A balancing act

Balance comes to play when more than one influence is present. When our life is in balance, we have a sense of well being. Balance isn't static though - it has a dynamic quality. We act to keep and maintain it. Life offers many influences that may add, reduce, move around, excite and discourage - basically changing and getting us off balance.

I recall the end of my first year of apprenticeship with my teacher - I was presented with a new challenge, a new shift was around the corner. At that time, I was a partner in a printing company in Los Angeles. My partner and I agreed on special arrangements that took place due to my ongoing travels to Northern California, to practice Aikido with Shibata Sensei. I was going back and forth every week, Monday through Thursday in Los Angeles, at my business, and then, off to Berkeley, to train. After one year, my business partner was not happy. He wanted out of this deal, and in fact, out of the partnership altogether. I was confused and thought I will have to choose between the business in LA and the practice in Berkeley. I didn't want to give up neither. I asked for the advise of one of my Sempai (senior student), that offered me a solution that I had no capacity of grasping at that time: "Yes", he said, "you will need to buy him out, and then you will get to work much harder in your business, AND also you will need to practice much harder here...". The option of having it all didn't even cross my mind.

Truth is, this is exactly what I ended up doing. It look a balancing act and some creative logistics to keep everything moving along. I learned that it was about making an effort, to keep the life balance, yet also, the readiness to "drop some balls" and actively and continuously working at it. I was lucky enough to be able to balance it for five more years; juggling, watching the flying balls, and seeing some drop - yet having both my practice and my business in my life.

Sometimes, when a student tells me he or she needs to take some time off from the practice, due to some new influence - I ask: "Do you really have to choose? Unfortunately, in most cases, people think they do have to choose. On the other hand, it is a great joy for me, to see how students who have practiced regularly managed to create and maintain the balance in their lives. Through their consistency of practice they widen their capacity, and seem to be able to blend somewhat easier with life changes. The balancing act is a true wonder.

"Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some." ~Robert Fulghum