When I think about balance, I don’t think about a tightrope or balance beam—I think about a swing set. For this playground classic to be any fun, it has to be moving forward and then back, balanced in a way that is somehow both exhilarating and calming at the same time. In the physical act of swinging in a smooth arc, I see balance in motion.
As the year dawns, we typically find ourselves having swung hard and high, having launched our energies into navigating the busy holiday season. Now, in the quiet of January, we might feel ourselves yearning to swing back, to recover and replenish our reserves. But we don’t want to stop moving in order to reset. Spiritual balance is like physical balance: it’s something we have to pursue, to keep moving toward—to inhabit, seek out, and find within ourselves.
These three approaches to spiritual balance keep me swinging gently and joyfully throughout the year.
1) Take Your Body with You for Spiritual Balance
Scientists have studied how “embodied practice” like yoga, walking, and other exercise are of particular benefit to our overall well-being because we bring our whole selves to the activities. Moving with intention, self-compassion, and softness is not only physically healthy, it’s nourishing to your spirit, bringing deep, abstract prayers and practices into the physical plane of your daily life.
2) Step Outdoors for Spiritual Balance
Even if it’s cold outside, time in the outdoors is a refreshing experience for your spirit. Whether you’re taking in a majestic scenic vista, or pausing to observe a street tree persevering in the winter wind, spending time in nature is an invitation to reflect on the vastness of the world, and your place in it. Your spiritual mind will attune to the expansiveness of life, and perhaps you will open up to a new direction for your day in the process.
3) Let Go of What You Can for Spiritual Balance
Balance comes when we stop reaching past our reasonable grasp. Leaning too far forward—or back—leaves us frustrated, and at risk of falling. To achieve and sustain spiritual balance, a crucial skill is to let go. Release goals that are no longer priorities, relationships that aren’t serving your happiness, and activities that don’t affirm your worth and purpose. As you gently sway back and forth on the swing of a new year, feel what you’re leaving behind, even as you steady yourself on the path toward peace and joy.
What does spiritual balance look and feel like to you?
