Finding Balance in Yoga Practice

By Felicia M. Tomasko

In the midst of the juggling act that is daily life, we all strive to achieve a sense of equilibrium. In yoga, finding skillful balance and a sense of ease in a pose is a metaphor for finding skillful balance in our own lives. The mat provides a place to develop qualities of concentration and awareness that can be transferred to the rest of the day. Balance poses build endurance as we use the body itself as a weight to be lifted. This increased strength is not only physical; balance poses also develop mental, emotional and physical stamina. They are also integral poses for increasing core strength in the abdominal and low back areas, improving overall posture.  To balance with the greatest of ease, use the following techniques:

1. Focus your awareness on the breath. Breathing steadily and evenly provides an anchor for even the shakiest of poses.

2. Find a dristhi, or focus for the eyes to gaze upon (one that will not move).

3. Engage the entire body, particularly the core muscles of the abdominal area and lower back.

4. Don’t be discouraged—it can take time to build physical stamina and mental concentration.

5. Working with a teacher on new or challenging poses can be helpful.

When stepping onto the mat, begin with poses with both feet on the ground; these build strength and help you to stand on your own two feet. To practice triangle:
Stand with the ankles beneath the outstretched wrists. Turn one foot away from you (this will be the front foot), and slide the heel of the back foot out so the toes turn slightly in. Lift the muscles of both quadriceps and the arches of the feet and center the torso over the hips. Reach forward with the front arm, lengthening the spine, and then reach down with the front hand so it rests on or hovers in front of the front leg while the upper arm reaches to the sky. The weight is evenly distributed between the front and back legs, part of the balance in this pose. Hold the pose while breathing evenly, then come out of the pose using the abdominal muscles and the top hand to lift the torso. Repeat on the other side.Variations: extend the upper arm over the head.Focus: lengthen the spine and draw in the navel, using the abdominal muscles to support the spine, broaden the shoulders, and maintain length and relaxation in the neck and spine. Extend the arms to broaden the shoulders.Other standing balance poses include revolving triangle, and many squats.Balancing on one foot further increases strength, particularly in the lower body. Tree:
Spread out the toes of the standing foot to create a stable base. Choose a position for the lifted leg based on your balancing skill; raise it over time as your proficiency increases throughout your practice. The placements of the lifted leg include: propping the standing foot against the ankle, crossing it over the standing foot, or pressing the sole of the foot against the calf or the inside of the thigh. Avoid placing the sole of the foot on the inside of the knee, as you want to avoid placing lateral pressure on the knee. Different arm positions can make the pose more challenging. Focus: on the breath, lengthening the spine and pressing the foot into the leg and the leg into the foot.Variations: arm positions can vary and include 1. Arms out to the sides; 2. palms of the hands together in front of the heart; 3. palms of the hands together overhead; 4. arms outstretched overhead. Each variation provides a different sense of balance.Warrior three:
Stand with one foot forward with the knee bent, the other back. Start placing more of the body’s weight over the front foot as you lift the back foot. Straighten the standing leg and extend the back leg behind you with the toes pointed away from the body. Keep the hips level and begin with the palms of the hands together. Focus: engage the abdominal muscles by drawing gently in one the navel and keep the hips level.  Variations: Arm variations create more challenge. If you have low back pain, keep the arms close to the body, otherwise you can experiment: spread the arms like wings, or for a greater challenge, extend the arms out in front of you along the sides of the head. Other one leg balance poses include: dancer, standing big toe pose, and standing splits.Crow and crane:
When first practicing this pose, place a folded up blanket in front of you for a crash pad. Place your hands on your mat, shoulder-width apart and spread your fingers to create a solid base. Place the knees on the backs of the upper arms and start out by lifting first one foot and then the other until you are balancing yourself on your hands. Engage the abdominal muscles to lift the feet off the floor. Focus: Engage the abdominal muscles, keep the hands steady, and focus the gaze.Side plank:Begin in plank pose, the start of the push-up position, with the hands beneath the shoulders, legs straight and together, and hips in line with the rest of the body. To come into side plank, first place more weight in the right hand, and lift the left hand, stretching the hand away from the shoulder. Stack the left foot on top of the right. Engage the abdominal muscles and reach the top arm upwards. Release from the pose by bringing the left hand back down beneath the shoulder, and roll back onto your toes. Repeat on the other side. Focus: Squeeze the inner legs together, reach the top hand up to the sky, and focus the eyes.Variations: Different leg positions allow you to build up to the full pose. Rather than balancing with the feet stacked on each other, start with both knees and lower legs on the floor. Then build up to balancing on the side of just one foot, with the other knee bent and the foot crossed in front of the bottom leg.Other arm balances include side plank, crow, crane, firefly, and scissors. Poses in which we remain standing on our own two feet help us find our place in the world and challenge us to stand on our own two feet. Poses standing on one leg are more challenging and further inspire us to stand on our own. They also develop core strength and build the muscles of the legs and buttocks. These include variations of tree, warrior III, half-moon, standing big-toe, and dancer. All balance poses add an element of play into practice, and provide a sense of accomplishment. Through practice, we suddenly find ourselves in a pose we never thought possible. Use the mat as a playground, laboratory, place to experiment and source of inspiration to more successfully juggle the balancing act of daily life.