Erin Schreyer - pgs. 13-15, 20-21

By Lisa Coyle

All of life is about finding our balance. We walk everyday. We take it for granted, but even walking is an act of balance. Each time we pick one foot up to place it in front of the other, we are, briefly, balancing on one foot. During cancer treatments, balance can become difficult. Practicing balancing postures can help us maintain a sense of stability and control over the body so we can continue moving.

You may be thinking that standing on two feet can feel hard enough sometimes. You may ask why we should make it harder by choosing to stand on one foot. But there are many reasons this is helpful:

• When we take one foot away from the floor, we strengthen our connection to the Earth through the one standing foot. This creates harmony of the mind, body and breath. • It takes precise attention to keep the body steady on one foot. This focus begins to train the nervous system to handle times when life becomes uncertain or when we experience racing thoughts. • Weight-bearing exercises (even your own body weight) strengthen bones. Because bones can be weakened through chemotherapy, this technique can lessen that side effect as well. • Good balance protects us from falling and breaking a bone. • Good balance requires good posture, which helps us breathe.

Standing on one foot requires a focused mind and a calm breath. Standing in Vrikshasana, or Tree Pose, for ten breaths may not feel easy, but the nervous system is calmed in this state of physical and mental harmony. This is why balancing is good for cancer patients. It is healing. We can learn how to clear anxiety by standing on one foot! When we use our muscles to place our bones in alignment and we support that alignment with a calm, steady breath, we are brought immediately into the present moment. We are right here, right now.

Each balance pose builds on the previous one, so you can work your way up feeling confident and steady at each posture. Use a chair or the wall to help build “muscle memory” of balance. You can let go as you feel steady.

To explore balance in a very safe, low risk manner, simply rise onto the balls of both feet, lifting the heels as high as you can. Use the chair if you feel wobbly…or….

Test your balance by letting go of the chair.

Stand with your side next to a chair or the wall. Stand on a block (or a sturdy book) with the foot closest to the chair. Push down into the foot on the block and you will come off the other foot a little bit. Practice taking more and more weight off the other foot.

If you feel steady, begin to increase the challenge by raising the knee up. Don’t worry about how high you lift it- you’re on one leg now!

Again, if you feel steady, continue adding difficulty by adding arms as your balance improves.

Super steady? Try a twist! If your right leg is lifted, your left arm will extend in front of you while you extend your right arm behind you, rotating your torso to the right. More difficult still is to shift your gaze to the right as well.

Take it slowly. It’s not how difficult the posture is but how steady you can begin to feel. Don’t worry about using the chair or the wall - this helps to build “muscle memory” so that you will eventually develop the stability to let go.

All of life is balance. Don’t get too attached to the result, be interested in the process.