More On My New Years Word, Yoga, and A Book Review

They say that to be really good at Yoga it's all about balance and flexibility. Maybe that's why I have always loved this practice. From the very first time I experienced a Yoga class I was hooked, because I had finally found an exercise I could be good at.  You see, I've always had really good physical balance. I remember being a young girl in gymnastics class walking across the balance beam just for fun and challenging myself to different balance exercises.

But balance in life is a completely different beast than that of balance in the physical world.  In Yoga they are trying to get at the whole person when they speak of balance.
It's not just standing on one foot like a flamingo that is impressive in Yoga. Come to think of it, nothing is impressive in yoga because it's not about impressing, but rather being able to be so completely focused on what you are doing that you can close your eyes and your inner world is in balance as well.
I suppose one of the reasons I have chosen the word Balance for my New Years word is because the older I'm getting the more I'm realizing how vital it is to have balance in ALL things. So much of life, and it's hidden treasures comes from when I keep things in Balance and have flexibility. 
The world around us is in a constant state of motion and chaos, and it's so very easy to get off balance. Just when I think I have one area of life all neatly wrapped up and manageable, there comes another area of life to smack me in the face as a wake up call. Those smacks are painful, and I don't always handle them well.  Remember when I heard we were moving back to Nevada? SMACK!! And, I'm sorry to say my reaction (at first) was not all that balanced. Those are the kind of moments in life that I want look back on and know that I handled them well, or at least better than I have in the past. 

One of my new favorite quotes that I  recently read in the book, Room by Emma Donahue is  "The world is suddener than we fancy it."  The quote is originally from Louis MacNiece, but Dr. Clay in the book says it in response to something the main character, 5 year old Jack, says to him.
The book Room is about a 5 year old boy named Jack, who was born inside a tiny room that his mother had been kidnapped to as a 19 year old girl. That quote is taken from a blurb in the book where Jack, the little boy is trying to explain why he doesn't like the outside world as opposed to the Room he was born into. Imagine, if all you ever knew as your existence was a teeny, tiny room that nothing ever changed in? I mean, a spider was the highlight of this little boys day!
It is the perfect quote to say to Jack, who is having a hard time getting used to how fast the world around him just keeps coming at him.  By the way, this book Room is without a doubt a fascinating read. It's not one I would have chosen myself because the topic is very dark, but it was a book club choice.  I'm telling you, you won't be able to put it down. 
Back to the quote in the book,
When I read it I thought about what a true statement that is because in life things are always changing and most of the time we receive no warning.  To stay in perfect balance when all the rest of the world is in chaos is truly a gift. For me THE only time this ever happens (perfect balance) is when I practice keeping my eyes on my Creator.   "You will keep in perfect peace, those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."  Isaiah 26:3
To me, this is the epitome of balance.
A steadfast mind and a heart that is in a constant state of perfect peace despite the chaotic world around you. It really doesn't get anymore balanced than that.  It begins by trusting someone greater than yourself. Knowing full well that although I don't have all the answers to life's unrelenting questions, I can trust fully that someone does.  Like a new born baby trusts that his parent will nurture, care, and protect them. I have seen a baby fall asleep at some of the most chaotic, noise filled, concert-like events.  And yet, the baby sleeps. Trusting that all the crazies running around them won't bother them a bit because they trust whoever is holding them.  It makes me happy to think about things like this. It calms my soul to know I am being held like that infant child.  
                "Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony."