Jul 29 2009
Striking a Balance
Finding balance – no matter what kind of balance it is: emotionally, figuratively, financially, physically - can be a difficult task. There are complete self-help courses on finding the work/life balance, on balancing your relationships, balancing your finances.
One of the major draws for people interested in yoga is learning how to balance – both balancing on one foot (or one hand!) but also finding the balance in your own life to avoid stress. Personally, yoga has helped me greatly in this way: balancing my emotions (not as quick to anger or sadness), as well as feeling more stability as I physically walk through the world.
The Balance sequences of yoga asanas can be some of the most challenging of any yoga pose. It is true that some days really are better than others. One day, it may be quite simple to stand on one foot and raise your arms overhead, but the next day may bring a completely different feeling. Both internal and external factors play in to your sense of balance: how much sleep you got the night before, what you eat, your stress level, your hormonal and/or blood sugar levels. When I was at my lowest point last year with Lyme disease, I struggled very much with balance. Lyme challenges your balance alone, but when you introduce new medications and chemicals in to the body, there is an even greater chance of imbalance. It took many months of practice to get back to the point where I felt comfortable doing balance poses. The real lesson for me was finding an internal balance, and letting that shine through to the outside. Plus, a good dose of self-understading, and just realizing that it did NOT mean I was doomed to be sick forever if I could not balance on one foot.
The focus of this month’s Yoga Teacher Training was on balance poses and hip openers – two classes of yoga asanas that are very challenging physically, but that also have emotional and psychological ties. Like balance poses, hip openers – any pose that internally or externally rotates the hip muscles – can bring up deep seated emotions and feelings. The hips, being attached to the base of the spine, have a direct connection up to the brain. Hip openers are some of my favorite poses, personally, because they are the ones that truly make me feel different after finishing them.
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Standing on one leg while washing dishes, or brushing your teeth. Make sure to also switch to the other leg so that you do both sides!
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Finding a drishti, or a point of intense focus, is one of the keys to finding freedom and expansion in balance poses. In standing balances, your drishti point is often looking out over the horizon at a fixed point. Do not choose something that moves (like your reflection in a mirror) as this will cause imbalance.
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A high lunge is both a hip opener AND a balance pose. You can start out with your legs closer and slowly widen your stance. For more stability, you can also place your back heel on a wall and still get the benefit of the pose.
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Vrksasana, or tree pose, is probably one of the most recognizable yoga poses. It also serves as both a balance pose and a small hip opener. You can also place your foot at your calf, and you can perform this standing next to a wall, in case you feel the least bit wobbly.


























