The balance of matter is a matter of balance. Juggling with paradox is an act of dynamic equilibrium that underlies the natural and human world. With every step we shift weight and counterbalance to stay upright. We walk instinctively, thinking we are moving forward. But, before advancing we actually retreat and then come to a neutral place of equilibrium to proceed. So every step is a natural bridging of passive and active states. And the actual bridge is “neutrality” – a transitory state of “presencing” and embodied mindfulness, when your personal intention aligns with universal axis.

Interestingly enough, these thoughts dawned on me not while I was practicing yoga or dance, but as I was balancing rocks with my brother, last summer at the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. It was our way of giving gratitude to the deep blue. The ritual was done in total silence. We tuned our choices to nature and let the stones and rocks play with each other, guiding us which to pick and how to order them. We placed them one after the other, until our “stupa” stood erect gelled together by the nature’s “gravity glue”.

The landscape was very rocky and most of the stones were edgy and razor sharp. So we began assembling the bigger rocks and stacked them carefully to establish the foundation. We had to replace some stones as they were not in agreement with each other, they would just roll out. So we placed each rock in near-point balance, finding the right match, until they stuck. Once we got the base right the “torso” was easier to assemble. We found out that lower rocks depended on the texture, surface and weight of upper rocks to maintain balance. So we started counter-balancing them to sculpt an ephemeral configuration that literally stood on air. This was the lesson of delicate balancing when we had to place the stone so gently and precisely, and then back off from the “stupa” holding our breath still, not to ruin the subtle equilibrium. By the time we had reached the top of our “mountain” we were looking for smaller flatter stones or pieces of rock, so we could do a balanced stack and achieve greater height. We couldn’t experiment a lot on the top, as any abrupt movement or unsuitable stone would destroy the structure. This part required utmost focus, coordination, sensitivity, patience and poise. There was no room for negotiating there. It just had to feel right.

And then you have to know when to stop – that was the real mastery of the craft. But when you engage in the ritual, you want to keep on going, until you find smaller and smaller stones to soar up your creation. And that is the trick of the game – to pull out when you’re hooked. Later, comes the moment of detaching from your creation and revering it for its simple magic. Indeed, the neutral state of observation is when you have found the equilibrium between the act of doing and non-doing. Like a sculptor you marvel your creation that now speaks for its self. This is when you can really see the “gravity glue” holding the pieces miraculously together. You realize that gravity glue actually exists when you offer yourself to the ineffable, when you embrace paradox, when you witness the divine interplay. Instantly, the simple act of rock stacking unveiled an intimate dance with the elements that allowed us to adapt to the moment, embrace creative intuition. With focused breathing, trust and silence we explored and redefined the “possible”.

The next day I rolled out the mat, I never hated balancing poses again. For years they were the most challenging, and unpleasant. Sometimes I just marked them. Other times I found reasons to skip them. I realized that I needed to confront them and make friends with them. Running away from challenges doesn’t offer resolve. On the contrary, it instills fear and fuels procrastination. You never tackle the issue, but bury it deeper inside, until one day it surfaces up on the physical plane or explodes in an illness. I felt that escaping balancing poses, was an excuse for avoiding change and balance in my life. Befriending hand stands that day, I made friends with change. It was surprisingly awesome and rewarding. I then let myself indulge in a routine replete with balancing poses, applying the insight received during rock balancing.

I made sure my foundation was sturdy, but also buoyant and flexible. I managed to root and yield, but also to find integrity and support by distributing my weight evenly through the four corners of the feet. I left the joints slightly loose and mobile, as I built focus from the ground up. Then, I let my torso dance, undulating until it aligned vertically like a pillar between Earth and Sky. I elongated through the sides of the waist, while engaging the core – my “gravity glue”. I then climbed up the mountain top, by making sure that every body part relied on the force and integrity of the one beneath. I softened my ribcage, widened the collar bones and let the shoulder blades to kiss from behind. I felt broad, soaring up to my vastness, finding breath of vision, as well as depth. It felt amazing to practice with so much rigor and grace.

In my meditation I visualized the rock structure that we had created with my brother. I recalled it in minutest detail until I saw a sea-gull perch on it for a second, and topple it as it soared up. It reminded me of the transience of matter and the constant of change. Like a Mandala of colored sand I watched my creation dissemble at its peak, as it returned back to the elements to erect anew, a constant balance between matter and consciousness glued by devotion and awareness. Then I flipped the coin to see that matter of balance was indeed a balance of matter.

This brief, fast-paced Yogea sequence integrates various balancing poses that help center and attain a state of dynamic equilibrium. The organic flow introduces a blend of abdominal, balancing and empowering asanas that fire up the core and engage the entire musculature. Special emphasis is placed on smooth and graceful transitions that require both strength and flexibility. Balancing poses are ordered in an unconventional domino effect, where each moment depends of the proper postural alignment and the natural stacking of one body part on top of the other. Principles of sequencing, of fluid weight shift and buoyant joint support are applied in variations that require multi-dimensional shifting and poly-centric equilibrium. The effect is both balancing and strengthening, as it hones inner focus and outer awareness. The subtle interplay between standing, reclining, lateral and seated postures creates a sense of depth and expansion both on the mat and in life.