Inspiration and Balance
by Linda Heron Wind, Ph.D.
Breathing in and breathing out. On a physical
level, it is impossible to breathe out without first breathing in, and
the amount of air taken in must equal the amount of air given out. Balance.
There is always balance in the natural world and our bodies, being part
of that world, are set up to operate in a state of balance. Balance operates
on all levels, but we are not always aware of how it plays out in our
lives. Our attempts to operate out of balance are met with forces that
bring us back into balance, often in ways that we find uncomfortable,
to say the least.
Why would we want to go against the natural
laws of balance? Perhaps it is because we place more value on perspiration
than inspiration. For example, in our culture "doing" is rewarded
while "rest" is punished. Doing is for the strong and successful
and rest is for the weak and failures. Giving is noble but receiving is
selfish. And so we learn how to breathe out more than we breathe in on
spiritual and energetic levels. The consequence of this over time is that
our forward movement and giving out must be stopped in one way or another
(usually not voluntarily), until balance is restored.
Sometimes we are stopped by illness or emotions
and sometimes we are stopped by life circumstances, but we are always
stopped in such a way that it is not possible to continue to live in the
way that we had been living. Sometimes these pauses are brief and other
times they are extended, but before we proceed we must fill ourselves
back up with breath and spirit. Perhaps that is why we call it inspiration
which means both to taking in air and to take in spirit.
Making a daily practice of inspiration can
help maintain our balance such that long pauses to fill back up are not
necessary. Know what the things are that inspire you, and drink deeply
of them daily. Is it being in nature, reading positive news, talking with
those who love you, creativity, music, dance, play time with animals,
or meditation? What inspires me may not be what inspires you. And what
inspires me one day may not be the same as what inspires me the next.
When I am inspired I feel light and full of
energy. When I am not, I feel heavy. It is the difference between what
it feels like to breathe in and what it feels like to breathe out. The
rhythm of the breath can teach us to notice when it is time for inspiration.
When you are feeling heavy, take a deep breath and look for something
inspiring to bring you back into balance again.
Balance is maintained
When I am inspired each day
I give and receive
If you have comments on these articles or ideas for future topics, call Linda Heron Wind at (585) 924-5620 or send e-mail to LHWind@aol.com.
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