However, it is not about finding the perfect, static balance. Life is always changing and is a movement. Life is energy in motion, all things change and so do we. Whenever we set up camp somewhere and think we’ve found the perfect balance - we're quickly forced out of balance again because we’ve made ourselves static, instead of being adaptive to the environment. We always need to see ourselves in relation to the environment and our situations in life.
If we hold our ground when circumstances change we are easily knocked off balance. It needs to be a constant balancing, moment to moment, but how do we make sure that we keep up with the unpredictable movement of life, its sharp turns, and unfamiliar ways?
For example: if we see someone that lies next to their crashed car on the highway. We need to be able to adapt to the situation and do whatever life is asking of us in that dramatic event. The essence of staying in balance is simply to say yes to whatever is happening.
The only constant in life, is change, by embracing change and to say yes to whatever is in front of us we are able to respond in a focused and appropriate way.
By having an attitude of no, we avoid the circumstances and creates resistance to whatever is happening, and when we create resistance we lose our own equilibrium, we lose our balance. Say yes to life, and balance is restored.
Nature holds the secrets of the universe. The ecosystem we live in and are a part of, is always balancing itself. Its nature is to move towards a state of equilibrium and homeostasis.
However, man and his actions like to challenge this state of organic stability in nature. We’re polluting and destroying the environment. We don't honestly acknowledge the effects our actions lead to as they are obscured by our obsession with materialistic, selfish and narrow-minded desires. This leads to imbalance, which again create more greed and selfishness. And we're lost in a vicious circle of destruction.
«Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better» - Albert Einstein
stepping into a forest, there is a certain serenity there, a peace, harmony, calmness. Nature is the definition of natural (obviously) - its open, innocent, effortless, and is in a state of peace. Something within us is attracted to those qualities because they resonate with what we value in ourselves. If we move towards what we value and aspire to that, we simultaneously move towards balance. Value the qualities of nature, be open, innocent, calm and balance and equilibrium can be experienced.
To be in an act of pushing away what we don't want, overtly pulling towards things we do want or intellectually grasping: we are in states of strain, we are not resting. Our resistance creates tension and dissatisfaction.
By moving towards our natural qualities we restore balance. We don't really need to do anything, because to be balanced is to be natural, and natural is to be simple, effortless and in a state of allowing. This can happen spontaneously - take a deep breath, and lessens the need to resist, reach for anything more, or to grasp - just relax into your own equilibrium, your own serenity, be content with this moment.
When we resist the organic movement of life and where it moves us. When we put our hands in front of us and say no to whatever life presents us. We become static, we become rigid and motionless. Therefore we are not in harmony with the movement of life. We put ourselves in a position that is deemed to be knocked out of balance.
Life can become simple if we focus on what holds us in balance, if we nourish our ability to become peaceful and open, we can relax into whatever is happening and let it simply move us in whatever direction it goes.
Each next step becomes more obvious and effortless as we connect with the movement of life. When we're in total balance with life, there is no longer a distinction between ourselves and the rest of existence - we’re holding hands with all of existence, and all of existence balances us in return.
What does balance mean for you?