The equinox time has me considering the idea of balance, and what in my life is in balance, and what needs refining. The time of the equinox is the rare time when the light and dark are of equal duration, and it reminds me that finding balance, more often than not, does not mean 50/50.

It brings to mind a core concept of yoga. The word itself provides a hint, as many say the word yoga comes from the verbal root “yuj,” which means “to join.” In yoga we bring together, we join complementary or even seemingly opposite actions. I really get this in my physical body and I see it in teaching. For example, we have to find the balance between our tailbone and pubic bone. We likely already have a propensity toward one action, so to bring balance, we may need to emphasize another, at least for some time.

As the days shorten, we may find more time for reflection, and I invite you to consider where your life is out of balance, or perhaps domains in your life where you know you need to pay attention to stay in balance. I made a list for myself of spheres of my life that I need to attend to in order to stay in balance. I share it here because maybe you’ll relate, or it will make you think of something else you need to consider in your life.

May I find balance between:
– effort and surrender
– work and play
– critical or analytic thinking and intuition
– giving and receiving
– leading and following
– speaking and listening
– staying informed and staying centered
– being with others and being by myself
– eating well and enjoying food I love
– trust and distrust
– preparation or planning and going with the flow
– judgment and nonjudgement
– being a teacher and being a student
– inhale and exhale
– strength and vulnerability
– clarity and confusion
– inner journey and outer journey.

Please feel free to share what you find important to balance in your life.