Balance

Everyone is always talking about balance. How they don't have enough of it in their lives. How they want more of it. They talk about it as if it is something you have or don't have, as if it is difficult to have and easy to lose, as if it is a fixed thing.

Don't get me wrong, I'm seeking more balance in my life too. I just think it's a bit messier than that. I think balance is more dynamic, as opposed to a static thing you have. I think it's more like being on a balance board or practicing tree pose. In fact, I think that's why all those balance poses exist in yoga. They teach you that balance is not rigid. They teach you that sometimes you fall so far out of balance that you topple over. And hopefully you laugh, get up, and try it again. They teach you that your balance point changes day to day, and that your ability to balance changes day to day. It's all good.

It's much easier to balance when you're relaxed and fluid, responding to the shifting within you. Resisting and tightening just results in a struggle, which ultimately leads to an ungraceful plop! onto the floor. So I'm trying to take these ideas into my life. I'm noticing as my balance shifts, responding fluidly (sometimes). I'm noticing when my balance shifts so far that there's nothing to do but fall completely out of it, laugh and start over. I'm learning to appreciate the wobbles and topples as just part of having a truly amazing and vibrant life.