Elements of ease: inquire

When I first laid down the framework for the Restorative Yoga Training that I offer, I included the idea of "center" as a way to embody ease.  I often felt like center meant there was some fixed point or destination that the student had to get to in order to fully relax.  To center oneself, felt a little bit too rigid for a practice that is about undoing rather than doing.  So since then I've changed this third element of ease to inquire. 

Inquiry implies curiosity mixed with a soft attentiveness free from the constriction of mastery. Meaning there isn't a desired outcome that we are necessarily trying to create, nor does one need to feel as though there is some illusive skill involved in trying to welcome ease into their being. 

Inquiry implies honing one's sensitivity towards what's unfolding within the boundary of flesh and bone.  One honors the gentle pull of physical, emotional and energetic sensation towards its point of origin and waits for hardness to dissipate and dissolve. 

Inquiry may involve following a trail of thought, yet noticing when you've strayed too far from your own direct experience of felt awareness within the body, allowing the pose and your breath to draw you back. I do believe that over time, our ability to inquire can become more and more developed as we build a body memory to call on through continued practice.