Without balance it does not work. Not on the stand up paddle board and not in all other areas of life. Because only balanced we are in our middle and can go through life upright, healthy and well-adjusted.
A Life in Balance
A life in balance promises happiness, health and satisfaction. And who would not like to be happy, healthy and satisfied?
But what exactly is balance?
We encounter balance on many levels and in many different ways. In sports, in the physical sphere, in health and even in philosophy.
The Ability to Balance
The ability to balance is the most important of all coordinative skills in sport. Only when we are in balance can we react and rhythmise optimally. Without being balanced, it is not possible to exercise sporting movements.
This means that we should be in balance at all times. Our organ of balance, the vestibular system, is responsible for this.
The vestibular system
Physically, the organ of balance, i.e. the organ that determines the position of the body in space, is located in the inner ear. In addition to orientation in space, the organ of balance is also responsible for the precise determination of body movements, especially in the dark or in complex sequences of movements. If the organ of balance is well trained, one is therefore not only more balanced, but also more capable of rhythm, for example.
This benefits us not only in the sporting area. Just think of drummers (especially those who play double bass…). Which complex and fast sequences of movements with an incredible rhythmic ability have to be executed during a song. And this with different parts of the body.
I took a drumming lesson myself some time ago, and I must say I really admire every drummer. But more about that another time…
Healthy Balance
Our entire health is also based on the principle of balance. Everyday stresses and strains must be in balance with resources. Otherwise we will become ill, because too much energy is used and too little is regenerated.
This requires an active process, starting with self-knowledge and ending with the consistent implementation of a balanced lifestyle.
Unfortunately, all too often we go over the limits of our capabilities and allow ourselves too little rest.
Dynamic Balance
In Taoism it is said that the perfect energy is the balance of Yin and Yang. The balance of the two opposite poles, of HA, the sun, and THA, the moon. Of Yin and Yang. Both are dynamic and each contains the beginning of the change to the other within itself.
Yin and Yang also stand for passivity and activity. Both poles constantly strive to be in balance with each other. Which is reflected in our whole life.
The perfect form of energy therefore consists of the balance between activity and passivity.
Symphatic Balance
In conventional medicine, the need to balance activity and passivity is also known.
Our vegetative nervous system, i.e. the area of the nervous system that controls those bodily functions that are not subject to conscious will, consists of the symphaticus and the parasymphaticus.
The symphaticus is responsible for activation. In stressful situations it prepares our body for fight or flight. The task of the parasympathetic nervous system is to maintain and renew the body’s own energy reserves. It is the passive part.
If symphaticus and parasymphaticus are not in balance, this can lead to discomfort and illness.
Out of Balance
So it can happen that our live gets out of balance. Depending on the area in which it is, this can have different effects.
In the best case we only get dizzy. Like I often do when I am headbanging. It is just that our balance organ is affected for a short time. And if we stop being active, we are immediately regenerated and in a balanced state.
It is also not that bad if we lose our balance on the stand up paddle board, because then we only get wet, depending on the water temperature we might even get a little cold.
It is worse if the balance between stress and recovery is actually permanently disturbed. Yin and Yang, parasymphatic and symphatic, are no longer balanced. Because then serious diseases threaten. Physical as well as psychological. This must be avoided.
It’s all about Balance
No matter whether Chinese medicine, philosophy, conventional medicine or kinesiology. Actually, they all tell us the same thing:
To be in balance means to be in a balance of activity and passivity. And this applies to all areas of life: whether in sports, at work, in leisure time or in the family.
“Life is like riding a bicycle.
Albert Einstein
To keep your balance,
you must keep moving.”
You do not always have to be physically moving. Sometimes it is actually better to give your body the rest it needs. Because only those who give and receive energy in equal measure can be in its midst. To do this, however, it is necessary to first move the mind to this insight.
If you now feel like doing something for your balance, I have two hot tips:
For the training of physical balance – my balance pad exercises.
For the training of mental balance – Yin Yoga to Release or Yin Yoga with Insomnium.
I wish you success in balancing your life. I must admit, my life is not always in balance… But as they say: Practice makes perfect. So: Stay tuned.
