Different athletic disciplines illustrate various principles of openness and creating space: in basketball, we “open ourselves to the ball.” In yoga, the final pose of savasana encourages yogis to “open themselves to the abundance of the universe.” Conversely, running encourages a “controlled fall” instead of “running tall.” This will give the runner a “perpetual forward propulsion into space.” Lastly, Olympic weightlifting illustrates the “weightless bar” concept, where the barbell “floats” in mid-air after a “triple extension” so the athlete can efficiently receive it in a clean or a snatch. Sports require efficiencies rather than brute strength. Sure, strength, in its traditional definition, can be foundational and become a competitive advantage in the short term. Still, in the long term, those who thrive and win have mastered navigating through discomfort or distress and not by ignoring them through sheer strength. Steve Magness, a coach to some of the best runners in the world, challenged the traditional definition of toughness in his book Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness.
Migo Aguado 