And here we are caught between the two. We must struggle to live, yet we must relax and know contentment to actually enjoy living. How does one manage to carry out those two ‘projects’ without becoming neurotic? Perhaps that is a clue to how one can become neurotic.
Bath in Meiji park (Japan 1975) after yoga
One of the most profound long term opportunities of doing Hatha Yoga daily is that it provides a ‘field’ in which to simultaneously struggle and relax. ‘Ha‘ actually means sun; ‘tha‘ means moon; and yoga means (1) to put a yoke on (2) to harness (an animal) to (a plow) (3) to join together; link (4) to join in marriage. How elegant the word hatha yoga embodies its core purpose . . . the joining together of struggle and contentment in ‘holy matrimony’.
I’ve found that yoga accomplishes this purpose especially well as it evolves into a private, non-competitive, life long practice. Activity that is driven by the competitive spirit is too ‘ha‘ driven. Activity that is driven by a cooperative spirit is too ‘tha‘. Thus, life’s pendulum tends to always swing past the ‘golden middle’. The benefit of setting time aside each day to deal with this swing while it is still nothing has proven priceless.
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They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.