Photos by Jobi Otso. 

The word ‘asana’ means ‘comfortable seat.’ Finding a sense of peacefulness in the pose is not always easy. The postures stir up a lot of emotion in us, whether it’s due to the physical sensation that we’re experiencing or perhaps our mental resistance to the thought of even being able to do the pose. 

Some backbends make us feel vulnerable, some hip openers release sadness and anger; perhaps we take a Warrior pose and tap into a feeling of strength and groundedness. Each pose contains its own wisdom, and is supposed to make us feel something. The challenge, then, is to discover that ‘comfortable seat’ whether or not the pose itself is uncomfortable. 

We can adopt santosha, an attitude of contentment with what is. We can embrace being in the process. Even the transitions between poses are, themselves, poses. I love these shots by Jobi Otso because it shows how happiness is found in these so-called ‘in-between’ moments… most of our lives are lived in the ‘in-between,’ while we are striving for something else. 

What a powerful practice to start enjoying those moments instead of overlooking them, don’t you think?