Equipoise

A while ago during a retreat a yoga teacher saw a person that was walking very fast and was visibly agitated. She stopped this person and asked him if he was ok. This person was one of the organizers for the retreat this teacher was teaching at. The man then shared that he was late for a meeting and that there were so many things that needed to be done. The teacher acknowledged that yes there were many things that needed to be accomplished that day but that he could still choose to move about with ease. Not necessarily slowly but with ease. The teacher said that this was not to keep an appearance of calmness at the retreat but for his own mental health.

I remember this all the time. New York City gives me plenty of opportunities to practice this. Some times I succeed and some times I fail miserably. One of the misunderstandings we have about equipoise is that we must be in a nearly comatose state to experience it, or move very slowly even if there is a need to move fast.  The state of equipoise that this yoga teacher was referring to is a state of balance and equilibrium that allows us to act appropriately and according to our capabilities in the face of the situation at hand.

This week we will be practicing a breathing technique that helps us connect to this state of equipoise. We will practice it at the beginning of the class to help us prepare for the yoga poses we will be practicing, and also at the end the class to help us relax more easily. 

I look forward to seeing you in class

Blessings

Jorge Nihal