How many times have you wished for balance in your life? I used to ask, no pray, for balance. “Please just help me feel more balanced” or “If I could just get a little more balance in my life!” What I didn’t realize is that my perception of balance was all wrong.
For a long time I believed balance meant that everything was in perfect balance *all* the time. I wanted home-work-family-love-self to all be perfectly equal and balanced. Ha! No wonder I was struggling to be balanced. My definition of balance wasn’t possible!
Perfection is not true balance. Balance is both the weeble and the wooble. In an ancient blessing tradition of Calling in the Directions, the Void is that place of calling in both the sun and the moon, the yin and the yang, and living in that place of balance. Both possibilities enrich this life and are necessary.
Sometimes I have a full schedule, and sometimes I have time to nap, rest, and play. Some days my children are unexpectedly sick, and some days meetings are cancelled and I am gifted with a free hour or afternoon I didn’t anticipate. Projects are sometimes more challenging and other times, they turn out to be easier. All of this is part of living life in balance.
Four Tips to Find Balance
With the holiday season in full swing, many of us are searching for how to navigate life’s complexities and to stay more balanced. Here are four tips to help you find your own place of balance this holiday season.
Shift your expectations: Balance isn’t about perfection. Balance is learning when to listen to what is needed right now, and not what you think might be needed (or what someone else tells you is needed).
Breathe: By now most people know the power of the breath, but it bears repeating. Breathe deeply and often. Link the power of the breath to the sensations of the body (see the next tip).
Be in your body: Living in the body is where all wisdom resides. Take one minute a few times a day and really feel your body. As you breathe, feel the sensations of the body (feel the chest rise and fall or the belly move in and out). Notice what you are sitting on or your feet against the floor.
Watch your thoughts: We have an amazing tool available to us at any time– the mind! Become a watcher of the thoughts. “I don’t want to disappoint Aunt Edna” may lead you to spend outside of your means or eat food that doesn’t serve your body. When you become a watcher of the thoughts, you suddenly have the opportunity to change the thoughts as well!
Now it’s your turn! What’s your definition of balance? What keeps you balanced during stressful times?
Peace and Balance,
p.s.- If you are in the Athens area, I’m offering a new workshop on December 13th, Finding Balance this Holiday Season. Check it out on Facebook or sign up now! If you need support in the new year, I have two client spots available in January. Set up your free strategy session to find out more about living with less stress in 2016.
