Balance

Photo credit: Daniel Streitfeld

Balance. We know we need it - we couldn’t stay upright without it. We know we want it - we feel better when our lives are in balance.

But what is it really? What is this elusive thing we call balance?

Balance is a state of equilibrium, a distribution of weight enabling us to remain stable and steady. Balance can also be defined as equanimity of mind, character, and feelings, enabling us to remain clear and buoyant even under stress. Imagine riding the waves of the ocean in an inflatable boat. That inflatable boat is going to keep you in buoyant harmony no matter what the mood of the waters. Simply put ~ Balance is harmony between the parts of anything.

Harmony. Equilibrium. Equanimity. Buoyancy. These are desirable states of being.

We hold our breaths as we watch a baby balancing on her own, wobbling on her pudgy little feet as we run for our cameras to document this momentous occasion ~ Baby’s First Steps!!! Soon after managing this first hesitant moment she is off ... and in the blink of an eye is walking, running, skipping, marching, dancing, and jumping for joy. At the other end of the spectrum we watch as those we love gradually lose their ability to balance; then fall, break bones and become fearful of walking.

And in between these two physical reference points, we struggle with our inner/outer balance almost every day. Work and play, friends and family, taking a hike and taking a nap, eating and not eating too much, solitude and community, spending and saving, giving and taking, striving for success and accepting failure, multi tasking and a singular focus … and on and on and on … in Buddhist terms, the eternal search for The Middle Way. 

In the Balance is a place where we can come together to listen, to talk, to think and to find ways to practice balance within our hearts, minds, and bodies to create a symphony, a synthesis. Picture yourself sitting on a three legged stool. Now imagine being supported by heart, mind and body as if you are sitting on this three legged stool ~ beautifully, calmly, perfectly balanced, remaining in buoyant harmony no matter what life throws at you.

Harmony. Equilibrium. Equanimity. Buoyancy. These are desirable states of being.  

Please join us here, In the Balance - searching for ways to help our minds to be clear, our hearts to be open, our bodies to be fit and buoyant - discovering practices to help us weave all parts of ourselves into a more finely tuned state of balance.

Megan Rose