Balance in Nature
July 26, 2006
I have been striving to achieve more balance in my life lately. Balance in diet and eating with intention to be more balanced in mood, emotions and temper. More equanimous perhaps. In the past I spent time working with the word equanimous and bringing that balance into my life. Back at it again.
However I was thinking (partially spurred on by my food and summer musings) that nature may be balanced in the long run but this balance is achieved by extremes. Now is the time of year where the gardens flourish. There is an abundance of fresh, living food. Just a few months back the pickings for lettuce were quite slim. Prices were high and what you got for your dollar was not happy, nor healthy looking greens. These days our garden is alive with lettuce; the farms and farmers’ markets have beautiful lettuce to choose from – vibrant, alive, varied…
This time of year, those with gardens often have summer squash (aka zucchini) and then tomatoes in abundance. Then as the season winds down there come the hardier vegetables that will last through the winter in proper storage.
But then there’s winter. Things shut down. The green changes colour and drops away. The shutting down is a drawn out process.
So yes this is balance. The cycles repeat and come around again and there will be warm, sunny days and then frigid days as well. This balance is extreme. Why can’t we have a balanced supply throughout the year? Why are there times of drought?
If I’m trying to achieve balance of emotions and mood could I not then say that a balance is there by living in the extremes? Yes it is balance but not what I am looking for. Is it realistic to expect to be balanced and equanimous at all times? Sure it is natural to feel a range of emotions but I suppose the expectation of balance would be that life is less rocked by the ups and downs – they happen but aren’t completely shaking up our foundation.
Well I sure do find it easier to live with the vibrant, living cycles. Perhaps I just need more introspection to fully appreciate the times of shutting down and death as well…
I have been striving to achieve more balance in my life lately. Balance in diet and eating with intention to be more balanced in mood, emotions and temper. More equanimous perhaps. In the past I spent time working with the word equanimous and bringing that balance into my life. Back at it again.
However I was thinking (partially spurred on by my food and summer musings) that nature may be balanced in the long run but this balance is achieved by extremes. Now is the time of year where the gardens flourish. There is an abundance of fresh, living food. Just a few months back the pickings for lettuce were quite slim. Prices were high and what you got for your dollar was not happy, nor healthy looking greens. These days our garden is alive with lettuce; the farms and farmers’ markets have beautiful lettuce to choose from – vibrant, alive, varied…
This time of year, those with gardens often have summer squash (aka zucchini) and then tomatoes in abundance. Then as the season winds down there come the hardier vegetables that will last through the winter in proper storage.
But then there’s winter. Things shut down. The green changes colour and drops away. The shutting down is a drawn out process.
So yes this is balance. The cycles repeat and come around again and there will be warm, sunny days and then frigid days as well. This balance is extreme. Why can’t we have a balanced supply throughout the year? Why are there times of drought?
If I’m trying to achieve balance of emotions and mood could I not then say that a balance is there by living in the extremes? Yes it is balance but not what I am looking for. Is it realistic to expect to be balanced and equanimous at all times? Sure it is natural to feel a range of emotions but I suppose the expectation of balance would be that life is less rocked by the ups and downs – they happen but aren’t completely shaking up our foundation.
Well I sure do find it easier to live with the vibrant, living cycles. Perhaps I just need more introspection to fully appreciate the times of shutting down and death as well…
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