There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from resistance, pushing against something that won’t budge. You bring hope, effort, persistence. And slowly you start to wonder whether any of it matters. I see this in so many of the people I work with, and I’ve felt it myself — the mind getting pulled under, or taken out, the way a surfer or swimmer gets caught in a rip.
The Bhagavad Gita is a great yogic text that the yogis fall back on when in need of wisdom to help ease certain types of suffering. It speaks of discernment, the intelligence that sees clearly.
Seeing the Rip
When the mind is clouded by what we think should happen, by fear of the outcome, by what we
believe we deserve, we’re caught in the rip. Often it’s the turbulence in our own mind doing the
pulling, more than the situation itself. The moment you step outside that turbulence and see
what’s actually happening, a kind of freedom arrives. You can see what is yours to influence
and what is not, and rest in a steadier place, noticing all of it without being dragged under.
When the mind is steady, the paddling becomes smoother. Not easier, but with less fight. Less
struggle against an invisible current.
The Practice: Drishti, a Steady Gaze
In yoga, drishti is a steady gaze — a soft, focused attention that sees without grasping. Try it
now. Soften around your eyes. Soften your jaw. Let your gaze rest on something still: a point on
the wall, the horizon, the ground. Notice how it slows your breath, how a little calm arrives.
Now bring that same steadiness to whatever you’re facing. You’re not looking away from the
difficulty. You’re meeting it with a witnessing mind — the part of you that can say: this is what’s
happening, this is what I can influence, and this is what I can’t. That steady mind carries a quiet
confidence. It knows how to take the next skilful step, even when the outcome is unknown.
Staying in the Water
Discernment is a way of seeing the rip clearly. You’re still in the water. You’re still moving
forward. You’re simply no longer exhausting yourself against the current. You adjust your
paddling, and you keep going with clarity rather than desperation. This shows up everywhere —
in caregiving, when starting a new business or work that matters to you, a relationship, in any
season where you’re giving everything and the outcome stays uncertain. The practice is the
same each time: see clearly, stay steady, give your whole heart, release the outcome.
Journal Prompts & Mindful Love Notes that may help :
• Where am I fighting an invisible current right now?
• What am I caught in?
• If I look at this with a steady, witnessing mind, what do I actually see?
• What would it feel like to act with my whole heart without needing to control the result?
Discernment and managing your energy well can be practiced on and off the Yoga Mat & Meditation Cushion. If you have any questions feel free to send them in support@yoga-nrg.com
The steady gaze and other subtle techniques is something we return to in class and discernment is one of the Wings of Mindfulness we learn more about in our Mindfulness Teacher Training Program.
Come and practice with us at Yoga NRG Classes in person on the Sunshine Coast or live
online classes from anywhere in Australia remote or overseas.
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