aiming to find balance in our lives. For many, going to a yoga class is a moment during which they can tune out the rest of their life and allow themselves to slow down and focus on themselves. Whether through yoga, or some other type of practice, the desire for escape is often conflated with the desire for balance. What does it mean to live a balanced life? On the yoga mat, the principles of sthira (strength, firmness) and sukha (ease, delight) are at the foundation of how we as practitioners aspire to move. In the Yoga Sutra by Patanjali, section 2.46 introduces us to sthira sukham asanam. Asanam refers to postures or poses. Patanjali explains that asanas should be
“done with a feeling of firmness, steadiness and endurance in the body; goodwill in the intelligence of the head, and awareness and delight in the intelligence of the heart.” (Iyengar, 157). Doing the asana should then bring about a feeling of “nourishment.”
This is essentially what it means to be balanced on the mat. To use one’s strength to get into an asana, and then allow oneself to sink into it and feel nourished. When Patanjali wrote the Sutras somewhere between the 5th and 2nd centuries BCE, yoga was not considered such a physical practice. With the introduction of Patanjali’s work, yoga began to evolve, alongside the science of Ayurveda. There was an understanding that balance must occur within the union of body and mind. At around the same time, the Daoist text Tao Te Ching was being composed in China (4th and 3rd centuries BCE), and was also concerned with finding balance in one’s approach to daily life. Many of us are familiar with the terms yin and yang.
The Tao Te Ching states, “All things carry yin and embrace yang. They reach harmony by blending the vital breath.” (Chapter 42). This is only one small section of the text. At the core of the text is the idea of wu-wei, or inaction.
Wu-wei can be understood as “the practice of taking no action that is not in accord with the natural course of the universe” (Encyclopaedia Britannica). The universe in this case is Dao, or “The Way,” and it unfolds spontaneously. Since humans are also part of the cosmos, we can live a life of ease if we allow ourselves to flow along with the natural fluctuations of the universe. In the Tao Te Ching, it is written, “The Way is ever without action. Yet nothing is left undone” (Chapter 37).
But inaction does not mean we should be lazy and do nothing. Instead, we can embrace moments of stillness, and realise that not everything is in our control. We strive for balance. Yin and Yang, the feminine and masculine, sthira and sukha, softness and strength.
From India to China, the desire for balance was driving thought and practice. Thousands of years later, we still strive for that balance.
Keep Reading:
Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by B.K.S. Iyengar: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Light-Yoga-Sutras-Patanjali-Iyengar/dp/0007145160
Tao Te Ching, Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tao-te-Ching