Be Big
Life feels really big right now. There is a lot of noise, a lot of fear, a lot of suffering close to all of us. It is a challenge to find a way to live our day-to-day lives and even to allow the experience of joy when the struggle outside our doors is so loud. I do feel lucky to have the tools that I’ve learned through yoga to help me navigate this moment in time.
When I was in yoga teacher training, my teacher suggested that one of the key goals of yoga was to “be big”. The way I understand this is that we have to work to stretch our hearts and minds to be big enough for all that life brings. The idea is that we create a big heart, one that cultivates equanimity - allowing both joy (sukham) and sorrow (duhkham) to coexist without causing us to shut down.
Equanimity (Upeksha): is a state of mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation. We can use yoga practices (movement, breath, reflection) help us develop a balanced state of mind and become less reactive to negative/agitating stimulus.
There is a lovely metaphor sometimes used when teaching the tree pose (standing on one leg) – “Imagine that your toes are digging into the earth, growing roots deep down. Imagine your supporting leg is like the trunk of the tree, stable and strong. Your spine has movement, the ability for supple sway. Your arms reach out like the branches of the tree, leaves reaching for the sun. Don’t worry if you sway – trees sway.” Try this out for yourself (even while sitting and reading, try lengthening your spine and maybe lift your face toward the sun). Connect to the earth and your stability/flexibility.
There is always suffering in the world. There is also beauty and the potential for joy. By embracing the full, shifting spectrum of human experience rather than avoiding pain, one develops inner strength, compassion, and the capacity to remain centered like a rooted tree amidst life's storms.
Some yoga practices include “Heart Opening (Anahata).” Philosophically, the heart is viewed as a vast, luminous sanctuary (Vi shoka va jyotismati) that is inherently greater than suffering. Opening this space allows a practitioner to experience the "fullness" of life—including both pleasure and pain—without closing down or becoming overwhelmed. Recognizing that the heart is expansive enough to hold all of life - joyful and sorrowful - simultaneously helps us dissolve boundaries between self and others. The practice of recognizing our emotions and allowing them to come and go like clouds, rather than clinging to joy or resisting sadness.
Want more? Check out:
Maintaining Hope in Hard Times
Tonlen Meditation – a Buddhist compassion mediation designed to transform personal suffering into empathy.
Heart Chakra Yoga pratctice (15min)