In search of balance with yoga



Physiologically, we manage to stay in balance because our body constantly implements adaptation mechanisms with respect to the data provided by the senses and the proprioceptive capacity .

This skill is what allows the dancer to hover over her toes, to the skater to fly on the ice and to the circus to walk the wire, as well as to each of us to stand or run.

Yet equilibrium is not "only" this: it is the term we use to indicate an inner attitude which, limiting ourselves to the yogic ambit which is our task, we can identify with the concept of samatva or " equanimity ".

Leaning on the definition given by Stefano Piano in his Encyclopedia of yoga, we read: " The virtue of those who remain unperturbed by opposite experiences (hot / cold, joy / pain, etc ...) and retain the same attitude towards enemies and friends, of praise and blame, of a piece of gold and a blade of grass ".

This explanation has probably aroused many inner images depending on the experience of each reader, because having such a dowry is rather difficult and in this age more than ever.

Modern man, much more than his ancestors, is in fact constantly bombarded with information, messages, ideas, notions that, while on the one hand have greatly improved life, on the other hand are a potentially inexhaustible source of destabilization.

This discourse should not lead to a "It was better when it was worse" rather than an indifference, but to constitute a source of reflection with respect to the dynamics that characterize our everyday life to learn to manage them in the best way, also thanks to yoga .

Cultivate balance with yoga

One of the foundations of yoga is the concept that man is a unit given by the sum of the elements that compose it . This means that it is not composed of watertight compartments, each independent of the other, but that each part is intrinsically linked to the Whole both at a gross and subtle level.

Therefore, a work focused on balance will not only exert our ability to remain upright on one leg, but also - and above all - improve our inner balance, our ability to find stillness in the continually mobile .

In yoga there are many positions of balance and mainly involve the lower and upper limbs: and they are extremely suitable for all those who find it difficult to concentrate, to focus on a task. They are also very useful for students because, in addition to the abilities described above that limit distractions, they also strengthen memory .

The word "balance" comes from the Latin aequus which means "equal" and librus which means "balance": figuratively, indicates the perfect horizontal stability of the two scales . Let's start from this position to develop our balance.

Discover the disciplines beyond yoga that improve balance

The position of the scale

To exercise our capacity to maintain ourselves in such placid harmony, we can use the position of the scales, in Sanskrit tulitasana .

Standing, the legs are slightly apart, approximately the width of the hips. Inhale deeply and exhale, bend the legs and sit on the heels raised from the ground; the weight of the body falls on the front of the feet. The bust remains erect but not rigid, the chest is open and the hands are resting on the knees (wanting in jnana mudra, or with the fingers pointing towards the sky) and the arms relaxed. It can help to maintain balance by fixing a point on the ground or the tip of the nose. You will notice that if you keep the asana with your eyes closed you will encounter greater difficulties in this sense, especially if you are taking your first steps in yoga.

This position will be useful for strengthening the lower limbs, especially feet and ankles. It strengthens the muscles of the pelvis and is suitable if you suffer from calf cramps. The balance is an almost archetypal symbol of balance: the mental attitude of the practitioner should reflect the meaning of the asana, trying to implement and seek that stability and impertility that the position suggests.

The position of the tree

To vary the practice, another useful position to develop this skill is Vrksasana, which is the position of the tree . The weight of the body moves on the right leg while the left, free of its load-bearing function, will be positioned with the sole of the foot inside the thigh, with the heel facing the groin and the fingers downwards. The pelvis is aligned with the right leg, so there should be no unnatural curves between it and the pelvic area that remains parallel to the floor. The hands can be brought together in anjali mudra or in front of the chest or beyond the head with the arms extended. Repeat on the other side.

The eagle's position

Finally, the position of the eagle, Garudasana . Also in this case, one balances on one foot, the right, with the limb slightly flexed. The left leg is crossed on the right until the lower part of the calf muscle is hooked with the instep. The arms rise in front of the chest and cross, with the right elbow in the hollow of the left and the forearms raised perpendicular to the floor. The backs of the hands should be facing each other. Finally, rotate the hands further so that the palms touch and the fingers point upwards.

The heart of an acrobat

A beautiful song by the folk group I Ratti della Sabina entitled "Il Funambolo" reads: "I live my life on the rope that separates the prison of the mind from the imagination". Each has its own personal rope to cross, every day, maneuvering in everyday life that is very rarely "balancing". The practice of positions of balance, and of yoga in general, is a great way to learn to find that fixed point that exists within ourselves and that, cultivating it, will give us "the heart of an acrobat" (cit.).

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