You Can't Force Balance. Here's What Actually Works.

The harder you try to balance, the faster you fall.

I see it in class all the time.

Someone starts to wobble.

Then the fight begins.

Toes grab the floor.

Shoulders creep toward the ears.

Jaw tightens.

Breathing stops.

Every muscle in the body apparently gets an emergency text:

WE’RE GOING DOWN!

😂

And usually that’s about the time they lose their balance.

So I’ll tell them:

“Stop trying so hard.”

You can almost see the confusion.

I’m falling over and Dave wants me to try less?

Pretty much.

Soften your knees.

Relax your toes.

Breathe.

Feel the floor underneath you.

Be aware of what’s happening instead of fighting it.

Then try again.

Something often changes.

Not always. Balance is complicated. Your eyes, inner ear, strength, mobility, sensation, medications, and other health issues can all affect it.

But tension doesn’t magically solve any of those things.

Sometimes it just gives you one more thing to fight.

I learned that lesson in my own body.

In my fifties, I was stiff, sore, overweight, and facing a pile of physical problems.

My answer for years had been to push harder.

Eventually I started doing something very different.

I started listening.

Movement became less about forcing my body to do what I wanted and more about paying attention to what it was telling me.

That changed a lot more than my balance.

At 72, I move with more confidence than I did twenty years ago.

And here’s the funny thing.

The longer I teach, the more I think balance is a pretty good teacher for the rest of life.

Something gets shaky.

So what do we do?

Grip harder.

Control more.

Try to force everything back where we think it belongs.

And sometimes...

we make the wobble worse.

Maybe that’s why I love teaching balance.

You can’t bully your way through it.

You have to feel what’s happening.

Adjust.

Breathe.

Trust yourself a little.

And if you wobble?

Good.

That’s information.

Put your foot down.

Smile.

Start again.

There’s no medal for standing on one leg the longest.

Although if there were, I’m pretty sure somebody in class would demand a recount. 😂

Next time something feels a little shaky, whether you’re standing on one foot or just having one of those days, notice what happens when you stop fighting quite so hard.

Feel the ground.

Take a breath.

Pay attention.

You might already be steadier than you think.