Yogis often see parallels between time spent practicing poses and their lives outside the yoga studio. This is especially true of balance poses. Learning to balance ourselves on our mat helps us find balance in the precarious moments of life. If you’re stressed, sleep deprived, undernourished or obsessing over something that might happen later in the day, week, or year, you’ll probably find it hard to stand on one leg.

Never too Late

Let’s look at some ways to improve balance on the mat. First, it helps to realize that we have optimal balance ability at around age 19. Our body has finished growing, and we are most likely still active. But enter college, work, being a house holder, and life begins to slow down. Our balance declines, because we don’t challenge ourselves. The good news is, it’s never too late to get it back.

Find the Center

When practicing balancing poses, it helps to draw energy toward your center of gravity. When we’re standing, that’s just below the navel for women, and just above the navel for men. Find strength by drawing your abdominals in and standing tall before shifting weight to one leg.

Focus

In yoga, we call it Drishti, meaning gaze or where you set your eyes. It’s kind of like a string holding a tent up; it gives us an anchor. Fix your eyes on a point that’s not moving, and stare with a soft gaze to improve your balance.

Challenge Yourself

When you want a little extra challenge, try closing your eyes while you balance. It’s surprising how much we rely on our sense of sight to help us. But when that is taken away, we learn to use our proprioception and our other senses to find our balance. You can also try balancing on unstable surfaces, like carpet, grass, or a cushion.

Practice

The best way to get good at standing on one leg is, are you ready for this? Stand on one leg! Try brushing your teeth in the morning standing on your right leg, and in the evening standing our your left leg. In the grocery store checkout line, shift from one foot to the other. Just like children, we can find opportunities to practice balance all day long.

Finding balance in your yoga poses is an ongoing process that will fluctuate day to day, much like balance in the rest of your life.
Let Go. Focus. Breathe.

For more tips on yoga and fitness, check out my website www.denisedruce.com.