Find the Middle
Today's Intention: Find the middle.
I have this tendency... perhaps you can relate... to naturally swing too far to one side or the other. Today my intention is to find, and experience, the middle.
Balanced Action is an important principle of Yoga. It teaches the art of meeting one quality with its opposite, so that we may experience true balance. The most obvious example shows up in a yoga pose, when a practitioner might exert force only, instead of equal parts surrender. In contrast, in some poses a student may be expressing softness only and needs to engage more power, fire.
Left unchecked, my mind can gravitate toward extreme likes/dislikes. This breeds a deep dualistic approach to life, which philosophically does not align for me anymore. Dualism sets a tone for labels, for right/wrong thinking. In that realm of existence, I feel extremely limited. When I reflect honestly, I discover this is the true source of much of my pain and suffering.
Whenever I step into the middle, where I can equally experience opposing energies, I feel whole and centered. I find myself more ready to understand myself, and others around me, when I'm grounded in this place of midline. This doesn't feel like complacency or apathy. Instead I feel finely connected to the essence of Life. This practice invites me to let go of the need to be right or to place blame, and instead gives me the gift of truthfully experiencing the present moment.
I have this tendency... perhaps you can relate... to naturally swing too far to one side or the other. Today my intention is to find, and experience, the middle.
Balanced Action is an important principle of Yoga. It teaches the art of meeting one quality with its opposite, so that we may experience true balance. The most obvious example shows up in a yoga pose, when a practitioner might exert force only, instead of equal parts surrender. In contrast, in some poses a student may be expressing softness only and needs to engage more power, fire.
Left unchecked, my mind can gravitate toward extreme likes/dislikes. This breeds a deep dualistic approach to life, which philosophically does not align for me anymore. Dualism sets a tone for labels, for right/wrong thinking. In that realm of existence, I feel extremely limited. When I reflect honestly, I discover this is the true source of much of my pain and suffering.
Whenever I step into the middle, where I can equally experience opposing energies, I feel whole and centered. I find myself more ready to understand myself, and others around me, when I'm grounded in this place of midline. This doesn't feel like complacency or apathy. Instead I feel finely connected to the essence of Life. This practice invites me to let go of the need to be right or to place blame, and instead gives me the gift of truthfully experiencing the present moment.