A Balanced Life

One of the most obvious concepts in my yoga practices as well as in life is that of balance. At times our lives seem to be constantly on the go, finding it hard to even catch a breath let alone a healthy, energizing meal. Other days the time passes slowly and the chores get done with ease, finding a nice comfortable couch to rest on in between various tasks. Everyone moves at a different speed; some prefer to take the role of the rabbit while others enjoy watching the scenery as they stroll by like a turtle. I tend to think that we can't always be the turtle, sometimes we need to chase after good things and act on impulse. We need to involve ourselves in many important activities that are both helpful and rewarding. Sometimes we need to bite the bullet, be spontaneous, and fight the urge to play it safe. (I should take my own advice, really.) I don't think that being the busiest bee in the hive is wise at all times either. In order to let our body rest and replenish, we need to kick back and relax. Personally, however, I prefer the life of the rabbit or the busy bee. I like being involved, feeling needed and appreciated, and meeting people. I enjoy the feeling of crossing things off of my to-do list with an energizing flick of my wrist, and by hopping around with a plan, it becomes one accomplishment after another, which can become quite addicting. In order to mix these feelings and find a happy medium we must find a balance between the two. We can't be on the go 365 days a year, nor can we stroll slowly with our head in the clouds for that long either. A nice, healthy, middle is a good road to take, switching from fast paced and allowing for time to heal and catch our breath...a balance between fun and work, between a social life and being antisocial while having time to ourselves. A balance between healthy meals with fresh produce recently harvested by local farmers and the occasional cookie or four cookies. A balance between the laughter and the tears, the faith and the fears. A balance between feeling young and acting old as well as between detoxing and creating those intoxicating feelings. There are a lot of things we balance in our lives- work and play, love and dislike, stress and happiness. In yoga we are taught to move slowly, knowing that the light at the end of the tunnel- with careful, undivided attention- will turn into what we are looking for. We focus on one main point in front of us- not something behind us- which can be interpreted literally as well as figuratively. Keep looking ahead. Focus on the now. Slow and steady wins the race. Move with awareness and caution and eventually your balance will come naturally and with ease. It's a simple task to get lost in the daily hustle of life, without balancing the good with the bad, the fun with the serious. But a truly organic habit of slowing down and finding balance is good for the soul. Remember, life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

TO MY READERS: 

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