Balance in a pleasure first world.
A Yogic Perspective on Reclaiming Vitality and Balance
For many of us we welcome the delights of summer and use this time to activate our pleasure neurons. I am so grateful for these last months of friends and family, traveling around Colorado, wine tasting, boating in Virginia, dancing outside, and enjoying rich meals and the sweet indulgence of creamy ice cream!
This summer, these pleasures felt even more juicy because I felt more attuned to my body and spirit. Over the past year of being more dedicated to spiritual, personal, and somatic practices, I have deepened my awareness of what my body truly needs. I began honoring this sacred temple, my body, and discovered ways to support myself as I journey into a new chapter of womanhood.
My somatic work has been a gateway to understanding the language of my body, allowing me to connect more deeply with my intuitive wisdom and inner guidance. I felt a crystalline clarity, a vibrant alignment that made any deviation from this path immediately noticeable. And when I strayed, I could quickly recalibrate, returning to a state of balance and harmony.
When we are in such a state of wholeness, we can fully embrace the sensory delights of the world around us. In this alignment, we are in sync with the universal rhythm of love, our energy vibrant, and our intentions can manifest with grace and ease.
Going into this Summer I felt like a steady metronome, grounded and centered in my relationships and within my family.
Yet, as the season unfolded, with its late nights and indulgent moments, I noticed a shift. My carefully cultivated balance began to waver, and old patterns slowly resurfaced. My energy became heavier, frustration bubbled up, and I found myself becoming irritable and disconnected from the inner guidance that had sustained me throughout the year.
This ebb and flow are part of the human experience, a dance within the cycle of Samsara—the continual process of awakening and forgetting. We all carry deeply ingrained patterns, born from years of habit and conditioning. These patterns, even when they no longer serve us, offer a familiar comfort, especially when we are tired or uncertain. It’s during these moments that we are most tempted to revert to the ease of the old ways, even if they no longer nourish us.
However, when we slip back into these patterns, it’s important to remember that this doesn’t mean we’ve failed. We are still on our path, still evolving. Each time we stumble, we are given an opportunity to feel the discomfort fully, to recognize it, and then to recommit to our true desires. Much like finding balance in Tree Pose, falling is simply part of learning to stand stronger.
During transformation, it’s easy to feel as though we are constantly moving upward. But when we take a step back, it can seem as though we’ve lost all our progress. Yet, this is only an illusion. The return to old patterns feels more intense because of the growth we’ve experienced. Our lows now are higher than the highs of six months ago, and with each step back, we bring with us the wisdom and strength to rise again, more efficiently and more consciously.
From where I stand now, after "falling off my good habits," I reaffirm my commitment to becoming the best version of myself. I recognize that my clear energy is a precious life force, more valuable than anything material. This energy is the source of my power, the connection to spirit, and the essence of love. It is this life force that fills me with clarity and bliss.
As we transition into the fall, I declare my recommitment to the path of clarity and vitality. I will nourish myself with energy-giving foods and drinks, and I will engage in daily practices that awaken my soul and sustain my vitality.
I am choosing to embrace a sober September and October as part of this recommitment.
Will you join me on this journey?
And when the time comes to indulge once again, I will do so with a deeper awareness of how to maintain balance, without losing my footing—just like in Tree Pose.
