Balance

In my yoga class last night we were practicing balancing poses. My teacher told us she was reading a book by Dr. Oz who said everybody should be able to hold their balance standing on one foot for at least 15 seconds.

I was thinking this morning about this concept of balancing. Do you know that it is impossible to hold a yoga balancing pose unless one's mind is quite, one's gaze is soft? Trying too hard to do the pose is actually counterproductive. Balancing turns out to be about relaxing.

Is your life in balance? Are you doing too much? Are you relaxing enough? I've come to think of the balance between the active and receptive, or giving and receiving with the phrase: The only possible match for someone who doesn't know how to receive, is someone who doesn't know how to give. In this way, we find our perfect match.

A great Receiver is one who excels in the ability to experience receptive states. If you are busy much of the time (an active state), you may not know how to allow (a receptive state) events to unfold when appropriate; you may not even notice (a receptive state) something that could be helpful to you. Or, if you are extremely talkative (an active state), you are less likely to excel at listening (a receptive state).

Think of your life. Do you see that when one person does all of the doing, the other stands back? If you are the one who is always busy, chances are you’ll feel exhausted and perhaps even resentful. We like it when we are in balance with others.

Today I am going to be attentive to this concept of living a balanced life. I'll make a point to notice if I am veering too much toward the active or receptive. I'll start right now by standing on one leg for 15 seconds!