Balancing Act

Rule 22: Life is a temporary loan and this world is nothing but a sketchy imitation of Reality. Only children would mistake a toy for the real thing. And yet human beings either become infatuated with the toy or disrespectfully break it and throw it aside. In this life stay away from all kinds of extremities, for they will destroy your inner balance. Sufis do not go to extremes. A Sufi always remains mild and moderate.

In July, I went for a month long yoga course. There was one prayer which we had to recite almost every two hours and it goes something like this: “I commit to maintain a balanced state of mind all the time, for it is in this state that my highest self-development is possible.” Before I went to the Yoga School, I did know that balance in life is necessary and there should be a work-life balance etc. I never gave much importance to a “Balanced state of mind” however. In fact five years back, my coach had told me that one should have a balanced state and not a happy state; it did not make any sense to me. Why not a happy state? Why balanced state? Yet, in the Yoga School the importance of balanced state of mind in life finally downed on me.

So, to answer my own question as to “why not a happy state”; because a happy state of mind leads to attachments to the cause of happiness and attachments sooner or later lead to disappointments or not so happy state of mind. This creates a disbalanced state which is seesawing all the time. We usually feel happy or good when our desires are fulfilled and depressed or sad when things do not go as per our expectations. This elation and depression usually lead us to misery because most times life doesn’t revolve as per our wishes and when things go wrong, we enter into a negative state of mind. This negativity, if not checked, can spiral into a downward trend resulting into misery and pain. So what does a balanced state of mind do to us? 

A balanced state of mind enables us to have balanced emotional responses to life situations: it brings stability, peace and harmony. It also provides freedom from anxiety and pain and wisdom to understand that nothing in this world is permanent and hence pleasures are to be treated with some indifference. This equanimity makes a person stay away from strong likes or dislikes. The wisdom which comes from a balanced mind gives inner peace and strength to a person. 

All religions emphasize the need to bring balance into your life and not giving in to extreme behaviours. The entire gist of Hindu philosophy is based on bringing balance into life. Bhagwat Gita says that self-realisation is not possible without a stable mind or a state of “Stithpajna”. Shamz has encouraged people to stay away from extremities and stay balanced and unattached. Buddhists consider equanimity as the basis of attaining wisdom and freedom from pain and pleasure. The middle path or eight fold path emphasises on this balance. In Christianity it has more to do with temperance or self-regulation from passions and vices. Modern psychology also places a great importance to ‘temperance’ or balanced approach because this approach helps in getting control over excess. 

How to attain this balanced state of mind? Every religion gives its own version to control the mind. Lord Krishna says in the Gita: “Perform all actions, Dhananjaya, dwelling in union with the Divine, renouncing attachments, and balanced evenly in success and failure.” A balanced state of mind does not mean that you renounce everything or pleasure and live a secluded life. It means that you always strive to have harmony and peace in life. 

Life is always giving you unexpected surprises, hence a balanced state of mind is a constant effort. You have to take good and bad in your stride and keep moving.  Albert Einstein said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” The best way to keep moving is to focus on the task at hand and not dwell in the past or count the fruits of the future. This focus also makes you realise that nothing is permanent and hence attachment to anything would not be favourable to the balance in your mind. 

Another way to bring balance would be to let go. Letting go of the negative emotions, such as hurt and anger, can bring a peaceful state. Letting go of the need to be in control all the time. Oh what bliss it produces! My personal experience says that letting go of this need to control can be a bliss because then you have surrendered everything to God and are willing to accept anything and hence are not afraid of future. This attitude makes you fearless and gives you strength to face anything with grit. This is not a state of hopelessness but a state where you work towards the best solution possible and yet are not attached to that desired outcome. 

Counting your blessings and being grateful for them also brings a sense of peace and helps in bringing balance to your life. Being grateful always makes you see positivity in life and makes you hopeful. Positivity also makes you cherish good times and pleasures and brings a calm state at all times. Hope helps you sail through difficult times without losing your equilibrium. This positive approach is what determines our level of well-being.

Shamz compares this world with a toy. You play with it and get pleasure but you know that it’s a game and any attachment to the game will land you in trouble. Hence a balanced state of mind is required to not only live this life in peace and harmony but to accomplish our highest self-development, to accomplish a sense of well-being and peace. Thanks to Yoga, I now realise the importance of being in the balanced state. It is not possible all the time but as Einstein said, ‘you have to keep on moving to keep the balance’. And so is my constant strive to achieve this state by counting my blessings and being grateful. Meditation and certain breathing techniques also work for me. Letting go of the negative emotions and being in the present doesn’t come that easy but I keep trying.  Sometimes I succeed and other times I do not but I keep reminding myself that I am committed to have a balanced state of mind so I keep trying. I would want to know techniques of other people and how they try to keep a balanced state of mind. So please do comment below.