It’s worth repeating again and again… balance is the key to longevity. We practice balance in yoga on our yoga mat because we are constantly trying to balance off of our mat. Whether it is carrying groceries in from the car or bending down to pick up a toddler or simply walking up or down a flight of stairs, it all requires balance.
A big part of a yoga practice is balancing. Of course, in yoga classes, we intentionally practice balancing our physical body. Whether it’s on one foot or, in a more advanced class, on our hands or our heads, physically practicing balance is important to our quality of life. As we age, first we gain balance, and then we lose balance. Think of the baby just learning to walk; they look a bit like my aunt after one too many glasses of wine. Their little bodies are trying to gain balance. As the toddler grows and their muscles learn how to hold the body in balance, they get more steady and use their hard-earned balance for more complicated activities.
When our babies turn into bigger kids, we take them to swimming lessons, soccer, or other activities to teach them how to use and strengthen their bodies as well as how to balance. Most activities and sports require us to use the body in different ways; oftentimes the right side doing something different than the left side.
As we get older, we take balance for granted. Without even realizing it, we think we will always be able to balance, only questioning it when we are challenged to stand on one foot for a minute or hold a headstand. The truth is that we need to constantly work on balance. It’s one of those “if you don’t use it, you lose it” kind of things.
The good news is that it’s never too late to improve your balance. Whether you start small, holding a wall or a chair while you lift one leg, or start at a different stage by standing in the middle of a room, working on your balance is a must for keeping up with all the activities you want to participate in throughout your life.
If your favorite activities require movement, you need to add yoga to be able to continue them throughout your life. For example, if you’re a golfer, unless you swing the club both right and left, you create muscular imbalances all the time. The way the initial drive moves through the body to chipping the ball onto the green or putting it into the hole requires you to have command of balance in the body. The more you practice it, the more command you will have of it in your body.
Beyond physical balance, yoga also offers us mental and emotional balance. We practice yoga breathing in and out through the nose and holding poses for a few to many breaths, which can challenge our minds to stay focused and stay in the pose without falling out. Many times, we do fall out of poses, but creating balance takes time and the success is in the trying.
No matter your age or balance acuity, yoga can help every body. Start where it’s right for you and begin to build balance sooner rather than later. It will pay off through your whole long and beautiful life.
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