Nature and Balance
Nature abhors imbalance. When there is imbalance–often caused by humans, problems occur. When nature is left alone, she can often restore balance. An excellent example of this phenomenon is humans almost extinguishing the wolf population. Without wolves elk herds increase and often wreak havoc on ecosystems. Recently efforts have been made to reintroduce wolves into Yellowstone National Park in order to restore balance. Between 1914-1926, 136 wolves were eliminated in Yellowstone National Park. Eliminating this apex predator created all kinds of imbalance in the park – beavers disappeared, as did songbirds, while elk and coyotes became overpopulated. Overgrazing destroyed willow and aspen trees that songbirds needed; beavers could no longer build dams and streams began to erode. The erosion changed the conditions so willow trees could not grow. Without the beaver dams the water temperatures were too high for cold water fish to thrive. The whole ecosystem was out of balance.
Reintroducing the wolf 25 years ago has restored the balance. The vegetation grew back, the songbirds returned, so did the fish.
Many ranchers are protesting the reintroduction of wolves. They claim that wolves are predators and kill their cattle. Wolves are not intrinsically “good” or “bad,”; they are there to restore balance.
Humans and Balance
We as humans also strive to return to balance. For example we may crave more alone time or we may crave more time with friends or more time with our partner. There is no right or wrong about this craving; it is simply a matter of striving to find balance. Each person is also unique in the amount of time they want to spend by themselves. Some of us crave more, others crave less; some of this variability is due to our inherent energy and some is due to unhealed trauma.
Alone Time
I love and cherish my alone time. When I was a young woman I went on a three day trip by myself. It was the first time I had gone on a trip all alone. I had gone away to camp, but that was something organized with other kids already there. I was actually pretty nervous about it and facing being alone was a challenge for me. I really enjoyed the trip, but it was interesting how the various activities I did, like going out to eat by myself, going on a cattle drive! by myself, driving a long way by myself and staying in a hotel by myself all affected me. How I had to be with my thoughts and my insecurities. I had even as a teenager challenged myself to go to a cafe and sit by myself, so I understood the importance of being able to be with myself without noise or distraction. This was of course also the time of no iphones or other “devices” so one had to really face themselves.
I do remember there was some nervousness about the solo trip, but also an understanding of it had to be done, and my parents didn’t really seem to understand the importance of spending time alone and the significance of that trip for me.
Now that I have healed my trauma, I find great solace and energy restoration in time alone. It brings me back to that place of equilibrium. What is the magic formula? How much alone time do we need to be in balance ? It depends on our intrinsic energy system and on our individual environment. There is nothing wrong with together time, friend time or alone time. It is a matter of balance. Balance of course applies to all areas of our lives: how much food do we need? How much quiet? How much interaction with people vs. time at home? How much sun vs. how much shade? How much time at work vs. time in recreation? How much time at home vs. time traveling? How much sleep do we need?
There is no right or wrong answer to any of these situations–just like wolves are not “right or wrong,” in and of themselves. It is a matter of finding our balance. What we need depends on many factors, but how do we know when something is wrong? We know because we feel it. We feel like something is “off.” When we feel tired. When we feel irritable or sad or angry. It is important not to ignore, stifle or bypass our emotions. It is important to see emotions as a vital compass showing us that something is wrong. And to ask our emotions to show us more. When we are constantly tired, and it is not the “good tired,” that comes from some well done work that just needs some relaxation to be restored, but a continuous state of fatigue. When we feel this fatigue or sleepiness all the time, it shows us that something is off-something is wrong and needs our attention to figure out.
We need to stop and ask ourselves, what are we missing and for me a great place to start is to spend some time with myself.
Creativity
Another place that can show us what we need is our creativity. I have really valued this aspect of myself and lately I have had a hard time connecting to it. It feels like maybe it is returning, but I do know that it has been gone for a long time. I was not getting any downloads or insights. I had a very hard time getting my newsletter out. The place where I was not let down, was m
y work with my clients and my Transformational Journeys which continue to always surprise me with the amazing places they take me and those who come along. If you have not had the chance to experience them yourself, please join me this May 18th form 10-12 MST we will be delving into finding our balance and tuning into what aspect of our balance may be out of tune. So all of us are creative human beings, and if we are disconnected from this part of ourselves this shows us that something is off.
General Health
An obvious area is our general health. When our health is off, that indicates that our internal ecosystem is off. There is too much of something and not enough of something else. We can have blood work done to see if there are not enough of certain elements or too much sugar or cholesterol for example and talk to our health providers about restoring our balance. We can also literally talk to our body and ask what it needs or what is it trying to tell us? For example if you have chronic pain in your body, place your hand on that part of your body and ask, “what do you want me to know?, what are you trying to tell me?” and listen for the answer. Trust that it will come either from that still small voice within or through signs or insight later.
Of course when we have unhealed trauma it can be hard to tune into what we need and what we want. We use artificial stimulants or relaxants to numb our symptoms or create fake energy, or we drown ourselves in entertainment or social media to ignore what is going on. Again these things are not “bad” in and of themselves, but there is a balance as to how much to use them. Go back to how you are feeling, how tired you are, if you are feeling creative. If these “Balance Indicators,” are off, then begin to check in to see what needs to be done to restore balance. I would encourage you to take quiet time for yourself and test each component one by one to see where equilibrium needs to be restored.
Do you need more dance and movement in your life? This is one that seems to always make me feel better, more lively but I forget. Do you need more time with special friends? Again one that can be overdone, but can also be forgotten.
Where Is Your Attention Going?
Another place to look at balance in your life are the activities you are involved with. Are you doing too many or not enough? It is not activities in themselves that are negative or positive; it is whether or not they help you stay in balance. Feeling fulfilled enough with time with other people, but not so overwhelmed that you are spreading yourself too thin. The balance depends on many components, including if you are an extrovert or an introvert. It can depend on your time in your life and your current energy level. The key is to look to see how you are feeling.
Chaos in your life is another Balance indicator. Does your life feel chaotic and rushed? Are you always in a hurry? Do you forget to do things? Are your finances a mess? Are you forgetting to pay bills on time? Are your possessions in chaos? Do you have clutter everywhere? These are definitely signs that you are off balance. Is it a matter of time to get these things done? Do you need to eliminate items or people from your schedule? Is it a matter of not having enough energy or motivation? Check to see which area is out of whack and begin repair and healing there.
Your divine right is joy, vitality, energy and happiness! When most of the time you are not in these states or they never appear in your life at all-please check and see what is out of balance and remember that it can be very tough to tune into yourself if you have unhealed trauma. It is tough to tune in because you do not trust or believe in what your emotions, your Inner Guidance or your body are telling you and it is hard to even have the courage to be still and silent and alone for enough time to hear what may be going on with you. So if you need healing and you need to connect with your Inner Self and bring her back to you please reach out for help, my Trauma to Transformation Program can bring miraculous healing to your life and the ability to tune in and know when you are out of balance and need to reset and restore yourself!
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