The Law of Least Effort

The Law of Least Effort states that nature’s intelligence functions with effortless ease. If you look at the ebb and flow of the tides, the blossoming of a flower, or the movement of the stars, you do not see nature straining. There is rhythm and balance in the natural world, and when you are in harmony with nature, you can make use of the Law of Least Effort by minimizing your effort and maximizing your effect.

When a Newtonian model of the world predominated in our collective awareness, the principles of force and effort were dominant. But in our modern era, when quantum physics provides the most comprehensive model of how the universe works, there is no place for force and effort. Rather, timing and finesse are the tools for transformation in a world that is understood as the expression of an underlying field of energy and information.Stated simply, the Law of Least Effort tells us that we can do less and accomplish more.Nature is held together by the energy of love, and least effort is  expended when your actions are motivated by love. When your soul is your internal reference point,you can harness the power of love and use the energy creatively for healing, transformation, and evolution.

The Law of Least Effort is of immeasurable value during the practice of yoga. Yoga is the antidote to the prescription “no pain, no gain.” The greatest benefits of yoga come from relaxing into a pose, rather than forcing your body into it. When moving into a flexibility pose,find the point of resistance. Rather than muscling your way through this point, breathe into the resistance—surrender into the resistance—and you will find yourself extending your reach and enhancing your flexibility.

Stay present with your full awareness in your body and engage an attitude of surrender. In yoga as in life,patience is a virtue. In yoga, the more you are able to embrace rather than fight your limitations and vulnerabilities,the less limits they hold and the more balance and energy you experience.

To enliven the Law of Least Effort in your yoga practice and in your life, make a commitment to the following three steps:

1. Practice acceptance. During your yoga practice,accept your body the way it is. Although you may have intention for it to change in some way, accept that how it is now is exactly as it should be, because the universe is as it should be. Give up your need to struggle against the whole universe by struggling against this moment. By acknowledging each situation as it exists, you are in the best position to help evolve it to a new level.In your daily life, practice accepting people as they are and circumstances as they occur, understanding that every moment in your life is the consequence of every prior choice you’ve made. Rather than resisting who or what is currently in your life,practice acceptance of what is present and reinforce your commitment to make more conscious choices from this moment on.

2. Having accepted things as they are, take responsibility for the challenge you are facing. As applied to your yoga practice, this means making the commitment to nurture your body through appropriate exercise and nutrition. If you are seeking to change your body in a positive way, taking responsibility does not mean indulging in blame for the state of your body now. Remember that every challenge is an opportunity in disguise, and this alertness to opportunity allows you to take this moment and transform it for greater benefit.

3. Establish your awareness in defenselessness. Do not waste your life energy defending your point of view or attempting to convince others. Remain open to all points of view without rigidly attaching yourself to any one of them.The third principle is of particular relevance to your yoga practice. There are many different schools of yoga without one right way. Every teacher and every system its own variations on postures, pace, style, and intensity.As a system dedicated to awakening flexibility in body,mind, and spirit, yoga can accommodate and celebrate the many diverse approaches that have developed over past centuries.

Experiment for yourself with different approaches and find the style that fits best with your needs at a given time of your life. The right yoga system for you is the one that enhances your vitality and flexibility. Commit yourself to the Law of Least Effort and you will cease wasting your vital energy in friction and conflict. Liberated, this energy becomes available to you for creativity, personal growth, and healing.

Whenever you find yourself forcing an outcome that is not ready to manifest, remember the Law of Least Effort.Introduce the mantra that resonates with the principle that you can accomplish more by doing less if you are not wasting energy by struggling and straining.