Did you ever play on a teeter-totter when you were a child? I did. I remember going up when my friend went down and going down when she went up. The most challenging part was trying to balance ourselves evenly, both of us being the same distance from the ground and “hovering”. It took awareness, intention, and practice to make it happen. But when it did, it felt like we were balancing effortlessly.
Finding balance in life can be challenging, too. Do you have a habit of being in “busy” mode? Are you constantly. checking off the boxes of your to-do list, sacrificing sleep, eating on the run, and wearing yourself down to the point where your energy is depleted and your mind is frustrated and overwhelmed? Living like this causes dis-ease in your life, making it difficult, if not impossible, to feel peaceful, happy, and healthy.
If you find yourself relating to this, you may be yearning for something different. You may be yearning for more balance in your life.
Ironically, creating a life with more balance can be challenging at first, but SO worth it! In order to balance the busyness, it’s necessary to build in more time for self-care, saying “no” to things that don’t bring you joy, and “yes” to the things that do. The challenge lies in making the change. Change is hard. You will hear “gremlin” voices telling you to “DO SOMETHING!”. Or better yet “You’re LAZY!”. This gremlin will try to keep you in your old ways, the ways that suck the joy right out of your life. The good news is that with awareness, intention, and practice, you will find that feeling of effortless balance just like I found on the teeter totter.
You might be asking, “How do I create more balance in my life?”. You begin by acknowledging your state of imbalance (awareness). You get clear about WHY you want more balance in your life and BELIEVE you can make it a reality (intention). Then you begin to incorporate small healthy changes, bit by bit (practice). You start eating more whole and fresh foods, develop better sleep habits, and spend more time enjoying nature. You practice moving your body mindfully and give yourself permission to press the “Pause” button to just BE. You surround yourself with positive people who support you and your desire to DO less and BE more. As you make these small but mighty changes in your life, you will find a greater sense of peace, joy, and gratitude each and every day.
I encourage you to choose ONE thing you would like to do differently this week. Maybe you’d like to eat more greens or take a walk each day. Or maybe you’d like to say “no” to that activity you really don’t enjoy. YOU decide what would bring more joy, and therefore more balance into your life. And when the gremlin starts to squawk, remember the image of the teeter totter, and know you deserve that feeling of effortless balance. Balance is truly available for everyone – even you!
Author: Mr Jim Redlinger, Yoga Provider