Up until recently, I had never given much thought to Newton’s third law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This statement was repeated to us multiple times during the course of our training, and thinking about it in detail made me realise that indeed every action we take has an effect that ripples outwards, sometimes in ways that we may never know.
On the yoga mat, Newton’s third law can be applied in terms of channelling the strength and energy to move the body in the opposite direction of gravity. For example, when we stand or sit without consciousness, our body is relaxed, and it slumps and collapses into itself. However, the action of consciously pressing our hands or feet firmly onto the mat will produce an immediate “equal or opposite reaction” of helping us root more firmly into the ground, thereby enabling us to stretch and rise up a little taller. The more energy or strength we expend in pushing against the ground, the easier it will be to lift the body in the opposite direction.
This concept can be applied in life off the mat as well: if we make a more conscious effort to be kind and compassionate, without anticipating anything in return, we will in turn receive an increase in capacity to perform more acts of kindness and compassion, which will help transform our lives to become extra extraordinary. The energy from which we give is not finite; the more you give, the more you have. Likewise, the more gratitude we express or feel for the good things we have in life, the Universe will respond by delivering to us more of the things for which we are grateful.
As week 4 of our yoga teacher training draws to a close, I am grateful for the knowledge and wisdom I have gained from Master Sree, for the friendship and camaraderie of my fellow trainees, and for the freedom and time to embark on this journey.
ST
