by Cindy VanDyke
What is balance, and how does it affect our lives?
Balance is an even distribution of weight or body equilibrium, mental steadiness, and emotional stability.
Our goal is to become aware of the balance in our lives and how we can adjust things to bring back balance, create balance, or understand where our life is out of balance.
I believe the philosophy that body, mind, and spirit work as one. If one of these areas is out of balance it affects the other two.
Take a look at your own life, then think about these questions:
- Are you busy all the time?
- Do you take time to rest?
- Do you integrate pleasure into your life?
- Do you nurture your relationships, including your relationship with yourself?
- Do you keep your brain active with positive things, learning, or reading?
- Do you have some creativity in your life?
- Can you give and receive?
- Can you stand firm when you need to, and let go when you need to?
The answers to these questions open an awareness to balance in your lifestyle.
Focus
It doesn't matter if we are working on physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual balance; we need focus. Physically in yoga we use what is known as a Drishti, or a focal point, to hold our gaze. In yoga, an unfocused gaze is an unfocused mind, and it is difficult to hold the posture steady without focus.
When we are driving, we need to focus on the road to stay in our lane and not weave all over the place. We need to keep the car in balance with the other vehicles and our lane. We do this with focus! When we are planning our meals, we focus on the nutritional content to create a balanced meal or diet. Focus and awareness need to be implemented in all aspects where we want or need balance.
In the next few topics, I will show you what we can do to create and maintain balance in the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of our lives.
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in blog entries are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Heart Niagara.