Finding the right balance in our practice keeps us engaged with without being overly effortful  •  too loose = being spaced-out, indulgent, forgetful; too tight = being really hard on ourselves  •  sitting practice presents a dynamic, moment-to-moment set of choices: should I relax more? should I tighten up more?  •  this dynamic is reflected in our posture and in our thought process  • when you begin a session, it’s good to tighten up a bit to set boundaries, but then relax within those boundaries  •  like flying a kite: holding the string with just the right amount of pressure