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Some thoughts on balance

From time to time I share a few thoughts about a spiritual or self-awareness topic. This is one of those times, as something has struck me that might be of interest.

I have read a number of articles about “balance” recently. Surely it is better to be balanced than imbalanced! But there is an implication in that concept that I am not sure is as helpful to us as it might be, or at least may not be addressing the more important issue.

The idea is that if you go a little too far in one direction, the best thing is to then go in the opposite direction to, in a sense, even things out and come back to equilibrium. But it occurs to me that my teacher never spoke of balance. In reflecting on why that might be, I believe it is because his guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, talked about coming from center at all times. Not about going too far one way, and then compensating by going too far the other way.

Now, speaking for myself, of course, coming from center at all times is not something I find easy to do, to say the very least. But I do find it helpful to remember that the way to come from center more and more is not by balancing movements away from center with movements in the other direction. It comes from anchoring more and more deeply in Spirit at all times — feeling that touch within as steadily and often as possible, and moving with grace from the heart once that touch is felt. Yogananda used the phrase, “Center everywhere; circumference nowhere.” There are so many extremes in play these days, it makes my heart smile even to just remember that beautiful and inspiring thought.