Creating a Balanced Life

What it is and what it isn’t.

There are many ways to work on our balance.  We can work on our physical balance by actively focussing on our feet, feeling the pressure on all four corners.  We can practice balancing our energy in a workout, making sure to include both strength and stretch.  We can work on balancing our mind/body connection by silencing our phones and our thoughts, tuning into the silence of the self.  

There are many types of balance, and many ways to work on it.  

But none of these includes the word “perfection”.  So many articles out there focus on creating a balanced life, but what they really mean is creating a perfect life.  A life where we have smoothed out the ups and downs.  This elusive life is the perfect balance of home and work, alone time and relationship time, self-care and caretaking, popular style but also individuality, a powerful voice and also gentle listening ear.  We get hints and tips to help us create balance, but if we really lay it out there what we really desire is smooth perfection.

Yoga calls a balanced life samatva.  But samatva isn’t about creating smooth perfection, it’s actually the exact opposite.  Samatva is about seeing the ups and downs of real life and knowing that this is both normal and natural.  It’s about seeing the balance in everything that happens, good and bad.  Samatva is when we can see our daily successes as awesomely ok, and our daily failures as awesomely ok.  It’s not about being frustrated that our life has ups and downs, but seeing the ups and downs as true balance.

You are worthy of a balanced life.  Which means are strong enough to see balance for what it really is.  And that’s pretty awesomely ok.   

Until next time, 

Laura