Equilibrium is like the balance we strive for. Equilibrium is essential for our spiritual health.
When something new comes in, something else has to go... and it can throw us off at times, instead of making it seem level.
My Libra side tells me that the scales are forever dipping and lifting in life. Just like when I travel by busy subway train or streetcar, and have nothing to hold on to, and I have to ready my stance to stay upright as the car moves and stops... Just like when my anxiety is flaring up and I have to "urge surf" the waves of terror and worry, riding them out like any other pain that comes and goes, just breathing through it and accepting that life isn't easy all the time... my stability is a roller coaster ride, I'm strapped in safely, but it's still a wild ride.
Things are constantly changing, everything is in flux.
Let me demonstrate. Hold your hand up with your palm facing the floor. Can you hold it perfectly still? Probably not. Think about when you stand on one foot, you can't stay still like that!
Even though you are balanced, your muscles are flexing in response to each other to keep you upright, each one supporting you as much as is needed given what the other ones are doing. we call that kind of biological equilibrium "homeostasis". When it's the environment and we are talking about plants that work together to fix different chemicals in the soil, like nitrogen, so that other plants can use it, and then they put some other useful chemical in the soil in turn, like potassium... that's called "symbiosis".
Every living system needs to find it's equilibrium. Stability isn't rock solid, it's just firm enough to be a foundation for action. These little interactions that accommodate and pick up slack and compensate and cooperate with and for each other, form a launch pad for greater activities.
It's the same thing with how we are made up as individuals with many interacting parts.
My impulse as always is to return to my wellness wheel diagram, and point out all the parts of self that need attention, and that you can't focus on everything all at once, and so something always gets neglected and then wobbles the balance
The nine parts of self I include in my wellness wheel diagram are as follows:
Internal
External
Holistic
Behavioural
Relational
Mental
Physical
Spiritual
Emotional
You can find the wellness wheel on my toolkit page. It has many valuable uses.
You might want to include your Shadow aspect in this as well. Some just lump it with "external" but lately I have been including it as it's own section on the back of my page.
It's a juggling act, really... sometimes you have to let something slide to pick up something else from going too far.
It can also have a domino effect, sending more than one domain out of whack if we don't catch things in time.
My experiences with this have been that when I don't take care of my physical health, then my mental health starts to falter, and my spiritual health goes out the window, and I have a breakdown of other areas too... it's like the opposite of a snowball effect... like someone threw a ball of yarn down a big hill and I'm frantically pulling the string to get it back and that just makes it roll away more.
To get back from disaster, I have to do one thing at a time, just focus on correcting my sleep, or my eating, or whatever is taking the largest assault from what's happening in my life. One thing at a time, baby steps.
But breakdowns can be avoided, too. I know I can keep on top of self-care. It's just, I get distracted sometimes :) Have you ever felt that way?
SO, think about the domains of self on the wellness wheel: what are the signs for each aspect of self, that you are out of balance, or at risk of going out of balance? eg. physical domain - body signs like illness and dizziness and tightness
What are some words that represent your current situation in each of the domains?
what do you do already that fills each cup/section?
For example, what feeds your spirit in the domain of your MENTAL self? my example, writing... PHYSICAL self? my example, yoga... etc.
what are you doing that drains each cup/section?
For example, what depletes your spirit in the domain of your MENTAL self? my example, watching tv... PHYSICAL self? my example, alcohol/hangovers ... etc.
Which words would you use to represent your ideal situation in each of the sections?
for example, what could better serve your spirit, in the domain of your EMOTIONAL self? RELATIONAL self? etc.
Which ones are busy areas and which ones maybe have room for more good things?
Do you notice words that represent strengths and solutions?
Bring your attention to areas that have few or no positive words. Make an action plan to find balance in these areas.
Notice the areas where your current and ideal situations are similar. Give yourself some credit! You are a star!
♥ Jacki