Eureka! (Mental Applications of Sthira Sukham Asanam)

A long time ago, in the days of yore, the king asked Archimedes of Syracuse, one of the greatest mathematicians of all time, to solve a problem. The solution to the problem famously came to him while he was bathing, causing him to run through the streets naked yelling "Eureka!"

While perhaps you have never done this (fingers crossed), it is likely that you have experienced the answer to a dilemma floating to you effortlessly while you were NOT focusing on the problem. There's more to this than you might think - let's go deeper.

Nestled in book two of the Yoga Sutras in a tiny line of verse that is composed of just three words: Sthira Sukham Asanam. Poses should be steady and comfortable. If all we did was look at this isolated sutra, it would be easy to breeze by it and perhaps even disregard it; however, when taken in context with the surrounding sutras, a larger impression emerges.

Sthira - Steadiness

Sukham - Comfort

Asanam - Poses

When we hold physical poses in yoga or meditation class, we are wanting them to be both steady and comfortable. Another way to phrase this is to say that we want to have both effort and ease present in our poses. Yet another way to think about this concept is to say that we need to have both strength and flexibility within our bodies. As always, yoga is about balance. This sutra is speaking about a particular type of balance. 

We cannot be 100% effort 100% of the time. Our bodies and minds cannot survive long in this mode. We would become exhausted too easily. This is the definition of burnout. On the other hand, we also cannot be 100% ease 100% of the time. Ease sounds so lovely, but existing solely in this space would mean that we have no motivation and are not working towards any goals in life. Neither of these situations are ideal! 

Physical yoga gives us the opportunity to play with this idea in a concrete way. The physical realm is always the easiest place to first internalize a concept, because it deals with what we can see and feel. In our poses, we can practice tensing muscles and/or relaxing muscles. With enough practice, we learn how to balance these two states in all of our poses. This allows us to hold poses with contentment and for longer durations of time. We are both strong and flexible, steady and comfortable.

It can be a bit harder to apply this concept to our mental worlds outside of the yoga classroom. To do so, we need to incorporate a concept from neuroscience: focus vs diffuse mode. These are two modes of the brain. The brain can be in focus mode, where all of your attention is centered on one idea or goal. The brain can also be in diffuse mode, where your thoughts are loose. You are daydreaming. The thoughts are stream of consciousness. There is distinct lack of focus. 

Just like effort and ease, we need to balance both of these brain states. As it turns out, the brain can only focus for 20-30 minutes at a time. After this point, it is a true struggle to keep the mind on a topic. Shifting into diffuse mode allows the brain to recharge and integrate all of the information from its time in focus mode.

The brain cannot focus if it does not have adequate diffuse time. (Translation: Productivity plummets without enough diffuse mode.) In fact, it is during diffuse mode that neurons fire in different ways and answers float to the surface. Inexplicably. With no warning. Suddenly the answer to your huge dilemma is right there, crystal clear. How could you not have seen it before? It's enough to make you want to run through the streets naked screaming "Eureka!"

Yoga is a life philosophy, not simply a way of moving the body. The lessons we learn in yoga apply to all areas of our lives: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Applying the idea of "sthira sukham asanam" to our mental lives means learning how to balance focus and diffuse mode. Both are essential; neither should be underestimated.

Ways to Balance Focus & Diffuse Mode

1. When working, set a timer for 20-30 minutes. When the timer goes off, stop working and do something different for 5-10 minutes. Then, you will be ready to focus again!
2. Try different diffuse activities: walking, coloring, daydreaming, dancing, singing, napping, discussing hypothetical questions with a buddy (if you could have any super power...).
3. Resist the societal pressure to perform all the time. Hustle culture is on its last fumes. Be part of the uprising that demands balance! Not only will you feel happier, you will accomplish more.
4. If you are an individual who leads meetings or trainings, take this advice to heart. Do not speak to a group for more than 20-30 minutes at a time. Build in some breaks. These can be useful breaks that build connection amongst team members. Remember that 5 minutes of full-on diffuse mode is all it takes to refocus the brain. 

All poses should be steady and comfortable. ALL poses. Working, exercising, learning, playing, conversing... This applies to everything in our lives. Contentment is ours - let's find the balance.