Photo from Yoga Sceptic

Although I have been humbled in my travels around the world by the similarities in human behavior, goals, and dreams, I have been equally baffled by the lack of balance in the lives of both Easterners and Westerners. For instance, vegetarianism among Hindus and some Buddhists fades in relevance when the Eastern focus on spirituality tends to discount the body as temporal and to view it as an enemy to be subdued, so anti-aging, longevity, and healthy eating habits lack the same priority as spirituality. I find this a bit ironic since Buddha admonished followers to take care of their bodies because it is the vehicle for their enlightenment.

There are some stark differences between Eastern and Western values. Hindus will not kill animals for food, yet they have a tendency to venerate or look forward to old age and early death due to their cultural and religious beliefs. When it comes to food preparation, they kill the enzymes, amino acids, and vitamins in their vegetables by over cooking them, a product of British rule and their concerns over sanitation. In contrast, most Westerners embrace being carnivores yet pay exorbitant sums of money to stave off the ravages of aging and disease brought on by the uric acid in dead meat and the chemicals and heavy metals in processed, dead foods.

When one juxtaposes the Eastern Hindu belief of having many lifetimes to get it right with the Western belief of getting only one shot at it, so go for all the gusto you can grab, it’s easy to see how both lifestyles could use a bit of balance to bring them into equilibrium. The goal is to bring the best of Eastern and Western philosophies together to create a more balanced lifestyle. This is the Law of Equilibrium, which is the last, though not least, of the Four Laws of Life:

1. The Law of Attraction
2. The Law of Intention
3. The Law of Allowance
4. The Law of Balance or Equilibrium

The current challenge is getting both Easterners and Westerners to adopt a paradigm shift wherein they recognize the importance of incorporating more nutrient dense foods and superfoods into their daily diet, which tends to get lost amid the lackadaisical attitude of most Easterners and the hustle and bustle of Westerners. The former think they have all the time in the world to get it right, whereas the latter feel there just is not enough time to prepare healthy meals. Thus, you have many Westerners who have more of an aversion to aging and early death than Easterners; Westerners are more likely to be attached and devoted to the physical and material versus a search for enlightenment. The typical Westerner often puts more focus on the body or consumerism versus a search for enlightenment, in spite of the fact that materialism and a fit body alone do not bring lasting happiness.

Overall, only a small percentage of the world’s population has figured out that the secret to happiness and a sound mind and body lies in the holy trinity of equilibrium: a balanced mind, body and spirit. For balance to begin, one’s beliefs must change since beliefs affect what one chooses to eat and how one feels and behaves.

Try the following application of the Four Laws of Life to bring back balance:

1. Focus your feelings on attracting what you desire.
2. Create an intention to attain your goal, morning and evening, by using visualization and meditation.
3. Allow the universe to unfold as it should to assist you in achieving your goal.
4. Seek to balance the amount of time spent daily on work, play and spirituality.

We are all works in progress. No one gets to where one is overnight, so don’t expect old habits to die easy. Little things, however, do add up quickly.  For instance, losing a pound a day equates to thirty pounds in one month. Moreover, everyone can substitute one healthy new habit to balance out a destructive old habit until one generates the momentum to automatically replace destructive old habits, because they no longer serve one’s growth or higher purpose in life.

The new you begins today with the decision to make one permanent lifestyle change for the better, which will set you on the path to becoming more balanced.

For more information, visit http://ruthieogrant.org/

What lifestyle changes are you making?