WALKING MEDITATIONS - Balance, Harmony And Peace

How does one achieve these three things in ones' life? Is it possible? And why is it so hard to do?

First off, there is no prescribe way, or method. No, one, two or three easy steps to balance, harmony and peace. The integration of oneself and the World into a unified coalition, is no mean task. Can it be done. The answer is "yes". Why? Because the answer to any problem can be found in the problem itself.. And in nine out of ten cases, if we our involved in said problem, we are the problem. And because this is true, we run as fast as we can away, from solving the problem. We do not like confrontations with ourselves, others or the world. Confrontations make us feel very uncomfortable. One of the reasons for this lies in the actuality, that a change may be call for. Which will ask us to leave those things, which are comfortable and non-threatening to us. We love our comfort zones, right?

Let's look at these three words separately. Balance, what is it?. What does it mean? How would we know if someone was balanced? What would be his or her demeanor, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually? In other words how would they speak, what would be the nuance of their speech, their words and actions, day by day? Stressful, negative. nervous, bland indecisive, uncertain, fearful, boring, alive, dead, non-committal, positive, alive, happy, caring, compassionate, doom and gloom, emotional , passive, excited, enthused, empowering, affirming, fearful, apprehensive, deceiving, truthful, wise, weak, forceful, empty, hollow, selfish, pretentious, over-bearing, arrogant, indifferent, apathetic, anxious, obsessed, pessimistic, calm, certainty, confident, courageous , gentle, knowledgeable, aware, flexible, attentive, vital, energetic, influential, serene, purposeful, cheerful, creative, insightful, conscientious and loving?

Now all of a sudden, we have not only three words to look at, but a mini-dictionary to look in-to. To gain some in-sight about what is behind the words; balance, harmony and peace plus all these other words we have mentioned.

Let's stick with speech and a person's word selection a little longer. Before moving on to gestures, manner, impression, and appearance. How one speaks, the words he or she chooses, or the words not chosen.? What one speaks about or that which they never speak about? Or seldom speak about. In asking how one speaks, we are asking in what manner, sound, strength, intensity is one speaking. Is it, with uncertainty, a passivity, an indifference, an apathy. You get the point. We are not nit-picking here. We are trying to find out what is 'balance, harmony and peace'. But we will try to arrive through the back door, by finding out, by looking into imbalance, disorder and conflict. Most people in their right mind would opt for order, balance and unity in their lives. Would you agree? Yes!

Balance, harmony and peace is an out-growth of being aware, of being perceptive to that which we are a part of, as we encounter life. It is attending to, being intent on what is happening around us. A seeing with our ears and hearing with our eyes? This allows us to be alive to the moment, the "now".

If one is a million miles away as another is speaking or they are pre-occupied with the chattering that is going on in their own mind while another is speaking. Their responses are predictable, as are their choice of words. They are some-where else. Here is a case, or a fact of not being in tune, in balance, harmony or at peace with oneself. And certainly not with the person who is speaking, or trying to speak. Small detail you say; "not so" because attending to the moment, to that which is at hand is part of being balanced, in harmony and at peace with oneself and everything else. If we fail to hear and see what is going on around us, if we are so occupied with our own confusion and disorder that it isolates us from the moment, from being there instead of somewhere else. We are entering the unbalanced area. We are living in our reality, a reality that we have structured. A reality that limits and prevents us from experiencing the moment, the "now". Relationships and the World around us. Our worries doubts, anxieties, fears, shame guilt and all the other proclivities we hang onto isolate us from the real world. And from who we really are. Is this to simplistic, maybe?. To naive, maybe?

But we are not quite finished, yet. One needs to decide as to what has been said so far. What is balanced and what is unbalanced. What enhances or hinders balance? How about the mini-dictionary? Mentally try to check off those words as to their intent, wither they would help or hinder the possibilities of balance, harmony and peace.

We mentioned some external signs, some body language we use along with voice and words to convey what we are trying say, This silent language in a way, is an expressed image. It is an image that speaks a thousand words. Coupled with, what we actually end up doing. Both of these speaks more about balance and the unbalanced, harmony and disorder, peace and conflict than the spoken word. Talking a good fight does not get the Gold Medal.

The tone, volume, strength and vitality of the voice. The light of the eyes, the energy they emit. The posture of the body, its tone or lack of tone. Also its energy. How one moves; is there an alive-ness or a deadness to the bodys' movement? We are talking about how one walks, talks, acts, works, makes love, washes dishes, scrubs the floor, or whatever ones' daily routines is. Is it alive or dead?

How about our attitudes ? Our attitude towards ourselves, towards others. The World and the things of the world. How is our self-esteem, self-respect, self-worth, self-reliance, confidence, feeling of security, of self-sufficiency.? Do we like ourselves and how about others?

Do we react or pro-act to life? Are we good at what we do? Improving and learning all the time? Or are we lazy, always procrastinating? Do we do more than is expected? Or just enough to get by?

Are we whiners? Always, complaining about all and everything. Nothing is right. There is not enough sun, there is to much sun. No rain, to much rain. Why are some of us never satisfied? It's the government, the politicians, the neighbors, "they, those, them", always somebody who is to blame for their miserable, petty lives. The complainers of the world can find nothing to be thankful for. They don't love or like themselves, let alone anybody or anything else. They are the Joan and Joe Glooms of the World, the party poopers of the World. They try their best to ruin everyone's parade, if possible. Their skies are always cloudy; with a storm coming. Is this balance or unbalance?

Confusion, disorder, conflict, out of sync, at war within, indeciveness, uncertainty and fear, are the "enemies of the state" The state of harmony and peace.