This post was written by Christine Chen Velazquez, certified yoga instructor and communications consultant.
Every morning, I walk my golden retriever in Central Park; off leash time is before 9am and after 9pm. Sometimes, when it’s 20 degrees or stormy, I really don’t want to go, but she loves it, and I’m always happy when I get there. The other day, the winds were so strong, whipping so quickly down Central Park West, leaves were hitting me in the face and I was nearly blown off my feet four or five times (no exaggeration here). Wow, I thought, what an inspiring moment to consider balance and grounding, because in life and in yoga, things have a way of knocking you off your feet – physically, emotionally and in all other conceivable ways.
How many times are we, in the business world as women, confronted with the term “work-life balance“? Instead of “work-life balance”, how about: stability, steadiness, evenness, consistency and/or harmony?
After doubting flexibility, one of the top desires from my students is to improve balance in standing postures. They often get frustrated when they fall out of the frequently visited Half-moon (Ardha Chandrasana) or wobble in the supposed-to-be-peaceful Tree (Vriksasana).
How do I perfect these poses and balance, they ask? Okay, I’m certainly not the guru of balance, but first, I’d like to suggest that we think of falling/wobbling/struggling in a few different ways: 1) these are signs that you’re challenged (not under attack, okay?); 2) this is a good opportunity to observe what is happening to you; 3) you might discover something new (and better!) in that place of falling/wobbling/struggling.
Second (and humbly), I offer this: Start at the bottom.
You might try this little exercise at home, but make sure nothing sharp or delicate is around you.
- Stand with your feet together, toes and heels to touch.
- Relax the arms at either side of the body, palms facing forward.
- Close your eyes.
- Lift all ten toes off the floor and lay them down slowly, pinky toe to big toe, creating the largest foundation possible in your own feet, and feel the connection between your feet and the earth.
- Begin to sway, gently, side to side, and notice how this shifting affects your balance.
- What helps you stay on your feet? Your breath? Adjusting your sway or parts of your body? Your core? A positive thought?
- What distracts you from staying on your feet? Wandering mind? Lack of trust in your strong, grounded feet? What else?
- Begin to minimize the gentle sway. How are you able to do this?
- Come back to center and breathe.
- Be still. Notice. Don’t judge.
Perhaps that physical exercise will translate into figurative awakenings for many of you. Maybe it will do nothing for you at all. However, here’s what I remind students in every class: embrace that space where balance is challenging, because it’s great information. Ask yourself the same questions in the exercise when there’s a person, a situation, or challenge that seems to come out of the blue and knock you off your feet, setting off a battle, stressful moment or freak out session. Did you set up a foundation from the beginning? What gives you stability and harmony? What brings you back to center?
This idea of balance has even been the butt of jokes; I’m reminded of the classic V8 commercials and out of balance people due to veggie deficiency. So, try not to take it all too seriously. Just take it day by day and consider cultivating balance in all pieces of your life as a way to grow.
For each of us, balance is personal. There’s no magic formula. For many, the key can often lie in slowing down just enough to notice that we’re off balance in the little things. In that space, we can make adjustments or use the tools within us to bring us back to a good place.
For a tree, when the roots are solid and deeper into the ground, it takes a tougher wind or a bigger snowstorm to knock it down completely. A strong foundation allows it to stand strong, maybe leaning a little or losing a few leaves or branches. Otherwise, it is stable, steady, even, consistent and harmonious while life swirls around it, and it continues to grow in its place on earth… for a long time to come.
Christine Chen Velazquez is a Yoga Alliance RYT for Hatha, Vinyasa and Restorative styles. She offers consulting, private instruction and teaches group classes at two studios on Manhattan’s Upper West Side: NY Loves Yoga and Life in Motion. More than a decade ago, she turned to yoga to manage a spine condition and stress from her high impact career as a broadcast journalist. Today, as an instructor, she shares her experiences, knowledge and training to help others find overall wellbeing. She received her teacher training at Yogalife in Seattle, where she practiced for 10+ years. Each day, Christine continues to share her passions of Ayurveda, the Chakras and the Sutras in a variety of practices.
Follow Christine on Twitter: @christinechen_
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