Spring Equinox and the Magnolia outside is in full bloom. Within days, in a blink of an eye the plum tree has followed suit. Nature in its continuous cycle of current renewal and growth seems to be saying, do not ever stop blooming! Continue to grow and continue to pay attention to stay present and balanced.
Today it is raining but soon it will be sunny again and this moment will feel like a distant dream.
The clocks are set to go forwards in a few days and the days will feel even longer as we move into April's brighter evenings and the hope they seem to hold and the promise of the warm summer evenings to come.
This Spring time and this point of transition seems to be urging me to go inwards and find balance between my inner and outer worlds, between a life spiritual and a life physical, fully manifested in the flesh. In the day to day processes this manifests as a practice of trying to find balance between my head and my heart, between doing and being, more often than not, at the same time.
On the mat it can become quite specific, as I try and find balance between strength and flexibility in each pose so that I can be fully embodied, and as a try and find balance between movement and breath with each sequence. I try and be as present as possible so that I start to practice mindfulness not only when I come to sit but also while I am still moving. I have found that my mind feels more settled and ready for a seated meditation practice if I have spend some time following the rhythms of my breath whilst in movement. Once some physical energy has been expended I am more ready to turn my attention inwards and start to listen deeply, more able to tolerate whatever is arising and whatever wants to make itself known to me.
Over time I have developed a greater capacity for patience and tolerance and an ability to act from a space of being balanced and centred. Despite that however the energies of this Spring feel more heightened and more intense than they have been for a while. I have found a need to create quiet and protected spaces, in which I can engage unhurried with my practice so I can allow myself to arrive fully and deeply into this moment. In the process I have also discovered a need for finding balance between aloneness and being with community - and with it a new understanding of giving and receiving, expending energy and generating some.
I do have a daily morning practice which allows me a point of checking in, of honest encounter with what is in that moment. It allows me a space where I can be present to notice and be, where I can acknowledge when I am not in balance, when I am not settled, when I am not centred. The practice itself can bring a sense of peace and equilibrium and a new understanding of what it is I might need to work with today.
Sometimes I discover I am out of balance through my daily practice, and sometimes through my being with community, as each interaction can act as a reflection and a mirror of the places I might need to work on.
How do you find balance? How do you know when you are not balanced?
If you want support with finding balance and increasing presence join our weekly classes or for a Spring immersive join our 3 day yoga retreat in April.
"The key to finding your balance is knowing when you have lost it" - Anonymous.
Happy Spring Equinox and happy balancing!
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