What is balance?

When our life is in balance, this is when we are happy and fulfilled. Balance in life means that the opposites meet in the centre. You are not thrown from one extreme to the other. This relates to different aspects of our lives – mental, emotional, social.

Balance in the body

The symmetry of our physical selves can be seen in a mirror. The symmetry of left and right is apparent in our arms, legs, face etcetera. Even the dual-lobes that form the left and right brain hemispheres show amazing balance both in their form and function.

The functions of the body reveal themselves in the rhythms and cycles of activity over time. Breathing in is balanced with breathing out, waking is balanced with sleep. Balance is evident at every turn. Seldom it is absolutely perfect but it’s always dynamic – through movement and stillness, form and space.

How to find balance in life

To balance the body we need to provide the conditions of balance for the body – the appropriate food, exercise and rest. Three times a day the food choices you make decide how you will feel for the next few hours.

Finding a balance in your life requires that you become aware of that which is out of balance – perhaps, reducing your investment of time and energy in activities or relationships that are unfulfilling or unbalanced. Every step that you take to improve things in your life can serve to generate the energy needed to create more overall balance. Certainly, that change may be in your work or home life and may just as well be an inner change – a change of heart or attitude.

To begin, you may find it useful to look at different aspects of your life. Perhaps, list the different aspects that make up your sense of self. What are you? A friend, a parent, a son or daughter, a wife, a brother or sister, a yoga student, a soccer player, a work colleague, a love, an intellectual, a spiritual being…

Then step back and look at the big picture of your life. Notice which areas are most out of balance and calling for your immediate attention to make some changes?

Take time to reflect

Ask yourself the following questions, answer them as best you can. If you are not sure, just move onto the next one. Ultimately, you do not need to know the answers to all these questions. But by considering them from time to time you will begin to discover clues for how to live in greater balance. Really, you can take one step at a time on the journey towards creating balance in your life.

• In which areas do you feel most ‘overextended?’

• In which do you feel most ‘under-developed?’

• In what areas is the most learning going on?

• In which do you feel most challenged?

• Are there any areas that you feel you need to raise the bar and challenge yourself more?

• Which areas of your life are smooth and running well?

• Which give you your greatest sense of joy or satisfaction?

• What aspects are you most grateful for?

• Which do you have the most grief or regret about?

• In which areas have you been ignoring that call for your attention?

• What are your top 3 priorities to give time to, in order to live a more balanced life?

• What are the first steps in that direction that you could take?