Balance: Returning to Center through Yoga and Well-being

Balance isn't a destination.  It is a conversation.

In every waking moment the body asks, "Where am I now?" And in every moment we answer with tiny adjustments.

Just like trees don't resist the wind.  They move with it.  Everything in nature balances through continual adjustment. A bird doesn't stay aloft by being still.  The heart is balanced through contraction and relaxation.  Even our breathing is a constant rhythm of receiving and letting go.

Balance requires movement. Without movement there is rigidity.  So Balance isn't the absence of movement; it's the wisdom of responding to movement.

Following on from my June winter solstice blog about how the rotation of the earth comes to an apparent stop or point of stillness before changing direction. 

This month’s blog is about exploring balance.

In yoga balance is one of the core components. To bring the body to a point of balance whether standing on one foot or two, or a crane pose of balancing with only the hands in contact with the floor, or even simply seated on a chair.   Balance is seen as a physical posture where we are using least effort, to reorganise the skeleton into a certain position in space.  Most of them come down to strength, flexibility, technique.

However there is so much more to balance than physical alignment.   In my MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Chair yoga class, this term, I'm returning back to the topic of balance, a skill that isn’t taken for granted with this group, as it is often compromised.  So I began to write down the many other ways to find balance within different dimensions other than physical ie sensory, cognitive, emotional, breath.  Let alone MS-specific factors such as fatigue, sensory changes, and heat sensitivity.

Bringing oneself back into balance is necessary to feel a sense of wellness, well-being. So here are some other forms of balance.

The Nervous System

Balance isn't simply muscles—it is communication.

Brain

Eyes

Inner ear

Breath

Feet and proprioception (awareness of your position and movement of the body in space)

Nervous system. When the nervous system is overwhelmed, balance becomes harder. How to Balance the parasympathetic / sympathetic nervous system, to find your way back to feeling centered.

Breath Balance: The breath is a natural balancing tool, it’s one of the only bodily functions that can be influenced. We can:

Focus on Opening to Receive the energy from the IN breath, Letting go of the OUT breath.

Consciously take a longer exhalation

Inhale/exhale equally, remembering the pauses in between the breath

Pause before responding rather than reacting

Rest in the breath before movement.

Emotional Balance: honouring difficult emotions

Can I hold both emotions at the same time?

Courage and fear

Frustration and gratitude

Strength and vulnerability

Mental Balance: Sometimes the greatest balance is knowing when to stop thinking and instead start sensing

Start being instead of doing

Balance Between Acceptance and Growth:

This is one of yoga's great paradoxes.

Can I accept where I am at the present moment while still remaining open to change?

Energy Balance:

For people with MS this may be one of the biggest lessons.

Ask yourself, "What deserves my energy today?"

Learning to pace oneself is balance.

Balance between activity, conscious movement and witnessing the bodies messages in stillness.  Sometimes rest is the most skilful action.

Balance Between effort and softness:

Too much stability becomes rigid.  Too much ease becomes collapse. The practice is finding the place between.

Spiritual Balance:

What if putting your faith in something within yourself helped with balance?  Trusting the body's wisdom, intuition, breath.  Being in the present moment?

Life Balance: finding the sweet spot between activity and rest; giving and receiving;  speaking and listening.

Self-healing: What if Self healing isn’t necessarily physical but instead it’s a self exploration journey.  A way to  Restore optimism, balance, meaning and purpose to life.

If we now return back to Physical Balance we could ask the question of ourself: How do I find my centre today?  What helps me return to centre?

Balance becomes dynamic rather than static

Balance is about being able to adjust your body in space, to acknowledge where you are At physically, mentally, emotionally and attempt to minimise the wobbles. It's about noticing when we've moved away from centre and discovering how to return.

“Breathing is the key - breathing the poses into life gives Yoga its fluidity and flow.”

Yoga the spirit and practice of moving into stillness; Erich Schiffmann  Page 28

If you'd like to continue your winter wellness journey, you may enjoy my June Winter Solstice article, explore my Chair Yoga classes, discover my Wellbeing Sessions, learn more About Me, or Contact Me if you'd like to book a session or ask a question.

If this reflection resonates with you and you’re feeling the pull towards finding more balance in your life, my wellbeing sessions are designed to support you in slowing down, reconnecting with yourself, and gently restoring balance. You’re warmly welcome to explore this space with me either personally if your in the greater Wellington region, New Zealand or online via zoom