7 WAYS TO FIND YOUR BALANCE
FINDING YOUR BALANCE IS A DELICATE DANCE AND ONE THAT IS HARD TO CONSISTENTLY KEEP. PRACTICING BALANCE IS SOMETHING THAT TAKES A LOT OF DISCIPLINE, BOUNDARIES, SELF-AWARENESS, AND WELL, PRACTICE.
WITH BALANCE BEING SUCH A CHALLENGING THING TO STRIVE FOR ALREADY WHEN WE ADD A GLOBAL PANDEMIC TO THE MIX IT CAN GET EVEN MORE COMPLICATED. AND AS IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, LIFE DOESN'T STOP FOR A PANDEMIC EITHER. MEANING THAT MANY OF US ARE DEALING WITH DEATH, FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE ILL, BIRTHDAY'S, WEDDINGS, NEW BORN BABIES, AND A PLETHORA OF OTHER SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE OUR LOVE AND ATTENTION.
HAVING OUR ENERGY DIVIDED AMONGST SO MANY SITUATIONS CAN DETER ATTENTION AND LOVE FROM OURSELVES AND HINDER US FROM KEEPING THAT BALANCE AND SELF-LOVE. BUT NEVER FEAR! THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF LOVE, SELF-DISCIPLINE, AND SELF-AWARENESS WE CAN SET HEALTHY BOUNDARIES AND ALIGN WITH OUR HIGHEST SELVES. FINDING THAT BALANCE THAT ALLOWS US TO BOTH CARE FOR THOSE IN OUR LIFE AND STAY TRUE TO OUR AUTHENTIC SELVES.
7 WAYS TO FIND YOUR BALANCE
1. FILL YOUR CUP
WHEN WE ARE OFF BALANCE WE NEED TO FIRST THINK OF OURSELVES, IT MAY SEEM SELFISH, BUT IT'S NOT. AS A WISE FRIEND TOLD ME, "YOU CAN'T POUR FROM AN EMPTY CUP", AND THAT'S THE DAMN TRUTH. COME BACK TO YOUR CENTER, COME BACK TO THE CORE OF WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU STAND FOR, WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU AND WHAT FEELS AUTHENTIC.
LIKE WITH YOGA, IN ORDER TO A MAJORITY OF THE THINGS YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON YOUR BREATHING FIRST AND FOREMOST AND THEN CORE, BECAUSE IT IS THE PRACTICE OF BREATHING AND A STRONG CORE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO FIND BALANCE. THIS WORKS FOR LIFE TOO, WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO STOP AND BREATH, THEN FIND OUR CORE SELF, WE ARE ABLE TO PRACTICE AND WORK TOWARDS BALANCE.
BUT BEFORE WE CAN EVEN BEGIN TO DO THIS, WE MUST SET BOUNDARIES AND THE MAKE SPACE WE NEED IN ORDER TO FOCUS WITHIN AND ALIGN WITH THAT CORE SELF. DON'T FEEL BAD OR GUILTY FOR DOING THIS, WE ALL NEED SPACE TO HEAL AT TIMES. IT IS HUMAN CONDITIONING TO FEEL GUILTY AND SELFISH BUT TRY TO REMIND YOURSELF, THAT "YOU CAN'T POUR FROM AN EMPTY CUP".
2. PRACTICE YOGA
YOU LEARN DIFFERENT PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES THAT WILL HELP YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY TO DAY LIFE. A GOOD PLACE TO START FOR ANYONE [AND I MEAN EVEN FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER DONE A DAY OF YOGA IN THEIR LIFE!!], IS WITH YOGA WITH ADRIENE'S 30 DAY JOURNEY HOME PROGRAM.
I BEGAN DOING THE 30 DAY CHALLENGE WITH THE LADIES OF PARADISE TEAM DURING QUARANTINE, AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER BEEN ABLE TO STICK TO DOING YOGA FOR MORE THAN A WEEK, THIS REALLY HELPED ME STAY ACCOUNTABLE AND SHOW UP. WHILE I DIDN'T DO THE ENTIRE 30 DAYS DURING THE LOP CHALLENGE, I WILL BE STARTING IT OVER AND CHALLENGING MYSELF TO PRACTICE SELF-DISCIPLINE TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE PROGRAM ON TIME. I CHALLENGE YOU TO DO THE SAME! YOU CAN ALSO JOIN LADIES OF PARADISE ON INSTAGRAM DAILY TO DO YOGA WITH A GROUP, THEY WILL BE CONTINUING WITH A DIFFERENT YOGA PROGRAM AFTER THE JOURNEY HOME IS COMPLETE.
3. JOURNALING DAILY
JOURNALING IS A GREAT WAY TO LET THE WALLS DOWN AND OPEN UP ABOUT HOW YOU'RE FEELING. JOURNALS ARE SACRED AND WRITING DOWN HOW YOU FEEL CAN OFTEN HELP YOU OPEN ABOUT THINGS YOU MAY HAVE BEEN HIDING IN YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS. WRITING IS A POWERFUL TOOL AND ONE THAT MANY OF US TAKE FOR GRANTED. BUT I PROMISE IF YOU WRITE DAILY, EVEN ON THE DAYS YOU DON'T WANT TO ANYTHING, YOU WILL HAVE SOME INCREDIBLE BREAKTHROUGHS! TAKE THIS AS A CHALLENGE TOO AND CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO 30 DAYS OF JOURNALING, THEN SHARE WITH US HOW THIS HELPED YOU.
IF YOU WORK BETTER OFF JOURNAL PROMPTS, WE PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF 33 JOURNAL PROMPTS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH FOR YOU!
4. DAILY GRATITUDE LISTS
GRATITUDE LISTS ARE A GREAT WAY TO KEEP YOURSELF GROUNDED AND THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE. I KNOW WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGH IT CAN BE HARD TO GET STARTED, BUT JUST REMEMBER EVEN THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF GRATITUDE CAN HELP SHIFT YOUR MINDSET. WE ARE LUCKIER THAN WE THINK AND HAVE SO MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL FOR.
5. MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY
WE OFTEN DON'T GRANT OURSELVES PERMISSION TO DO WHAT WE WANT, TO FOLLOW OUR HEARTS, OR EVEN SLOW DOWN TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES. SOME RUN AROUND IN CIRCLES TAKING CARE OF EVERYONE AND FIXING ALL THE PROBLEMS BUT RARELY TAKE A SECOND TO BREATHE OR ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE HAPPY. BUT THIS TOXIC PATTERN IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE STOPPED.
ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HAPPY BY DOING ONE THING EVERYDAY THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY AND PUTS A SMILE ON YOUR FACE. EVEN IF IT'S ONLY FOR 5 MINUTES! DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU SMILE. LISTEN TO YOUR FAVORITE SONG ON FULL BLAST, DANCE AROUND YOUR HOUSE, DRAW, PAINT, WHATEVER IT IS THAT MAKES YOU TICK, THAT MAKES YOU SMILE, DO IT!
ESPECIALLY NOW, WE CAN CATCH OURSELVES SHAMING AND GUILTING OURSELVES FOR NOT BEING THIS AND NOT DOING THAT, BUT THE TRUTH IS WE NEED TO STOP. WE DO NOT HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE WAY THE WORLD USED TO BE. WE DO NOT HAVE TO FUNCTION IN THAT LOWER VIBRATIONAL WAY, WE DON'T HAVE TO JUDGE OURSELVES BASED ON OUR PRODUCTIVITY. INSTEAD WE CAN FOCUS ON US, ON OUR SOUL'S, ON OUR HEART'S, AND ON WHAT MAKES US HAPPY AND SMILE. MENTAL HEALTH IS SO IMPORTANT! DON'T TAKE YOURS FOR GRANTED.
ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HAPPY BY DOING ONE THING EVERYDAY THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY AND PUTS A SMILE ON YOUR FACE.
6. USE PLANT MEDICINES
THERE ARE A VARIETY OF PLANT MEDICINES THAT CAN BE USED TO HELP RELAX AND BALANCE THE BODY AND THE PSYCHE. SOME OF MY FAVORITE ARE CACAO, CBD, CANNABIS AND VARIOUS FUNGI. ANOTHER PLANT MEDICINE THAT ONE NEEDS TO BE EXPERIENCED WITH BEFORE USING AS A HEALING TOOL IS PSILOCYBIN. PLEASE NOTE PSILOCYBIN IS AN ILLEGAL DRUG IN THE UNITED STATES AND WE DO NOT RECOMMEND OR ENCOURAGE ANYONE TO USE THIS PLANT. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PSYCHEDELICS AND HEALING CHECK OUT THIS GOOP EPISODE AND ARTICLE.
7. GOOD MUSIC & DANCING
NEVER, EVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A GOOD SONG AND THE FREEDOM TO DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING! IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE THIS IN A WHILE THEN I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! NOTHING SHAKES OUT THE NEGATIVITY AND ANXIETY LIKE DANCING! AND IF YOU LIVE IN A HOME WHERE YOU CAN'T GET SOME ALONE TIME, NO WORRIES! JUST "GO TO THE BATHROOM" WITH SOME HEADPHONES AND DANCE ONE OUT, YOU DESERVE!
NEGATIVITY CAN'T STAY WITHIN THE BODY WHEN THE BODY IS DANCING.