The whole universe is in balance, in a seemingly delicate and perfectly orchestrated harmony of infinite proportions. The planets spin around the sun, and they all dance around each other in a great cosmic ballet. Here on earth our ecosystems and all life live together in harmony. Over billions of years life has evolved as part of a connected whole that uses, re-uses and recycles absolutely everything. Within each life-form an incredible symphony of events happen constantly, each maintaining a fine balance of perfection that allows us to live and survive the harshness of the elements. Our muscles are coordinated in nanosecond timing by our brains, and our brains function from the moment we are born to the moment we die without ever stopping. When we look inside a single microscopic cell, there are 37 thousand billion billion chemical reactions happen each second! All of this perfectly co-ordinated, managed and maintained by the delicate balance that is nature and our universal natural laws.
Most wild animals live and eat in a very balanced and natural way. They are guided by their instincts, and know just what to do, and when to do it. Somehow they are able to draw on ancestral knowledge and know how to do things that they have never seen or been taught. Their senses are finely tuned, and they are always alert and in the moment. Wild animals have boundless energy and a great capacity for play and fun as well as for hunting and long migrations. Wild animals are hardy and can withstand pain and hardship without emotional stress. They can live for days and even weeks without food and yet still have energy to hunt and survive in even extreme climates. The bear knows when winter is coming and prepares for it. The bear knows when to eat more, and when to rest.
And then we have Humans! We are perhaps the laughing stock of the animal kingdom, especially those of us who live in cities and have been brought up disconnected from nature. Oh HumAns! We seem so smart when compared to animals, but SO dumb too! We can barely hear, compared to a dog. We can barely see, compared to a cat. We can barely run compared to a lion. So many people are unfit, depressed, overweight, lost in time with no awareness of their surroundings.
Who ever saw a depressed animal in the wild? Who ever heard of a lazy bug, or a lazy lion? Why is it that we seem so limited and weak compared to almost the entire animal kingdom. Some people might say that it's because we have developed our minds instead and those things are not so important any longer. I disagree! If you look at the potential of a human you realise that most of us are fast asleep! You can glimpse the potential of a human when you look at people who are in balance and have excelled in life. They may be Shaolin Monks, tribal village elders, shamans, priests, rabbis and the like. When you meet people who excel in being human you quickly discover that most of us are living FAR below our potential.
And so we come to Balance! I think you would agree that humans, and our combined human activity is far out of balance with the rest of the planet. We have broken natural law and live according to our own rules and desires. We (humans) have fallen out of balance with our world and as a result have disconnected from the world and ourselves. It is only when we are truly in balance, emotionally, physically, and mentally that we can live a decent life and indeed, proceed on the path to enlightenment. The road to inner peace and inner perfection is a long one and requires a fine intellect, a honed intuition, a deep seated calmness, and a healthy does of detachment and faith! None of these qualities are available to us when we are out of balance.
Therefore if you are on the path to enlightenment, or just want to be happy and healthy, you must consider the many facets of leading a balanced life. When we are guided and have structure given to us by a teacher or Guru, we are helped a long way to proceed on this path. Even then the challenges are great, because it takes great persistence to understand the mind, and the ego, and transcend it. Compare that to someone who lives totally freely with so many distractions, and a plethora of daily pressures and challenges. We have moved out of community living and a strong family structure in the developed world, and everyone is paying the price.
When you understand what you need to do to be balanced, you simply have to enforce it upon yourself in order to proceed. No one can do this for you, because we have replaced our real teachers and wise elders with cardboard self serving figures who are more out of balance than the rest of us!
So, will you join me in discovering some of the things we need to consider so that we can structure our lives and live in a balanced and harmonious way. I was brought up in the city but have been living of-grid in nature in remote India for 12 years. Even still, I am very unbalanced emotionally, mentally and physically right now, and I know that only when I also plan and en-force balance into my life will flourish again.
This process has started for me with the #meditation-challenge and I am now forcing myself to meditate every morning indefinitely! This is just the start to living a balanced life, so let's explore the other most important things that we should all consider and enforce. When we take these actions, we do not have to do much more than reap the rewards. Sometimes just doing it is enough and sets the wheels of change in motion. Many of us are not aware of the roots of our hardships whether they be financial, health related or any problems we have. I believe most of many people's problems can be fixed by doing even just a few of the following:
1. Eat a balanced diet
There is a lot that can be said about eating well, because a balanced diet is one of the cornerstones to your overall wellbeing . Over 90% of Americans suffer from everyday digestion problems such as gas, bloating, stomach pain, constipation, heartburn, and fatigue after eating. You might be surprised to experience how good you feel if you eat a balanced and healthy diet for one month. Eating well can improve a long list of issues such as depression, diabetes, cloudy thinking, short term memory loss, and chronic illnesses such as back pain, and poor vision. Eating a balanced diet doesn't mean eating any particular food, or not eating any particular food. If you are a vegetarian then you have to be very careful to eat well and provide yourself with all the protein and nutrients you need. Likewise, if you eat meat you need to ensure you eat a plenty-full amount of fresh fruits and vegetables as well. Consider eating some of your meals without any meat, there are MANY amazing dishes that are way tastier than a steak or a burger and are SO much better for you.
I personally recommend an Ayurvedic diet amongst others. This holistic approach to health allows you to become a balanced, vital, happy person with the least amount of effort. If you want to lean more please see below:
Healthy Food and a Proper Diet -- How Does One Decide? (3:27)
Sadhguru reminds us that food is about the body, and the best way to decide what to eat is to ask the body.He explains that rather than developing eating habits which only make us function repetitively, it is better to decide on our food consciously through our intelligence.
11 Ayurvedic Eating tips for good health
https://easyayurveda.com/2011/01/06/11-ayurvedic-eating-tips-for-good-health/2. Meditate for just 15 minutes in the morning
This single step could change your life. I have been doing this for just four days now and can already testify to the great improvements im feeling and the small but significant changes that I am already making in my day to day life. We have launched a meditation challenge, so PLEASE join us and ride this wave.
The Meditation / Chant Challenge. Meditate for at least 15 minutes every day for one week and write about your experience.
The challenge is very simple. Set aside 15 minutes each day to meditate as described below or using any method you like, and then carry on with your day! At the end of the day or whenever you feel, write a little bit about your experiences. Then 7 days after you start please post your experiences along with anything else you would like to say or add around the subject of meditation. You can start whenever you like, so we can have a continuous feed of people who do try it, and we can all be inspired by each other!
Read the full post
/@eco-alex/7-day-meditation-challenge-everyone-wants-to-meditate-but-no-one-actually-does-it-join-us-today
3. Put a ceiling on desires
In this day and age we are hypnotized into wanting more things, new things, and generally things we don't need. Every thing we buy or take on makes our lives more complected and takes our time and or mental head-space, such as buying a new car, or house, or gadget. Putting a ceiling on desires will not only help you to save money, but will also help you to keep your life simple and stress free.
Desires Are a Prison
What is the meaning of "Ceiling on Desires"? Man is deluded by his unlimited desires. He is living in a dream world. He is forgetting the Supreme Consciousness. That is why it is important to keep our desires under control, to place a ceiling on them. We are spending too much money. Curtail your desires, as materialistic desires lead to a restless and disastrous life. Desires are a prison. Man can be freed only by limiting his wants. You should have desire only for life's bare necessities. Instead of inordinate spending for our own pleasure, we should be spending for the relief of the poor and needy. This is the real meaning of "Ceiling on Desires."
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
4. Spend time doing different things each day
Variety is the spice of life! Doing something differently can be as easy as walking or driving a new way to work, or wherever you are going! Visiting a different park or cafe means you may see or meet different people than you would have. Adding variety to your life not only makes the days more interesting and exciting, but also increases your chances of something different happening in other areas of life. Doing the same things every day is mundane, and causes us to switch on to autopilot. We need new stimuli to keep us awake and ever present in the moment.. where life is actually happening!
5. Be on your feet for at least 4 hours each day
If we sit all day, then we need to make sure that we get up on our feet for a good portion of the day. Some people even have standing tables so that they can still work whilst being on their feet. We need to stand every day to keep our mood and hormones elevated and in balance. If we sit too much we end up feeling exhausted and depressed, and is a slippery spiral to a chronically imbalanced life.
6. Make time for fun
Having fun can mean anything, so long as you enjoy it! Having fun stimulate creativity, and brings us right into the moment. We can let go of all our stress in the moments that we are having fun, and laughing is one of the most healing ways to eliminate negativity. What are we all on this planet for if not to enjoy the ride? It’s safe to have fun. Now go do something unproductive! All you have to remember? Enjoy every second of it.
"Now that I have had chronic fatigue syndrome for over 1.5 years I have understood what is most important in life. It's actually not working but having fun. The paradox is that the more fun we have, the more productive we get. Being in flow is absolutely amazing. The inspiration and ideas flow!"
Lisa Sjöström, Flowguide at Room for Flow
7. Nurture Off-line Friendships
8. Spend time with family
Spending time with family is important, even if it doesn't seem enjoyable! We need to connect with our mother and father, brothers and sisters to keep our grounding. Our family are our most important connections and link to this earth and we must put some time into nurturing these vital connections. I think any therapist would agree, most of our wounding comes from family related issues, particularly mother and father. If we are to be psychologically healthy, we should do our best to heal and enjoy our family time.
9. Save 20% of your income
10. Participate in any civic or social service at least once a month
Help Ever - Hurt Never
This is one of my favorite sayings, and sums up very nicely the importance of selfless service. This is one of those gifts that helps you just as much as it does the people you are helping. It is only when you have tried it that you can know the incredible connections and experiences to be had!
Every educated person should engage himself or herself in selfless service to society with humility and a pure heart. All academic distinctions or even observance of spiritual practices are of no use if there is no love in the heart. Love and compassion are inherent in every person. Each has to share this love with others. Failure to share one's love is gross ingratitude to society, to which one owes everything. One should give one's love freely to others and receive love in return. This is the deep significance of human life.
Service to man will help your divinity to bloom, for it will gladden your heart and make you feel that life has been worthwhile. Service to man is service to God. For He is in every man and every living being and in every stone and stump. Offer your talents without any consideration of reward or thanks; let every act be a flower, free from creeping worms of envy and egoism and full of fragrance of love and sacrifice. If you have the talent, use it for the glorification of God and do it by uplifting man.
A manishi (ordinary man) gets transformed into Maharishi (sage) by engaging in selfless service.
HELP EVER, HURT NEVER.
(Sai Baba)
11. Spend a few hours in nature at least once a week.
Forests, woods and organic / rustic nature is preferable to a golf course! This is not only relaxing but also helps to nurture and develop your intuition. If you really don't have any time or space nearby, then i recommend getting a pot an some soil and growing one plant in your bedroom from a seed. It can be a plant that you can eat, like basil or tomato, or it can be a plant with beautiful flowers. By connecting with just One plant and giving it some time and attention each day, we can fulfill at least some of our needs for connection with nature.
12. Simplify life and slow down. Find joy in simple pleasures.
One valuable lesson I have learned time and time again is that the slower I go, the more I get done. When we are in a rush or panic, or are just going too fast, we end up wasting so much energy! We might even end up making mistakes and wasting even more time just because we are going too fast. When we slow down, we give the universe a chance to respond to our needs. We also give ourself time to even know what our needs are! We have to slow down in order to make good decisions, and just to be able to enjoy the moment.
13. Give thanks.
The love you give is equal to the love you receive. Actually, the love your receive is 10 times more than the love you give! We should be grateful for the most simple and important things, such as life itself. When we are grateful, we open the doors to receiving and we also allow our blessings to be acknowledged. Our perception of the world is shaped by our feelings and perspective, and so we need to spend time developing positive feelings and perspectives. If you really feel unthankful because life is too hard, then you may need to dig deep to find your gratitude, but if you get there you will feel SO relieved and happy!
Initiation 7: Manifesting Blessings
The 7th Initiation in your path to Enlightenment is to keep a gratitude journal for a the coming week. Each day, first thing in the morning, write at least three things for which you are grateful. Each day you may find new things, or you may be grateful for the same thing. Your main challenge here is to feel the feeling of being grateful! If you have to push it out, then push it! Your gratefulness is in there, perhaps covered by dust, but it is there.
Once you have done this, look out for positive things that happen to you. Do you find that your blessings increase? Perhaps they are just the same but your perception of them has changed. Either way you will feel more blessed!
I hope this post has been illuminating for you! It is a really important topic, and one that many people have never given much thought to. Living a balanced life takes action and peserverance, but the rewards are SO great that I enourage you to try some of these ideas. If you choose just ONE of these 13 ideas I can almost guarantee you will be much happier..
IMAGINE IF YOU DID ALL 13!!!!
SOURCES
http://www.mapi.com/ayurvedic-knowledge/food-tips/ayurvedic-tips-for-good-digestion.html
https://www.inc.com/jim-schleckser/seven-secrets-of-successful-people-to-living-a-balanced-life.html
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/11/hobbies-happier-gardening-bird-watching-stroking-cat
http://www.sathyasai.org/studyaids/desires
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-it-important-to-have-fun
http://www.saidarshan.org/baba/docs/hehn.html
PLEASE SEE THE PREVIOUS 5 INITIATIONS LINKED BELOW
Initiation 1: What Is The Greatest Conspiracy Theory?
Initiation 2: The meaning of life and why are we really here! A Story of Enlightenment Trading Ethereum
Initiation 3: The Path To Enlightenment, Knowing Synchronicity
Initiation 4: The Path To Enlightenment, Who am I?
Initiation 5: The Path To Enlightenment, Put Apart The I
Initiation 6: The Path To Enlightenment, Why we need personal boundaries and how to create healthy ones
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