Yoga is about balance in life.

Just imagine -a successful industry honcho with chain of successful ventures behind him is on a mission to sign a deal that he believes would bring him in the list of the who’s who of the corporate world. He is blissfully enjoying every moment of his flight when his thoughts are curtly interrupted by the co-pilot’s announcement.
“I have good news as well as bad news. The good news is that we are going very fast and the bad news is that we are lost!”

Yes, it is true of most of us having lost a sense of balancing in the rat race to attain our materialistic pursuits and in the process have tragically trapped ourselves. Tragedy is that it is happening when we have more time saving devices at our disposal than what we had at any time in the past but we seem to have less time at our disposal to think about what we are doing.

The Gita says that Yoga is all about balance. That one is required to perform all his duties- as the beloved to his wife, as the dutiful son, as the earning householder, as a selfless friend, a responsible subject and a caring neighbour etc. all in appropriate proportion. So much is the importance of balancing in life that even by chasing the blessings of Almighty all the time by ignoring our duties in this workaday world we will not get the much cherished salvation -supreme happiness.

Vedas by dividing the life in to four phases ie brahamcharya, grihastha, sanyas and vanprastha emphasize the need for a balance in life. Similarly Buddha says that best way to practice Buddhism is by performing ones duties towards parents, wife, children, neighbours, guru & seers and social groups.
In ancient India the individual was encouraged to live in harmony with himself, his family, his environment and community by bringing about a balance between his inner and outer realities. Growing conflicts, struggle to survive, broken homes, youth going astray, addictions, crimes and suicides all what we are seeing today even in the homes which are rolling in wealth is because of the fact that we are not maintaining the balance what we are required to do. For example TV is a useful gadget in the house but to use it to keep children busy when the working mother is away to her place of work harms the children enormously. Likewise mobile has made difference in the lives of every body but to use it where your physical presence is required spoils the things.

How to restore this balance? Spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. By the time we realize that our parents needed us by their side, they are no more.

Say a kind word to someone who looks up to you for every thing in his early days, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Even with your entire accumulated wealth you can not buy back the childhood of your child. Therefore give him time and attention even if it is at the expense of so many other things which your bigger pay package can buy.

Give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a thing. Don’t forget to spare some time to make difference in the lives of many who were not born as privileged as you were.

Remember, to give a feeling to your partner that you care for him, with your actions and not merely by words. Simply crooning ‘I love you’ “I care for you” to your partner will not do unless you really mean it and show it to him with your actions.

Most important is don’t look for some auspicious time to start all these otherwise it will be too late. Life is like a dew drop. We will do well to keep in mind the friability of life.