Life Balance
Most people I know struggle with Life/Work balance. One concept that helps guide me in my quest for balance is the concept of “Effort & Ease”. I was introduced to this concept by a New Zealander yoga instructor named Ted Surman, who lives and teaches on Maui at his Yoga Awareness Studio. I think that people who struggle with work/life balance could benefit from understanding and practicing this concept. The Yoga Sutra teaches the concept of sthirasukha: the qualities of sthira (steady alertness) and sukha (lightness and comfort of being) are necessary for a good yoga practice. I have come to believe that this is also true for life in general. The concept can be described in many ways: steadiness/gentleness, yin/yang, or effort/ease. Ted turned me onto a wonderful book called The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar, which I highly recommend.
In future posts I will explore ways that I observe this in my own life, and in the world. By the way, in case you’re wondering, I’m no master at this balance of effort & ease, but I must say that it’s become a guiding principle in my life.
Hi Fred,
Thanks for the info. My wife and I are fortunate to have a great balance as we raise our 7 year old son, but I fear for younger folk who are still building careers and gaining life experience.
I am encouraged though, that there is discussion about work/life – that didn’t exist a decade or so ago.
By the way there are some helpful ( if somewhat commercialised ) iPhone apps for meditation/stress relief – see ” Easy Relax” and “Binaural Beat” which are part of the same stable.
I had forgotten how wonderful was the sound of a kitten purring!
good vibes to you and yours – I’ll be back
tony