Balance
08/2009
“To be wholly alive is to breathe deeply, feel deeply and move freely” ~Jack Lee Rosenberg
A few minutes into headstand, I feel my arms become tired, my core destabilize, and my legs wobbling about as if a strong wind was blowing for the very purpose of knocking me off my head. I come down. Though I am mildly disappointed I couldn’t stay longer, I think back to my days of being overwhelmed by the very thought of headstand. I am reminded of one of the insights of yoga, called parinamavada, which says that change is the nature all aspect of life. As yoga practitioners, we strive to be at ease through every stage of the expansion and contraction, of the rise and fall, of our lives. Though the Yogic texts tell us we are not our body & we are not out mind, this physical body is the only tool we have for realization of divine consciousness. Striving toward balance is one way to achieve stability of being and inner calm in the midst of these ever-changing times. Yoga emphasizes balance-in our bodies, relationships and lives in general.
A common misconception is that balance is static. It is, in fact, constant negotiation; mixing ingredients to the recipe of our lives that will add spice if we need it, cool the untamed fire, and sweeten the bitter. Every single one of our lives has been affected by evolutionary consciousness, and evolution takes time & carries out with great ordeal. Our asana practice helps to strengthen the physical container for psychosomatic & spiritual evolution, and simultaneously helps us become more aware, loving, & graceful within the changes that occur.
