Life is hectic. Arranging work schedules, social engagements & family commitments can be a constant juggling act. Add smart phones into the mix and it little wonder that we are constantly switched on. Stopping is not part of the plan. We are programmed to be busy, seldom do we stop & take a pause. We are accustomed to living with stress that we only notice it when it pushes us to our limits.

How do we find balance without opting out of modern life?

My personal approach to finding balance came via yoga. Or to put it another way, I discovered that my life was out of balance via yoga. Learning to balance on a physical level was the starting point. After a busy day at work standing on one leg, trying not to fall whilst remembering to breathe was the very thing that helped me forget about the stress of the day. Of course, losing my balance was (& still is) part of the learning curve, a reminder to take a moment to focus. If I rush or get agitated the balance is more challenging. With practice & intention, body & mind come together helping to bring about better balance.

The potential of yoga

Thanks to yoga I have learnt the importance of taking regular pauses. I have discovered the benefits of stillness & simply being in the moment. I also understand that to be balanced is not a static entity, it requires attention & continual adjustment. To be balanced is a lifelong practice.   I am writing this a few days after completing a five-day intensive with the teacher Donna Fahri called ‘Coming to Our Senses’.  It was a wonderful opportunity to take the time to pause & really listen to what was going on physically, mentally, emotionally & energetically.   It was a perfect reminder of how easy it is to slip into the busyness of life & to stop noticing, seeing or listening.  https://www.donnafarhi.co.nz/

Being in the moment

The ability to find stillness in the midst of the maelstrom that life can be is a challenge.  For the past few years, my life has been in a state of flux. It still is!  Stress & anxiety levels have been high and there has been a lot of uncertainty.  There still is!  Having moved more than twelve times in four years the desire to be grounded, to be in one place is stronger than ever.   Despite the unrest, my practice continues.  Daily yoga & meditation allow me to take a pause and regain a sense of balance.  It brings me into the moment & takes me out of my head where so much of the worry exists.

“To allow ourselves to be truly in touch with where we already are, no matter where that is, we have got to pause in our experience long enough to let the present moment sink in; long enough to actually feel the present moment, to see it in its fullness, to hold it in awareness and thereby come to know and understand it better.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are