I recently read an article on bbc.com titled, "Why the 'paradox mindset' is the key to success". The title was what drew me in, specifically two words, 'paradox mindset'. As I read through the article, I thought, oh yes this is why yoga is so powerful. And I knew I wanted to share it with you.
The following quote from the article sums up the argument made by authors, Loizos Heracleous and David Robson.
"Being dragged in two different directions, simultaneously, should only create tension and stress. And yet some exciting and highly counter-intuitive research suggests that these conflicts can often work in our favour.
Over a series of studies, psychologists and organisational scientists have found that people who learn to embrace, rather than reject, opposing demands show greater creativity, flexibility and productivity. The dual constraints actually enhance their performance. The researchers call this a 'paradox mindset'."
Yoga invites a 'paradox mindset'. During practice the teacher (ahem) will say, "put your body in these mildly stressful shapes and in the context of odd, unfamiliar feelings and sensations, breathe and relax."
What? Is that really what we do in yoga? Yes. It is. The path of yoga is indeed a paradox. Need proof?
Have you ever told yourself that you don't have time for yoga class, then made yourself go, and then realized even though you "spent" time practicing yoga that you actually have more time after class than you imagined you had before your practice? Spending time to make time? Feels like a paradox.
What about those postures you used to dread that now feel like your favorites? Paradox? Perhaps.
Yoga requires two things that can feel opposite or at odds with each other, space and support. During your practice, your mind and body should be relaxed without dullness and alert without agitation.
If you are so relaxed that you lack support and focus, or if you effort so much that space disappears, the practice feels unbalanced and either strained or lethargic. The trick is learning to create a synergistic relationship between space and support, allowing them to exist simultaneously in your body and mind.
How do we cultivate the 'paradox mindset'?
Practice.
Does practice really make perfect?
Not really. It just makes us more comfortable with being uncomfortable, allows us to act instead of react, listen instead of interrupt, and have compassion for ourselves and others. Practice opens our hearts and minds to conflicting ideas, contradictory tasks, and the possibility that two opposites can simultaneously be true.
When you arrive at the destination - 'paradox mindset' - you can see that the practice doesn't end when you step off your mat. It's all yoga, every action, every thought, every breath.
Until the next time.
Namaste,
Kathryn
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