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Balance, Schmalance
Anyone else noticing that Balance is one of the hot buzzwords?
Now y’all might disagree with me, but I think the the use of the word “balance” has been overkill. No wonder, though. In our chaotic world, a little bit of everything being equal and accounted for sounds quite delightful. So what is it that we really want out of achieving balance. And, really, what does this word even mean?
I recently had a very nice interaction with a chiropractic colleague on Facebook regarding this very topic. His provoking question was, “Do you seek health or balance?” I thought this was a great conversation starter and really got me thinking. We tend to think that Health and Balance are one in the same.
Read below for the actual definition of balance, according to the online Webster Dictionary.
From the online Webster’s Dictionary
As you can see, two dominant words in the definition are “equilibrium” and “static.”
In my humble opinion, I would have to agree: Balance = Static
Now if you look at the–ahem–finely crafted graphic below (yes, I made them myself), this is traditionally how we view balance–
Does it look like there is any movement when you are balancing?
No momentum, no movement, no ride….
The graphics below give a more accurate representation of how “balance” truly shows up in our lives.
See…Up’s and Down’s…constant movement and momentum
When you say “Balance,” you are really seeking the ability to give appropriate time and energy to priorities in your life–NOT necessarily seeking stasis. Of course, distribution varies depending on personal values. You may value your spiritual practice more than career, or career more than spirituality, or value both equally. What you truly desire is to be able to devote yourself to the things that are important to you.
Energy is constantly moving between the various areas of your life.
One area is never completely separate from another because there is always a common denominator–YOU!
It’s those times of being off-balance that cause you to want to seek a more balanced state. Your greatest times of growth and progress are when you have deviated from balance, and chaos has become the dominant state–even if just for a moment. This opportunity–often disguised as an obstacle–is perfect for you to take a more accurate inventory for your life.
Am I spending the time I want with my family? Are my finances working? Is my relationship satisfying? Do I feel able to take care of myself?
When you are living your life out of alignment with who you are, something will always come up to get you to pay attention and change what you’re doing. This is to get you back into alignment with who you are.
So, I encourage you to embrace when things feel off-balance as it pushes you to reorganize your current way of living to move back to a state of “balance.”
Sometimes Ya Just Gotta Wiggle
I recently posted an article on Facebook about worms (ew!) and their navigational ability when many obstacles were present. The findings suggested that the worms could navigate through any space when there were more obstacles present because there were more surfaces for them to bounce off of and use that velocity to propel them through the space. All they had to do was wiggle more!
I thought this a great analogy to what we humans do when faced with an obstacle. Do we stay stuck in one place? Or do we find a way to bounce our own momentum off of it to propel us to a new place?
This was also a great reminder to wiggle–both literally wiggle your body and “wiggle” metaphorically to get your momentum grooving again. When you feel stuck in life, chances are you feel stuck in some part of your body. Find that place of stuckness and really FEEL it! Connect with your stuck. Make it fun like you’re walking around in this globby, mucky mud. Then wiggle…
To learn more about Dr. Katie Fahnel, visit www.thehealingloftmpls.com
Project: Risk Sisters
They call themselves the Risk Sisters–a group of women who support one another in taking leaps into the unknown. Sometimes they leap together: sky diving, wilderness treks, inviting a famous author to address their book club. Other times they rally behind the one who’s starting a new job, getting a divorce, or undergoing chemotherapy. Gather your own Risk Sisters (or Brothers). It’s easier to fly high with a safety new below!
I’ve always had my risk sisters! No matter what, they’ve always had my back! You know who you are and thanks so much!
Stage 10–Ascent
Being the Light/Being the Love
Receiving Your Gifts
Merging Past the Illusion of a Separate Soul
Of the Twelve Stages of Healing, the tenth stage is known as the “ascent” stage. This is the experience of the mystical that many religions and spiritual traditions seek as the highest experience of being. You can compare it to “Christ Consciousness,” “Nirvana,” “transpersonal integration,” etc.
In this stage you lose your sense of self in the experience of absolutes. In Stage 9, you experienced yourself as connected and full of light. In Stage 10, the clear boundary of your own light dissolves and begins to merge with the Universe. Donald Epstein compares this to having the light you experienced in Stage 9 represent a candle burning brightly. As you move through Stage 9, you become aware that there is a bright light outside, and it is coming into the room. You realize your candle does not seem as bright as it did before compared to this light. If you were to walk outside into the bright noontime sun with your candle, it appears that the candle is no longer lit, but you know that is just an illusion. This is what the loss of your sense of self is like. Your own light has not diminished but merged with the greater intensity of the Light of the Universe.
We experience our union with the creative force of the universe. We transcend the limits, boundaries, language, and judgments of our existing sense of self. We gain the wisdom of knowing the oneness of all of creation during this stage. We feel as follows: “I have had moments where I have merged past the illusion that I am separate from the spirit of all life, the essence of love, and my experience of the most Divine. I had had the experience that I am within all, and all of life is connected to me. I have experienced the grace of love as a physical and spiritual phenomenon through light, vibration, or touch. I know that I know and am humbled by this experience of the infinite element of life. I am grateful to witness this Greatness.
—SomatoRespiratory Integration Workbook
There is no fear in experiencing the chaos in Stage 10 because you know that the Divine is fully supporting you throughout the experience. In Stage 10 you merge with the unrecognized wholeness of your being.
In Stage 9 you experienced energy or consciousness expressing THROUGH you; in Stage 10, you BECOME consciousness. You BECOME energy. You BECOME love. The concept of boundaries is blurred, and you lose your sense of time, space, meaning, and self only to fully surrender to Oneness.
Next Week: Stage 11–Descent
The Season of Awaken
Awaken is about joyous and grateful acceptance of reality, rather than the CONCEPT of reality.
So if you’ve made it this far…congratulations!!! You’ve sorted through a lot of “stuff.” With the last stage, Stage 7, you finally realized that the “crap” you’ve been carrying around until then doesn’t work anymore–and GLADLY released it!! This marks the transition from Transform into Awaken.
Awaken is about expanding beyond yourself, beyond the things and people who will benefit you. It involves the experience of the space around you and within you. Your thinking mind drops away, and you can experience the true nature of reality beyond the form of structures as you know them. Your focus is on the energy of life and love. You no longer feel you have to get love but instead give love, live in gratitude, and find the gifts in your situations and relationships.
You truly connect to your gifts and feel your responsibility to share
these gifts within your community.
When in Awaken, you remember your core nature and honor the same in others. Your relationships, experiences, and awareness of the Energetic deepen, and you feel the field of Oneness.
**DISCLAIMER: People involved in the spiritual world are quick to jump into Awaken. Of course!! It feels wonderful! It’s lovely! It’s heavenly! You’re singing with angels and communing with the world, and, yes, it’s an absolutely beautiful space to be in…when it’s APPROPRIATE!! If you falsely try to jump to Awaken (more accurately “pseudo-Awaken” before you’ve done all the work up to then, most likely you’ll end up back to Discover–and very quickly!! The more you have the strategies and refinement in place within your nervous system, the more aware you are of what Season is appropriate…more about this when I discuss the Season of Integrate.
Next week: Stage 8–Emptiness in Connectedness
Stage 6-Preparation for Resolution
Stirring the Soup/Getting Ready
Making Changes
The alienated, traumatized, denied, or redirected consciousness or energy is moving towards discharge and resolution. We feel the tension building within ourselves as this process advances. We feel ready to do whatever it takes to get on with our lives. We have a sense that there is something more waiting for us, and also a sense that we are not yet flexible enough or knowledgeable enough, or just not enough for what is next. We feel hungry for what’s coming, but in this stage, we just need to actively prepare. The sentiment is “I am ready! I am so ready that I am determined to do whatever it takes!”
—SomatoRespiratory Integration Workbook
OK…I want you to think of the time of build-up right before you sneeze … or before you throw up … or just before a long overdue bowel movement … maybe when you were just about to break-up with that jerk boyfriend.
These are all comparable to the feeling in Stage 6. It’s that preparation stage when you know you’ll feel/live/think better…AFTERWARDS…but everything leading up to it…not so fun!! Stage 6 is all about preparing to discharge and resolve the energy behind the aspects of yourself that aren’t working. You also know that you will do whatever it takes to get yourself prepared. This is often when you may start to make major changes in your life but not from the Stage 2 consciousness of escape (See post on Stage 2).
In Stage 6, you understand that leading up to that point of resolution is quite uncomfortable but you know the payoff is worth it!!
There is a build-up of tension to create the momentum and grounding of the Bodymind so that you can release your old patterns and energy without it being a violent discharge!!! The build-up of tension helps you know that this release or discharge is a welcome thing and highly appropriate in the event of your healing journey!! And it feels oh so good….
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Body Harmony Chiropractic 
