There is power in balance. That was the theme that floated in my head all weekend during YTT(yoga teacher training) and has continued to bloom as I’ve traveled through this week with new awareness about what it really means to balance. Is true balance attainable? Is balance a myth? These two seemingly simple questions have complex answers.
Is true balance attainable? Well that depends on what balance means to you, and what you need to feel balanced. For me, balance means that I am able to hold together all the pieces of my life with out dropping them or severely f*cking them up lol. People look at balance as if it’s this unicorn that will gallop into their lives and everything will be peaceful and blissful and perfect and you’ll never be stressed. HA. HA. HA. To quote Gnarls Barkley “I think you’re crazy.” The unicorn analogy lands us at the feet of the answer to the question of “is it a myth?” Yes. The way the world perceives balance, the way most people look at balance as some over arching state of nirvana where everything is perfect and frustration and anger and fear never drop in unannounced is not even remotely a thing.
What is real, true, ACTUAL balance? Real,true,actual balance is the art of being able to breathe through life’s storms. It’s the ability to look at the basket of laundry and say “that basket of laundry that is there today, will be there tomorrow.” acknowledge that you need a break, and do so without guilt. Balance is getting frustrated with your child or partner and maybe losing your temper, but then taking the time to talk it out with them and loving discuss what triggered you, how you both can do better next time, and move on.
Remember being a kid on the playground and pretending to walk on a tight rope on the balance bar? Remember how much you wobbled, as you put one foot in front of the other, shaking trying your best not to fall? Remember when you DID fall? What do you do? You brushed off, giggled, got back and up and started over again. And you did it over, and over, and over. That is balance. You’re going to be shaky. You’re going to potentially f**k up and fall. But above all else, the power in balance can be found in what happens after the fall.