On Saturday, twelve people joined me at Lake Fellowship for Take a Load Off, a daylong retreat about setting down some of what we carry.
We practiced gentle yoga, sat, walked, talked, shared a potluck meal, and spent time outside in the woods. We couldn’t have asked for better food or weather.
I planned the day around one question: “What am I adding to this?”
This was not a day to dismiss what’s difficult, but to notice the extra effort we sometimes add to our experiences, such as a pressure to do more or a story that we should be handling things better. Many of us carry a belief that rest has to wait until everything else gets finished.
The day was an experiment in sthira, steadiness, and sukha, ease. In yoga’s description of the two qualities of āsana, the two go together. Effort without ease turns into strain. Ease without effort becomes collapse. It was a lovely opportunity to practice this balance both on and off the mat, in a single day.
We explored the various levels of effort we can bring to Chair Pose. Everyone’s pose looked different, yet there was no way to tell who was working hardest. The same is true off the mat. No one is grading the effort. If you catch yourself working at 100% this week, see what happens when you ease up a little. Can you leave a brief pause between one thing and the next? Maybe just one breath?
In their feedback, several people mentioned the pauses. One person wrote about what was most valuable: “The pauses! And everything else.” Others appreciated the slow pace, the space for practice, and the chance to connect with other people.
That may have been the heart of the day. Not adding more, but leaving enough room to notice what was already there.
I’m grateful to everyone who came, brought food, shared honestly, and helped make the day what it was.
I felt nourished by the time with the group, and I’m tentatively planning another daylong retreat on a different theme for December 5. I’m confirming a few details now and will share more in my newsletter when they’re ready.
Comments