Vriksasana

I was practicing yoga the other day, intent on letting everything but the present moment occupy my mind. A calm serenity surfaced as I moved into tree pose. It had just begun to rain, and the sound resonated with me in an elemental way. When the instructor encouraged us to close our eyes in the pose and feel how our body works to balance itself, I became conscious of the basic ease there is in achieving balance. When I shut my eyes, my feet naturally, by way of reflex, shift my weight to maintain stability on the ground. The body and mind naturally balance themselves. Forced balance is unnecessary because balance is innate. When you let go and allow the mind to be still, the body naturally gravitates toward a state of equilibrium. Balance is an intuitive response to any sense of unsteadiness. It's a transitive concept that I am grateful to have grasped. The shutting of the eyes is analogous to letting go of trying to achieve a contrived sense of perceived stability, and the pose creates a parallel between the practice of yoga and the practice of life.