Ayurveda, the sister science to yoga teaches the importance of balance. Within everyone, we have three components to our constitution called doshas: vata (air), pitta (fire), and kapha (earth). From the most basic and simplistic viewpoint, kapha is grounding, it helps us connect to the earth and stay more even-keeled. Pitta is needed to provide the energy for action and the alchemy for change. Vata allows movement, creativity, and a deeper spiritual connection.
If one has too much kapha, they will be lethargic and apathetic. Too much pitta, they will be too active and risk "burning" themselves and others. Excess vata creates spaciness, inability to focus or take meaningful action. If there is an excess in one, there will be a deficiency in another.
When the doshas are balanced, you can stay centered in your wisdom, while creatively engaging and problem solving, and taking action on necessary change. There are three steps to supporting balance.
1. Pay attention to what you ingest. This is about far more than food and beverage. Everything you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch all provide information to your mind and body. Some things you can control, some you can't. You cant control what people post on social media or how the media reports a story, but you can choose what and how much you ingest.
2. Digest what you ingest. A lack of mindfulness, apathy, and denial can lead to energetic and emotion constipation, much like food taking too long to digest will cause physical constipation. Even 10 minutes daily of intentionally being quiet and focusing on the breath can assist in digestion. Journaling is another excellent way to digest.
3. Assimilate or eliminate prevents back-up. As you're digesting your food, your body determines what nutrients it needs, whatever is left (hopefully) is eliminated. How often do we do that with all the information we take in, though? What do you need to keep, maybe processing it a bit more, and what can you surrender?
Creating balance is a mindful process that requires awareness. Balance will have a magnificent ripple effect in all areas of your life, even if you're only giving it partial attention. Just like in pre-flight safety messages, the flight attendants remind passengers to put the oxygen mask on first before assisting those in need. Creating balance within yourself must happen before you can help others most effectively and efficiently as possible. When you are balanced, you become a part of the solution.