I was talking to a group last Thursday about ease. How to orient towards ease, over effort less and why it matters as we age. Access to ease feels elusive in our current culture. I asked the group a question, I will ask you here. Do you orient towards ease?
Hopefully, the answer is yes. You see life like a long road trip full of surprises and learning opportunities. On one side is a rock wall of boredom on the other is the sheer drop off of overwhelm. You have figured out how to drive in the middle of the road, accomplish a lot but stay stress free. Congratulations if you have an intimate connection with ease. But if you find ease elusive, you are not alone.
What Is Ease
I define ease as the absence of stress. I needed to learn to orient towards ease in my life. Yoga and Ayurveda really helped me understand how. In yoga and Ayurveda, life it can be thought of in part as creating good space in your experience. Here is a look at how to forge a connection to ease in yoga and life.
“Practicing “good space,” requires our prana (life force energy) be free flowing, strong and healthy. Cultivating healthy prana extends beyond the yoga mat to include, how we use our energy in daily life, who we chose to interact with, what we eat, how well we sleep etc etc ” – Kate Alexandra
Orient Towards Ease Age With Grace
Stress is an emotional and physiological response created based on feeling unsafe in the circumstance. Our culture has a bunch of factors that can stir up fear and trigger stress. Marketers stir fear in our hearts to sell things at a previously unimaginable level.
We are also, distracted, multitasking always on our phone filled with stress cut off from ease. Stress and rigidity block flow and age us prematurely. Ease is present, subtle, sattvic, and a state of being. Ease in your life adds years of living and enhances the possibility of aging with grace.
In our lives the slope of the road, the bumpiness and width vary. There are sharp turns where you can’t see what is ahead of you. We need to build our trust in our family, community and universe to orient towards ease in less than ideal circumstances. Presence and ease are tools to navigate aging in this journey of our lives. Our ability to sustain ease in challenging times enables living a fuller life.
Benefits of Ease
Quality of Life
Ease and contentment are all measured when evaluating our quality of life. Feeling spacious and optimistic most of the time makes us happier and helps rewire our brains to orient towards ease. Find a way to smile and laugh every day. Happiness, community, and satisfaction all contribute to a high quality of life and contentment as we age.
Balances Dosha
Feeling safe, connected, and present, generates ease. Balance and ease sukha allow the ideal sattvic expression of the dosha. The gunas of ease subtle, clear, cool, and stable. These qualities support balancing the dosha.
- Cools Pitta
- Ease cools and softens sharp, intense perfectionist qualities, tames the drive and relaxes the tendency to judge harshly.
- Calms Vata
- Ease creates a container and space for creativity, soothes the restlessness, and quells anxiety. Ease is inherently grounding.
- Clarifies Kapha
- Ease carves out space between overwhelming and inert. It moves you into the middle of the road. Ease makes it possible to effort without resentment and relax without guilt.
How do we orient towards ease? Seek experiences and opportunities to be present. Enjoy the remarkable lives we live — Add self-care and habits that reduce stress and create space.
“Easeful living is defined by how you orient your awareness and what this perpetuates.” Cate Stillman Body Thrive
8 Behaviors That Help Us Access Ease
- Align with seasonal and daily rhythms. Living out of sync with the rise of the sun and moon is inherently stressful, like swimming upstream instead of floating with the current.
- Restful Sleep Navigating the world is much simpler when you are awake, rather than exhausted.
- Schedule Relaxation Look at the way you spend free time. Is all your me time accidental in front of your TV or phone? Make it purposeful and do things that bring you alive.
- Add Rejuvenation Make Rasayana(restorative practices) as part of your evening routine. Put ease back within reach.
- Get Out In Nature Feel the sunshine or mist on your face, see the colors and smell nature when you can. Protect yourself from insect and tick bites while you enjoy time with the trees.
- Optimism Listen to your self talk. Cultivate an upbeat attitude about things that you don’t have control over. Take action to manifest optimistic outcomes where you can.
- Acceptance Accept that change is inevitable. “Given what is what do I chose to do?” Remembering choice helps me find ease in more decision points.
- Loving Kindness Step back from moving through your day in a state of petty annoyance. Practice loving kindness towards loved one’s friends, neighbors, and the population at large. Loving kindness meditation is a way to begin this shift.
Examine Access To Ease In Your Life
Is ease something you value and want to cultivate in your life? If so what small actions can you take to shift and orient towards ease. Choosing ease is a practice, take a step, and notice how it makes you feel.
Ayurselfcare’s purpose is to educate on the benefits of Ayurveda. This blog is not a substitute for professional medical care, treatment, or advice. All the material here is for learning purposes only. Always share strategy and work with your health care team.