Originally posted on Nourishing Storm’s monthly theme blog.  See what these wonderful peeps are up to this month by clicking here.

I love that feeling when I own my power in a yoga pose. When I am in it and everything is working together – it feels effortless. I’m connected and it’s beautiful. I feel strong and there is an excitement as I realize I nailed it. I am right there with it, completely present and aware of my entire being. If I catch a glimpse of something that distracts me, I persistently bring my focus back to the pose and remain in control of myself. Remain in power. Whatever is going on in my mind, in my heart, in the world, doesn’t matter. These pulls on my attention have found peace with each other in that moment and I am in balance.

In the space of my practice, on the mat in the studio, I am in a perfect environment to find my balance. The music and colors set the stage for the experience. The people encouraging and supportive, each of us working our own magic while sharing a unified flow. This regular yoga practice calibrates my soul. In this space, I work out my stuff. Maybe today I need strong arms, tomorrow I need an open heart, the next day I need to bend more freely. Sometimes it is challenging. Sometimes I need props. During times of movement, I may need to set my gaze to that still point, my drishti. I end my practice, laying in savasana, allowing that feeling to integrate into my being in hopes to carry it with me as I hop into the flow of life. I roll up the mat and off I go back into my world.

My world, like most worlds, doesn’t offer up the perfect soundtrack for peaceful living or the levelest terrain to balance upon. I’ve been blown off course by tragedies and by triumphs. Sometimes my world plays full on rage metal and offers up mountains with jagged rocks to climb. Instead of my awesome yoga peeps, I may have to share my company with the people who find joy in my failures. Other times, carried by sheer enthusiasm I may set sail with the winds on my side with my sights set on the new shores, not seeing who is swimming in my waters. Whatever the blockage or distraction, whether it is good or bad, in this fluid world, I need balance.

And in the world, as in my yoga practice, I find balance in much the same way. Whether I’m wobbling out of my tree pose or trying to find my way through life’s storms, I look for my drishti. On the mat it is a just a spot on a wall or the floor while in life I look for an unshakeable Truth about myself. I bring my focus to its stillness and align my body, mind and soul to its steady frequency. Regardless of my movements or my terrain, my drishti is fixed and rooted.   With my attention on my constant, I can sort myself out.

Balance isn’t about being level or equal. It is about adjusting.   It isn’t about stopping or being still either though that would surely be ideal. It is about being aware of that uncompromising, authentic piece of myself and shifting my perspective so I can view the world in the moment from that place.

My internal drishti is my centering force. Despite not ever being in the same place I was before, my center will always be my center. No matter how many moving parts are involved, I can find balance. My drishti is the fulcrum that all the pieces of me balance upon.

In this see-saw life, whether you are up or down, know you can always find balance. Just move closer to the center.