Friday reflection

Ease and effort

A rainbow kite in the corner of a big blue sky

This morning a yoga class from many years ago popped into my mind.

The teacher’s invitation: to play with a balance between “Sthira and Sukha,” or, roughly translated, effort and ease. The idea being that the more we can bring these two forces into balance on the mat, the more we can do so off the mat, as well.

Life requires effort, of course, and yet, it requires much less effort than some of us routinely apply. There are opportunities to relax into things that we miss. There are opportunities, in other words, for ease.

Think of a kite: Someone is steering, and yet, there is also an allowing of the wind to inform movement. There’s no use, after all, to fighting the wind.

I invite you on this cusp-of-summer Friday to consider:

• Where is effort called for in your life right now?

• And where might it benefit you to summon more ease?

You are a mighty force!

Amanda

P.S. The new Mighty Forces website is live! Check it out, and also check out this LinkedIn post + video about it, in which I discuss what to look for on the new site, while reflecting on the demise of Ted Lasso (sob).

P.P.S. Please consider gifting a paid subscription to a woman in your life — maybe someone earlier on her career path, or someone who’s struggling to figure out what’s next and looking for inspiration. We are all in this together!