Why Slowing Down Builds More Strength Than Pushing Harder
For many of us, strength has been shaped by effort.
By pushing. By holding longer. By doing more.
And while effort has its place, it’s not the whole story.
In yoga—and in life—true strength often shows up not in how hard we push, but in how well we control the return, the release, the softening back.
This month in class, we’re exploring Strength with Softness: the quiet, intelligent strength that’s built when we slow down and move with intention.
Strength Isn’t Just About Lifting
When we think of strength, we usually imagine the moment of effort:
standing up from a squat
pressing into a plank
lifting the arms overhead
But just as important is what happens on the way back down.
The slow lowering into a squat, the controlled descent into a lunge. The moment we resist gravity just enough, without gripping or collapsing.
This type of strength is known as eccentric control—though you don’t need to remember the term to feel its effects.
It’s the strength that allows you to:
move with steadiness rather than momentum
protect your joints
stay present instead of rushing through sensation
The Strength of the Slow Return
In yoga, we often focus on achieving the pose. But the way we enter and exit a posture can be even more revealing.
Can you lower with awareness instead of dropping?
Can you soften without losing integrity?
Can you stay connected to your breath as effort fades?
Slowing down gives the body time to organise itself.
It invites the nervous system to feel safe.
And it builds a kind of strength you can trust—not just in class, but in daily life.
This is strength that supports:
joint health and long-term resilience
posture and movement efficiency
a calmer relationship with effort
Softness Is Not the Opposite of Strength
There’s a common misconception that softer movement is easier or less effective.
In reality, moving slowly and with control often asks more of us:
more awareness
more patience
more honesty
Softness doesn’t mean giving up strength.
It means staying responsive instead of rigid.
When we pair strength with softness, we learn how to work with the body rather than against it—and how to meet challenge without bracing or force.
Bringing This Into Your Practice
In our February classes, you can expect:
slower transitions with clear intention
emphasis on how you lower, not just how you lift
strength work that’s supported by breath
space to notice when effort becomes unnecessary
This isn’t about doing less.
It’s about doing things more skillfully.
A Different Way to Think About Strength
Strength doesn’t have to be loud.
It doesn’t have to burn.
And it doesn’t have to come at the cost of ease.
Sometimes, the strongest thing we can do is slow down enough to feel what’s actually happening—and respond with care.
That’s the strength we’re cultivating this month.
Strength with softness.
Strength that listens.
