The Keys to a Balanced Life

Success and Balance

Our culture has shifted. We are striving to live well, to make the most of this life and find balance. Balance is achieved through small changes and through acts of intention. The keys to a balanced life are eating, breathing, playing and resting, and loving well. The changes one needs to make are small shifts in awareness, acknowledgment of choice, and taking ownership of your Self, your life. The following tips ring simple, but true. The choices are yours.

Eat Well

What we put in our bodies is a key to a balanced life. The obvious: whole grains, lots of fruits and veggies. Cut back on cheese; eat carbs early in the day, and avoid eating at least two hours before bed. A secret to eating well is moderation not deprivation. We all need bagels, chocolate, and wine periodically.

Be aware of your food choices. French fries are ok (once a week " not everyday) as is red meat on occasion. Eat lean, think green and don't skip breakfast. Get up 20 minutes earlier if you need to, don't do the drive-through. Have a cup of coffee, but limit it to that. Have one soda a day, drink water whenever the urge to hit the coke machine looms. Eat well. Be aware of the energy absorbed through the food you eat.

Breathe Well

Breathing well is another key to a balanced life. When we breathe we take in prana (life-force). To breath well, inhale and fill the belly first, then the ribs, then finally the chest. Pause, and slowly with grace begin to exhale, first the chest, then the ribs and finally the belly. Repeat five or six times, and do it often throughout the day.

If you are about to come undone, stop and breathe. If everyone would stop and breathe deeply when agitated, the world would become calmer. The world would begin to re-balance itself. Balance begins within each person, and each person is a microcosm of the global community. Breathe well. Allow a natural balance to occur through the breath, and your world will follow suit.

Play Well

Recreation and leisure are part of a balanced life. We need fun, laughter, and playfulness in order to release energetic debris. Exercise is a given. The secret to maintaining exercise is to be creative; find something you like to do and then be willing to shake things up. Maybe you're primarily a walker or a runner. Consider adding swimming or golf to your routine for diversity. Maybe you're a gym-rat or a yogi, a belly-dancer or a pilates enthusiast. Try on different fitness regimes, and then mix them up so you create balance within the physical dimension. A change will do you good.

Spend time doing nothing. Sit in the park and breathe. Go to the theater or a movie. Invest in quality leisure time. Outside of family and your job, what do you love to do? Deepen your hobbies or discover some new ones. Go to the library. Listen to music. Play well and play often. Invite fun into your life and enjoy playing just as you did when you were a child. Children can be the wisest teachers.

Love Well

Love breeds harmony, harmony generates balance. In order to love well, we must first love ourselves, and recognize that love comes from within. The delicious feeling we equate with "being in love" is of ourselves. The root of that love is connected to a Divine source, authentic and true. All relationships, even those that have caused pain are necessary and worthy. Begin to view all relationships with gratitude and through the eyes of love.

Much of our time is spent working; therefore what we do for a living is essential to a balanced life. To live wholly and with balance you must do what you love and love what you do. A job/career should resonate with spirit. If you are unhappy in your current job, if you cannot love it well, it's time to change. It's scary to make career changes, but take the leap (a net will appear), go back to school, learn something new, and begin again. Each moment is an opportunity to create anew. Love well. Be willing to open your heart and follow your dreams.

Rest Well

A restful night's sleep is another key to a balanced life. Get up and go to bed at the same time every day. It's ok to stray, but the more consistent, the better. Your system craves predictability. Make sure your bedroom is soothing, dark and quiet. Turn off the TV. Your bedroom is for sleeping (primarily) and it should be sleep conducive. Cool colors such as blues and greens promote tranquility and restfulness.

Resting well goes beyond getting adequate sleep. A daily fifteen minute savasana (relaxation pose) naturally brings your system into balance. Lie down flat on your back, allow your limbs fall open, and close your eyes. Don't think. Just be. Allow yourself the luxury of restoration. Rest well. Imagine every person in savasana everyday... how sweet a world at peace could be.

When given the proper time and space our systems are naturally self-correcting, and move towards a state of effortless balance. Eating, breathing, playing, loving and resting well are the keys to achieving that state. Your life is for living, choose wisely. Live well. The keys are before you.

____________________

Written by Gia Lupinacci for eMaxHealth.com - Copyright 2005