"... they're doing exactly what needs to be done - nothing more." That would be a valuable habit to embody FOR SURE. Anand - these articles and your insights insights are eye-opening and powerful.
I loved this piece—so much that I found myself journaling alongside it.
Here is what I was toying with:
The distinction between effort and unnecessary struggle is something I explore constantly in movement, both in my own practice and when coaching others. The swimmer and chef examples, along with the idea of clean effort, made me think about how inefficiency in movement isn’t just about physical technique—it’s about what we unconsciously carry into the effort itself.
I see people making things harder all the time, not because they lack strength or ability, but because they haven’t been taught what ease actually feels like. But, more to your point—sometimes a single cue or past experience embeds a story so deeply into the body that movement and struggle become inseparable.
Of course, some movement IS hard—but when we feel the raw effort itself, without the added mental weight, it’s… not so bad (at least to me 😉).
Which makes me wonder—how often do we resist efficiency because ease feels like cheating? And how many movements feel hard, not because they are, but because we believe they should be?
I’ll be carrying this one with me. Thank you!! Excited to read Part 2.
“In that simple shift lies the possibility of moving through life with more grace, ease, and yes, even joy.” - that’s exactly what I want. Loved the article!
"... they're doing exactly what needs to be done - nothing more." That would be a valuable habit to embody FOR SURE. Anand - these articles and your insights insights are eye-opening and powerful.
Hi Anand,
I loved this piece—so much that I found myself journaling alongside it.
Here is what I was toying with:
The distinction between effort and unnecessary struggle is something I explore constantly in movement, both in my own practice and when coaching others. The swimmer and chef examples, along with the idea of clean effort, made me think about how inefficiency in movement isn’t just about physical technique—it’s about what we unconsciously carry into the effort itself.
I see people making things harder all the time, not because they lack strength or ability, but because they haven’t been taught what ease actually feels like. But, more to your point—sometimes a single cue or past experience embeds a story so deeply into the body that movement and struggle become inseparable.
Of course, some movement IS hard—but when we feel the raw effort itself, without the added mental weight, it’s… not so bad (at least to me 😉).
Which makes me wonder—how often do we resist efficiency because ease feels like cheating? And how many movements feel hard, not because they are, but because we believe they should be?
I’ll be carrying this one with me. Thank you!! Excited to read Part 2.
“In that simple shift lies the possibility of moving through life with more grace, ease, and yes, even joy.” - that’s exactly what I want. Loved the article!