Guest Author - Cindy Kessler

It’s not always easy to take time for yourself in such a hectic world. Here are some tips for finding time for balance!

Between carpool, work, chores and errands it is easy to come to the end of the day feeling overly taxed and underwhelmed. When thinking back through everything you accomplished it may feel like you haven’t really made any forward movement; as though you are perpetually walking and getting no where.

It’s easy to see all the things that block us from making progress, and, without taking time for yourself everyday, it’s nearly impossible to see the little movements you are making through the universe.

That’s great… One more thing you have to add to your list, right? Nope! Because your body and mind long for balance, it’s actually relatively simple to bring yourself back to center – once you get used to doing it.

The first step? Just start. You don’t have to set aside special time to sit in a darkened room, with lit candles and incense. You only have to open your mind and let yourself become receptive to the world around you.

Some of the best places I have found for re-centering myself are about as far from a yoga studio as one can get. Generally, they are places that I am alone, or virtually alone.

In The Car: You’re on your way to work, or, maybe you’ve just finished your grueling day and are stuck in that same, unending traffic as always. Here’s a chance to take your first step towards harmony. Begin by loosening your death-grip on the steering wheel and taking several deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Look for something around you in which you can find beauty – perhaps there are flowers by the road, or just a particularly green patch of grass, perhaps a particularly impressive building – and focus on its details for a few moments while continuing to breathe deeply. When you feel yourself start to relax, you’re receptive to the world around you. This is a good time to repeat a montra to yourself. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy – a simple “I am open to the good around me,” or “I am calm, cool, collected,” work really well. And, its amazing how much quicker the drive will pass when you’re not focusing on how long it’s taking!

In The Shower: It seems like a funny place to try and meditate, but actually being alone with yourself in your most natural state is a great place balance. The music of the Tibetan Monks is generally played in very low tones, not only because it’s calming, but also because they believe it represents the sounds the body makes naturally. For this reason, I find it helpful to take a few deep breaths, then hum a very low note almost silently. It forces me to focus on my breathing and the combination of the moving water and the sound vibrations are really relaxing. Before breaking my focus, I tend to repeat a quick montra – if I’m getting ready for work I open myself to all the goodness in my day; if it’s evening, I tend to focus on my dreams – those of the night before and those for the night ahead.

Out and About: I find it most important to remind myself to stop and smell the flowers. It can only take a second of staring out into the deep greens of a rainy spring afternoon, or crunching my toes in the grass, or taking in the details of a particularly beautiful flower in my garden to bring me back to focusing on the good around me.

Even if you life is making you crazy, take a few minutes to center yourself. When your spirit is in balance, it reflects on the rest of your life.

Cindy is the editor for the History Site here at BellaOnline