Balancing the Body and Mind

The second card we drew in our angel card practice this month was Balance. Meditation is a powerful technique for balancing the body and mind. Below are 2 practices, drawn from my many years of crafting meditations, to help you do this.

Balancing the Body

Grounding roots you into your body. Practice by imagining a golden ball of light in your pelvis. Whether you see it, feel it, or simply know it’s there, just allow it to be there.

Feel this light contract with each inhale and expand with each exhale. Link the rhythm of the breath with the rhythm of the heart and the golden ball of light. Feel the rhythm as it runs through your body.

Now imagine a ray of light extending down from your pelvis, through every layer of the earth, attaching to the core of the earth like the roots of a tree. Feel the rhythm of the earth, your heart, the golden ball of light, and the vibration radiating from the sun. Notice the connection and bond of all things.

As you exhale, allow any tightness or tension to release down your grounding cord. With each exhale, let all non-resourceful energies compost to the core of the earth, letting gravity do what gravity does.

Balancing the Mind

You are not your thinking mind, you are the observer. To be mindful is to be aware of your thoughts without getting lost in thought.

The neutral mind is the center of the head. It's associated with clear sight and mind and allows us to balance the conscious mind (a.k.a., the judging mind) with the neutral space within the mind, so the conscious mind doesn’t always run the show.

Practice being in the center of your head by closing your eyes and bringing your attention to the point just above your eyebrows and just behind your eyes. Gently roll your eyes upward and inward and let your awareness rest there. Once you’ve found the center of your head, you can relax your eyes.

From the center of your head, create your perfect space, whether it’s a beach, forest, city street, art studio, or quiet room. Outside this space, imagine a stream of thoughts, witnessing the thoughts as they pass by, free from attachment.

When your mind wanders, bring it back to the breath. Be in the center of your head, neutral and still, calm and reflective, allowing all concerns to cease.

Tending to the body and mind cultivates the awareness we need to find balance. By sitting in quiet contemplation, attachments will rise to the surface and then begin to fall away.

Most of us are so used to being distracted that being still feels foreign. While simple, focusing our attention on the breath takes practice and patience. Start with a few minutes each day with the mediations above and stay the course. Craft your perfect space and reap the rewards that balance brings.