59. Finding Balance and Transformation In Life
Explore the power of mindfulness for finding balance and happiness amidst life’s busy and stressful schedules. Discover how small differences, both in our bodies and minds, can hold valuable insights and affect the bigger picture. Through awareness and acceptance, we can adapt, adjust, and make conscious choices to create amazing transformations. Let’s journey together towards progress, not perfection, as we explore mindfulness in action.
MINDFUL ACTION: Notice something small, either something in your body, or a thought in your mind, that has sort of snowballed into something bigger and backtrack to figure out where it all stemmed from.
FULL MEDITATION FOR BALANCE:
BOOK A VIRTUAL MEDITATION WITH BETH:
www.bethbackes.com/meditation-sessions
BALANCE AND TRANSFORMATION EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
The Differences
Picture this: you’re in a yoga class, stretching your body and focusing on your breath. As you move through the poses, you notice that one side of your body feels more flexible than the other? Perhaps your left hamstring is a bit tighter than your right, or maybe your right shoulder is less open than your left. These subtle imbalances may seem insignificant, but they hold valuable insights into our bodies and minds. Welcome to Mindful Actions, the podcast that helps you find happiness and balance among life’s busy and stressful schedules. Let’s talk today about being mindful of small, little, barely there, differences happening in your daily life can affect the bigger picture.
[Intro Music]
You’ve probably had times in your life where you’ve felt a little bit off, but you’re not really sure why. And what you may not realize is that this off feeling most likely stems from a very small, minute thing that created a ripple effect of adaptations and adjustments. The things that are only noticeable if you focus and pay attention to them. And when you do notice them, it’s like whoa, light bulb! THAT’s what’s been going on with me. THAT’S why I’ve been acting and feeling the way that I do right now. It all makes total sense now.
The first step is to bring awareness to these differences. Take a moment to observe your body as you engage in physical activities like walking, yoga or exercise. Notice the sensations and movements on each side. When you’re lifting weights, is your right arm moving more steady and stronger than your left? Or in yoga, you might discover that one side feels more tense or restricted, while the other feels more at ease and flexible. I noticed this the other morning on my mat. One side of my lower back was more tense than the other causing me to feel out of balance. And so I stretched through that. And that’s when I noticed the ripple effect. So my right lower back was feeling very tight and strained. And then I realized that my left leg was tighter than my right leg. And then later in the day I was sitting on the couch and I realized I was slightly slouching to the left, which was twisting my right lower back muscles in an odd way. See what I’m getting at here? And then when I went for a walk, I was slightly putting more weight into my left leg to take the pressure off my right lower back. And I was like ooooh, ok. That makes so much sense now. So throughout my day, by being mindful, I tracked 4 different instances where one thing in my body was being affected by something else. And then I was able to pinpoint two exact things, the slouching on the couch and the walking weird, that contributed to this overall imbalance.
Once I recognized these differences, I was able to stretch, adapt, and adjust. We need to remember to embrace differences with curiosity and compassion. Not only is this a good lesson with your own body, but it’s also a good lesson when considering those around you. Embrace differences with curiosity and compassion. Instead of judging yourself or feeling frustrated, consider this as an opportunity for growth. We’re all unique, and our bodies have their own quirks and patterns. By acknowledging and accepting these differences, we can adapt our lives and find more balance.
The same principle applies to our thoughts and actions. Just as we can have imbalances in our bodies, we can also have imbalances in our minds. Maybe you find yourself dwelling on negative thoughts more often than positive ones, or maybe you tend to prioritize work over self-care. These subtle differences can impact our well-being.
This simple act of giving it attention allows us to become aware of these patterns and make conscious choices to even out our thoughts and actions. When you notice yourself being overly critical or self-judgmental, pause and bring kindness to your inner dialogue. Challenge negative thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations. If you catch yourself thinking “ugh, I look awful in that picture”, pause and flip the script and tell yourself something like “wow, look at this cool candid shot of us all smiling and enjoying each others company, and having fun. It might not be the most flattering picture, but the memory was great”. You may not believe it right away, BUT, you’re giving yourself an opportunity where the next time you look at that picture in the future, you may be more likely to focus on the good than the bad. Repetition creates belief.
Remember, the mindfulness journey is not about perfection but about progress. By being mindful of the small little details that often go unnoticed, we empower ourselves to make small changes that lead to amazing and beautiful transformations.
So, going back to my story, what did I do next? Well the next day, I was able to listen to my body more. And I chose a yoga sequence that I was able to focus and stretch those areas that I was having trouble with. It wasn’t the one I intended to do for that day, but I adapted. And I am not more cognizant of my posture on the couch, and I’m wearing better shoes when I go walking. And hopefully within the next couple of days, I’ll be feeling back in balance. And I want that for you too.
Your Mindful Action for this week is to notice something small. Either something in your body, or a thought in your mind, that has sort of snowballed into something bigger. And then back-track how you got to that point. See if you can identify how different small things affected each other, and then figure out how your going to be mindful of if moving forward to adapt and adjust.
And, don’t forget, if you need help with any of this, connect with me, or listen to the meditation linked in the show notes, or, join me for my Monday morning 6AM or my Thursday evening at 9PM eastern time virtual group meditation classes.
I hope you have a fabulous week ahead. Sending you peace, love, and om.
[Transition Music]
