Yoga – The Art of Balance

Balance is a term that we have all heard and tried to inculcate in our lives with multilevel tasks. And often we have been subjected to the criticism that how we fail in striking that perfect balance. This is something that we know but fail to achieve it. The term “balance” refers to both, physical and mental balance. Imagine you are standing on a stool and its shaking, well you try to find the balance in your body to not to fall. Mental balance on the other hand is about the inner peace and calm that you feel when there is chaos and noise outside. The yoga lifestyle teaches us to embrace both forms of balance as a means to a healthy and fulfilling life.

Being a beginner, when I joined YTT with Tirisula yoga, nor I thought once that I was going to rediscover the meaning of balance and inculcate in my life. Throughout the course, as I was progressing to learn new poses and to find that balance, one thing I learned was you cannot achieve it if you have not fallen practising it. Because with every new effort you practice it with more awareness and vigor and hence achieving that balance on point. One pose that made me understand the meaning of balance in yoga and in life was headstand (Sirsasana).

The Sirsasana or Headstand Pose is called the king of all asanas as it is a pose that involves balance on the head. This is an advanced yoga asana that must only be attempted under the guidance of a yoga instructor. This asana is very popular due to its multiple health benefits. It speeds up the blood circulation and ensures that the brain receives sufficient, well-oxygenated blood. When first Master Ram announced and showed headstand pose, the first thing that came to my mind was “I don’t think so.” That stability and perfect balance on your crown was something that I really doubted myself doing. Every time I use to practice it and fall, I would start it again but with more awareness, following the right technique, focusing on every small movement and finding that coordination among the whole body. And one day I did it (yayy)! The feeling of striking that balance while you are upside down, without any support, without any fear was just out of this world.

And there Sirsasana taught me the greatest lesson of life- art of balancing. In our busy lives, juggling between different roles – we experience many upside downs leading to blaming ourselves or others, feeling depressed and just feeling out of picture. We just keep falling into the trap and never do we realize how to exit from it. But that’s what you need to know, just as in Sirsasana, sometimes you see things clearly when your upside down. Yoga helps in cleansing the mind through the practice of pranayama hence building that awareness and internal focus which is not then carried away with the external turbulences. It helps you to find that inner connection with your soul, deterring any distractions which occupied your attention till time. Sirsasana, which requires strength to fight all those fears of falling and also calm and focus attained through breathing and awareness teaches us how to find that balance when our world is upside down.

Yoga just not teach the art of balancing in poses but also in life. So, channelize that inner focus and energy in you and you’ll master headstand – and life. 🙂