Balancing Life on a Paddle Board

Last week I tried paddle boarding for the first time.  It was 6:00AM on Lake Ossipee and the water was very still.  I was alone and did not have any instructions on using the board.  I just went for it.  

Paddle boarding requires balance.  I learned two things about balancing on a paddle board which can apply to how we find balance in our life.

1. It is easier to balance when I am moving through the water. In life, balance comes easier if  my body and mind are moving in a direction as opposed to floundering in one place. A teacher told me once that balance is not about trying to stand still, it is about how gracefully we can continually move ourselves back to the center.
2. Keep the body soft (especially my knees). A ridged structure created an unstable and wobbly foundation. A ridged mind and inflexible body can quickly create an imbalance in our lives if things don't go the way we planned.

Next Wednesday, August 21st from 6-8PM I will be offering a workshop through Blue Moon Yoga, Exeter entitled: Gateways to Balance In this workshop we will Explore some of Yoga’s gateways to balance. Sometimes we know we are out of balance but have forgotten or cannot see our way back. This workshop will provide the space to explore our unique pathway back to balance and offer tools to light our way.   Tools like alternate nostril breathing to stimulate a balanced mind, balance poses to experience the feeling of balance in our bodies, and the Gunas to determine which direction will lead us back will be discussed.
Gateways to Balance Workshop Details and Registration

Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

Here is a link to a great article that I found in Yoga Journal on Nadi Shodhana.  It offers a good description of the Nadis: Nadi Shodhana

Enjoy and Be Well!

Movement of Energy in Yoga

Join me in attending this workshop this Friday 6/7 at the Blue Moon!  It is a fascinating topic and Brian is an excellent instructor with a very calming presence.
Movement of Energy in Yoga

Inspirational Quote

My daughter belongs to the Exeter Swim Team and their Team T-shirts always sport an inspirational quote. Here is my favorite and it seems to fit very nicely with Yogic philosophy:

"We are what we repeatedly do so excellence then is not an act but a habit."

It's a practice, not an accomplishment.