By Gail Z. Martin
Yoga has become a big part of my life since I started practicing two years ago. I can’t do some of the fancy postures where you seem to levitate on one finger (and that’s ok, because yoga also is about letting go of competitiveness). But one place where I can see a big difference is in my balance.
I got a WiiFit for Christmas a year or so ago, and when I did the yoga section, it rated me on my balance by having me stand on the WiiFit board on one foot and then the other while it recorded how much I wobbled. And did I wobble. The little red dot jiggled all over the screen.
Then I started to really work on yoga poses that emphasize balance. At first, I wobbled and lost my balance. I had to start over, put a foot down, steady myself against a wall. But an amazing thing happened with practice. I got better at it.
I still can’t levitate on one finger. But I can stand on one foot without wobbling for much longer. I can lean foward while standing on one foot as if I’m about to take off in flight without falling over. And every time I move through my balance postures, I gain strength and confidence.
How’s your business balance? Are you wobbly, thrown out of kilter by every news report about the economy or every conversation you have with someone who thrives on the negative? Or are you remaining balanced, calmly working your plan, making course corrections when needed, remaining focused without veering into wild overconfidence or bottoming out in despair?
Do you get all your news from one source, or do you seek balanced input, questioning input that predicts impending disaster, validating before believing negative news, making sure your news sources don’t have hidden agendas?
How’s your life balance? Do you still have time for friends and family? Do you take time to enjoy nature, a walk with your dog, a good look at the stars? Do you take time for yourself? Take time to give to others? Take time to learn and play and care for your body?
When you start to work on your balance, it’s amazing how good it feels. Why not make a conscious effort toward regaining and improving your “balance” and see what happens?
