Overcoming Challenges: The Dance of Balance

The turning of the wheel of the year has brought us again to the September Equinox.  The craziness of summer has departed — no more (or not much more) hot weather, fewer people overflowing on the streets and beaches—and ahead is the promise of cooler days, leaves turning magnificent colors, longer afternoons and evenings, and inviting tea and coziness.

I love the word Autumn.  I like Fall too, but Autumn has such a lovely, resonant ring. So let’s go with Autumn Equinox:-).  It’s the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere.  Here’s a bit about its role in the Celtic calendar, where it is called Mabon (or Mahon)…it is a “step between the light and the dark.”

Since Autumn Equinox is half way between the summer and winter solstices, balance comes easily to mind… yet living in balance can be quite a dance.  It seems an appropriate theme for these times.

 

A Simple Guide to Reclaim Your Work-Life Balance Today

There is the obvious balance of light—half the day is light and half dark.  But let us take our musings a bit further and acknowledge the deep need for balance amidst the unsettling, disruptive, and challenging events that characterize our current times of breakdown and disruption.  It is vital we cultivate and find our balance, inner and outer; it is vital that we balance the ‘doom and gloom’ reporting with all the good that is happening in the world.  In the dance metaphor, let us take the steps to balance our busy-ness with calm, relaxing, grounding and gratitude; take steps to balance our (likely too much) computer and screen time with more time in nature; balance our ‘lots of people’ times with quiet and solitude…. You get the drift!  I invite us all to gently take stock and, without any shame or blame, to make adjustments that feel healthy and nourishing.  And to do this lightly, as if we were dancing our way into fall with grace and gratitude and balance.

Other Blogs

How Do We Create Balance in our Lives?  A bit of a catalogue of skillful means, and some glorious images to impress the beauty of balance on our souls.

Balancing Act:  Balance:  What does it mean? Why is it important? How do we find it? What are the ‘rocks’ that are our own personal challenge to balance, and how do these change over time? What happens when our towers topple?  How does our balance depend on others?  This be a mindfulness practice!