My older brothers and I loved playing on a seesaw as children. Sadly, since I was much younger and smaller, I couldn’t balance out the weight on my side. Often, my brothers ran back and forth sitting on the ends to even the weight out. One day, one brother stood in the center of the seesaw and centered his weight and used his legs to move the seesaw back and forth. Happily, we discovered a much simpler and enjoyable way to play together. Today, this illustrates for me how I view the difference between being centered and being balanced in life. Many of us strive for balance. However, balance is difficult to maintain. Whether at home, at work, or at play, balancing demands often causes stress and disconnection. Consider instead, being centered may be a more helpful approach.
Moving from balanced to centered
Different from being balanced, being centered is the process of returning to the true self. Often, it’s a reference point to guide us internally when life’s demands push us off balance. Importantly, our mental, physical, and spiritual reference points ground us in the present moment. It’s where we find our source, sense of self, and connection. Additionally, centered is the place we begin the journey towards our goals with strength and focus. Finally, being centered offers a way to focus on your internal process in response to the myriad of things outside of you that you have no control over. Also, yoga offers us the opportunity to connect to center in a meaningful way. This article offers a twisting pose practice to embody centeredness.
How to find center
Here are some mindful ways to find your center when balance is thrown off:
First, take stock of where you are in any area of your life. Let go of judgments. Just observe what is. Notice your perception of demands and stressors and list them in a journal.
Second, reflect on what you’ve written. Are these demands and stressors present daily, weekly, monthly? Notice how these affect your mind, body, and spirit. Are they minor irritants to your emotional well-being? Are they persistent and intense and lead to suffering in some way? Do they pull you away from what you know to be important?
Third, take some time to sit with the list. Focus on your breath. Expand your attention to the demands and stressors and allow them to swirl in your consciousness. Picture yourself in the center of them. From there, ask if there is any direction to focus your energy towards.
Next, set an intention on how you plan to act on the demands or stressors. Write the intention for it in your journal.
Finally, review your intentions daily. Approach opportunities in the day and take any action in the moment allowing intention and impact to align. Move from your center. Experience gratitude for your sense of power driven by intention for mindful action.
Please share below any insights, discoveries, or comments on ways you develop self-love and how these suggestions worked for you.
Return to Center with mindfulness each week with me, sign up for more tips on Mindfulness, Yoga, and Meditation, or register for a class here.
Love, Light, Prayers, and Peace!
Alyson Phelan, Certified Mindfulness, Yoga, and Meditation Teacher
