On an Unpopular Opinion + Balance
{November 15, 2022}
- 2 Ideas from others -
“Polarity, or action and reaction, we meet in every part of nature; in darkness and light; in heat and cold; in the ebb and flow of water; in male and female; in the equation of quantity and quality…”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
American essayist and philosopher
“Balance is not rigid stillness: it is the subtle counteractions to our actions and movement…"
- Kilty Inafuku
Lead Yoga instructor at Hawaii Yoga Institute, Traveling Yogi
- 2 Coaching Prompts -
I have an unpopular opinion about balance… I think it’s bullsh*t.
Yup, I said it. That right there is probably one of my biggest take-aways from my 200-hr yoga teacher training.
In spring of 2020, my instructor, high school classmate and mentor, Kilty Inafuku, had us stand on one foot and zero in on the subtle little movements in our foot muscles that kept us “balanced.” It was not rigid stillness or inflexible structure that kept us upright. That would only get you so far before you had to, oh I don’t know, breathe!
(Side note: it may have been Kilty’s mentor whose idea this originally came from. But for all intents and purposes, we’ll say it came from my dear friend.)
So the next time you hear the term “work-life-balance,” call bullsh*t on it, because it doesn’t exist.
Remember to ground and root yourself in your foundation (i.e., core values) and draw yourself upward by connecting to something bigger than yourself (i.e., God, the Universe, Source Energy, the God of your understanding).
We live in a cyclical world with ebbs and flows. Accept that both are a natural and necessary part of your experience.
With that, dear friend, here are your prompts:
What extremes have I been experiencing lately?
What counteractions can I meet each extreme with?
- 2 Affirmations -
Polarities are a natural part of life.
I welcome the ebbs and flows of life with ease and peace.
- 2 Resources -
It’s friend-feature time! The following women are incredible friends of mine and deserve a feature. They’re standing in their whole selves and shining their light for the world to see. These women are two of the most intelligent and authentic women I have the privilege of knowing. Please take a few moments to check them out and see if you know of anyone who would benefit from their light and love.
Ali Ramos— Ali Ramos and I were in the same life coach certification cohort in Jan 2021. I felt a connection with her almost immediately and have stayed in touch ever since. Ali has used her personal experience and healing journey with endometriosis to guide and serve her clients in the most beautiful of ways.
Kilty Inafuku— I’ve known Kilty for roughly 20 years 😱 (it still freaks me out to say that), and she’s been one of the most impactful individuals on my personal transformation journey to date. When it came time for me to decide on which Yoga Teacher Training to enroll in, it was a no-brainer to have her as my instructor. Kilty has taught me that yoga is so much more than postures and breathing, it’s a mindset and way of being.
