Balance

Sometimes it’s hard to stay in a place of balance between work and play, solitude and relationship, service and self care. I find myself constantly going to my meditation practice to check in about where I am today — do I need more play time? Do I need to work a little more? Have I spent enough time with my son?

As with most things in life, when I go within I find the answers and a place where it can all be integrated in a beautiful whole. The symbol that reminds me the most of balance is the 4-leaf clover, where each leaf represents one of the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

Each element represents an area of life — Earth is physical health, while Water is emotional balance. Fire symbolizes creativity and sexuality, while Air is the world of the mind and our thoughts.

My practice of maintaining spiritual balance involves working with these four elements through very simple practices. These are only suggestions to get you started. In time you may find your own way to work with these.

  1. Movement  (Earth Element) — do something each day that moves your body. You can use Yoga, dance, walking, biking, hiking, or whatever feeds your soul.
  2. Music (Water Element) — listen to or play music each day to help unlock your emotional reality.
  3. Art (Fire Element) — commit an act of creation each day. This can be a hobby or craft, throwing a pot, or even painting and drawing. Working in the visual arts draws you into an altered state and shows you that anything is possible.
  4. Writing (Air Element) — write something each day to exercise the mind. You may choose to journal, write stories, describe something you’ve seen that day, or even describe the wonders of the world we live in. It doesn’t matter. If you don’t know what to write, begin with a gratitude list and then let your pen wander across the page (or your fingers across the keyboard).

If it seems overwhelming to do ALL of these things each day, just start with one and find a place to integrate it into your routine.

You can learn more about Balance, from my book, “The Heart of Intimacy”:

“Creating a life plan can feel overwhelming without some sort of  framework. I chose to create my plan from a place of thinking about  balance, how I wanted to be physically, emotionally, mentally, and  spiritually healthy. I wanted to create a plan for my daily and weekly life that would work to help me become whole. “

Want more help with creating real balance in your life?   Request a free phone consultation.