ON BALANCE

My favorite yoga postures are balance poses. To me these postures are where I take the risks. From tree to eagle to half moon, I become something other then a biped mammal. I get to bridge and link myself with a different symmetry in space. The risk is that I may fall before I am prepared to. But, gravity means that the earth is never far away. So, I do take comfort and find humor in that. The earth is spinning all the time, so in a funny way it is amazing that we fall so little.

The lessons of tree pose equate pretty well to the difficulty in maintaining balance/equilibrium in our busy lives. "Keeping it all in balance" is let's face the truth - not doable. We are always shifting what the balance point or line is that we are trying to walk on. To be "in balance" is such an elusive goal. One may have an experience of balance but as soon as you recognize it is there, often something shifts and it is gone. This is walking on "the razors edge".

I think balance is also a moment of trinity. It is that feeling of joining the past and the present in the now. It is having taken a risk to "be" something else/something more, despite knowing and not knowing the possible outcome. Balance is precious and sacred to us and impossibly hard to hold on to.

And what is at risk if one does not lift a foot to be an eagle or the half moon? I think we loss the opportunity to surprise ourselves and delight in our own bravery. To recognize the hero, bird, mountain, tree that is within. And most important perhaps, is that we learn that it is OK to fall down.

Balance is impossible? OK. Is it worthy of dancing with? Absolutely. As the commercial says "Enjoy the ride". Enjoy the falling and flying. Recognize your bravery and your adventurous self. And know that you walk the razors edge somewhere between the clouds and the earth.