Balance

I would venture to say that we humans are asymmetrical beings. Hatha yoga, with its many asymmetrical poses reveals this well. One of the teachers I studied with helped me to see this in trikonasana (triangle pose). I noticed that one side always felt more challenging than the other side, perhaps because of a slightly elevated left hip. But what was  interesting is I resisted being on my "tight" side and went deep on the side where I was "open," thereby perpetuating my own imbalance.

The physical practice is a metaphor for the inner process. I find that I stay in places that are comfortable and secure--whether its in the company of like-minded individuals or ordering the same food at restaurants.

The practice, then, is to honestly observe whether places of comfort are contributing to imbalances in the heart and mind.