Finding Balance at the Equinox

 In the Northern Hemisphere the Autumn Equinox falls on Monday 23rd September this year. It is the perfect time to explore balance in your Yoga practice. And Yoga is the perfect way to bring balance to body and mind. 

At the Autumn Equinox night and day are balanced, before we tip into the darkest phase of the year. The dark will continue to expand until the Sun is reborn at the Winter Solstice in December when the light phase of the year begins anew. “Equinox” is derived from the Latin and means “equal night”. At both equinoxes the Earth is perfectly balanced, with its North and South Poles neither tilted towards nor away from the Sun, making day and night equal all over the world. 

We create balance in our lives by being clear about what and who are important to us. This enables us to defend our energy from being hijacked by things that are trivial and don’t really matter to us. This clarity gives us the confidence to say “yes!” to the things that we value, and to be comfortable saying “no!” to that which is depleting and takes us away from the life we want to live. 

When our life is out of balance we feel cut off from the flow of life. We don’t feel at home in our own skin. We are somewhere else, not in the present. We feel time pressured; unable to find time for doing the things that we love, the things that nourish us and bring us back to a balanced state. 

When our life is in balance, we feel connected; carried by the flow of life; on the right track; happy, optimistic, generous, and tolerant of others. When balance is present in our life, there is enough time; things get done with ease; there is enough love, and we feel held by the web of life. 

At the Autumn Equinox day and night are equal. It also corresponds with the date that the Sun enters the sign of Libra- the scales of balance. Here are some meditation questions that explore balance and are designed to be used around the time of the Autumn Equinox.

• How does it feel when my life is out of balance? What are the signs to look for?
• How does it feel when my life is in balance? What’s different?

• In what ways does yoga help me to bring balance into my life? Which aspects of yoga have I found helpful for this?
• Apart from Yoga what do I find helps to create balance in my life?

    
For a full set of Autumn Equinox Meditation Questions please see the Autumn Equinox chapter of my Yoga Through the Year book. If you are in the Southern Hemisphere go to the Spring Equinox chapter, or visit my Spring Equinox Page on this website.