THE GUIDE

19. BALANCE

We are a finely-tuned species, and like any natural system, we exist within very specific parameters of life. In order to survive within our natural limits, we require the basics ~ air, food, water and shelter. And to function in an optimal way, we need space and connection. But when any of these are out of balance, in excess or in lack, our health and well-being are threatened.

Our body is a vessel that allows us to experience this world through our senses, and the more we take care of our ‘cosmic spacesuit’ the deeper and clearer our experiences become. Maintaining the living resource of our ‘bio-matter’ is about managing our energy input and output, much like balancing a budget or the economy. Too much or too little in any given area can destabilize the whole.

The longer we ignore these imbalances in the system, the harder and more drastic it can be to regain equilibrium. The further out from our center-point of well-being, the more extreme the compensations become. Trying to manage a stress-state of extremes for too long ends up depleting the system of energy it needs simply to survive, leaving it vulnerable to pathogens that would exploit and drain the system further.

At a basic level, a healthy organism is like a cell with a well-functioning semipermeable membrane ~ a protective and discerning barrier that regulates what is allowed to come in and what needs to be kept out. This balance keeps the cell nourished (without going into excess that would make it as sick as going into lack.)

19. BALANCE ~ The Basics

Essay by Katarzyna Vedah. July 1, 2020

As an human organism, we are a collective of different types of cells, each with their own specialties, limits and requirements for optimal being. And each is an interdependent part of a larger whole.

Our species, likewise, is an interconnected part of a larger whole. Feeling disconnected or out of sync from this greater ‘pulse’ of being can impair our naturally balancing discernment, confusing what is helpful or harmful for our survival, creating excess and lack, and ultimately destabilizing not only ourselves but the greater organism we depend on for life.

There is no forcing this balance. Extreme ‘cures’ can be just as damaging as cutting off a foot to deal with an infected toenail. Equilibrium comes with steady and consistent actions that shift us back to a healthy state.

It is not about trying to dominate or control the elements involved but coming into a respectful, mutually beneficial and co-creative relationship ~ be it with one’s own body, another person/group, or the environment.

But seeking harmony and balance in our inter-relationships does not mean creating a mono-culture of sameness. The more complex a system or organism, the more diverse its elements and connections. We need each other. And sustainability is about exchange.

As a part of a larger natural system, we also need to acknowledge that life is not a fixed state and that equilibrium is an active, continually evolving balancing act.

As active parts in a greater whole, what we do affects those who are connected with us, and ripples out throughout the system.

With this in mind, What actions are we taking to bring us closer to a state of health, balance and connection ~ and what actions move us away from these?

VIDEO (YouTube):

Disease! (Crash Course)

Globalization I (Crash Course)

Globalization II (Crash Course)

Universal Basic Income (Joe Scott)

Tragedy of the Commons (TED-Ed)

Commons Work? (Next System Project)

Universal Human Rights (TED-Ed)

Bottled Water (Story of Stuff Project)

H2O: The Molecule That Made Us (PBS)

Humans Altered Ecosystems (Tru TV)

Climate Change in 5 Min. (BuzzFeed)