HOW DOES INNER BALANCE COME NATURALLY TO US?

 

Spirit is the harmonic balance of our three selves

– emotional, physical, and intellectual. 

Because the balance is different for each person,

much of life is understanding

the balance and seeking to maintain it. 

This is why self-awareness is so linked to spirituality.

                           - Quinn Spitzer

The same general principles used for finding our physical balance apply to finding the inner balance of our psyche.  We have powerful memories of the times when we have been in an ideal state of inner balance.  These core and cell memories continuously inspire and guide us back to our center of balance whenever we are “flailing”.  

Unfortunately, the shaming and blaming that we have learned to do to ourselves make this type of balancing and adjusting seem more difficult at times.  But all that inner balance requires is working through these emotions, letting go of old stories and identities, and learning to focus and make the shifts that are needed guided by the wisdom of our true self.

In order to do this, we need to stop the constant going and doing, quiet the chatter in our minds, and give up maladaptive coping strategies that are often like protective walls that keep us from sensing and connecting to our core.  This break in habit is necessary to teach us how to focus inwardly with non-judgmental presence, and how to fully embrace repressed parts of ourselves in the present moment. 

Through self acceptance and moment-to-moment awareness of our core, we will intuitively know what actions, feelings, or thoughts move us further away from our centeredness and what kind of adjustments will bring us closer.  Our inner control, tolerance level, stability, and ability to manage greater challenges will improve through mindfulness, skill building, and practice in the same way that our physical balance does.

When we attain our ideal state of inner balance, we often also feel a simultaneous and spiritual connection to our true core, to all of life, and to a greater or divine life energy, called different names such as “Chi”, “Wakan Tanka”, “the Holy Spirit”, "Life Force," and “Ohm” in different cultures.  The benefits of this holistic and spiritual connection have been well supported by psychological research and strongly linked to self-acceptance, positive functioning, meaningful social relationships, fewer reports of depression and anxiety, optimism, a stronger immune system, and better health and coping skills.

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