Working Hard vs. Working Smart

Working hard was always an admirable thing to me, until I got in my own way. Frustration, worry, over-analyzing stress, anger, injury are all things that came to me from "working hard" and since that didn't get me the results I wanted, I would work 'harder'...

Kind of hard to 'push' my way through balancing, delicate, relaxing asana poses. One of my favorite things about Bodhi Yoga is the encouragement they gave me to fall. The most important thing about a pose is falling, so do it first and get extravagent about it. By doing what you fear most, you are free from the worry of what you don't want and so are free to experience what you want most in the pose--balance, relaxation, a new center of gravity.

I think this is summed up well by James 1:6 "..ask in faith, nothing wavering.." and vs. 8 "a double minded man is unstable in all his ways" If worried about doubts or fears, your mind is as distracted as it is in a pose when you worry about falling or not 'suceeeding'.

This was all precipitated beautifully in my anatomy studies. The section is entitled "working hard vs. working smart" from the 4th edition of Trail Guide to the Body by Andrew Beil. He says,

"Often in the excitement of trying to locate something (whether it be a muscle or a set of keys), you search so earnestly that your mental and physical awareness begins to dimminish. Frustration arises, your breath stalls and your hands ultimately become insensitive. You begin to work hard. Instead of working hard, you can work smart." 

He goes on to articulate that working smart entails relaxing, calmly reading aloud (praying), instead of pushing-invite the tissues into your hand that you are trying to locate, allowing yourself to get lost and make a wrong turn ("upbraideth not" -James 1:5) and being patient with your learning process.

I was stunned at how aptly this applied to everything: my receiving answers to prayers, learning to meditate, learning a yoga pose and learning the dance of balance (not a stillness), any learning really-parenting, singing, doing...

Here's to working smart and enjoying the learning.

Namaste.

http://www.gobodhiyoga.com/