Several incidents came together recently to remind me of the difference between  “balance” and “balanced.”

1. Reading Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis

“… there are three systems that people use to maintain balance: (1) the inner ear gives a sense of acceleration in any dimension,  (2) cutaneous and proprioceptive* information relating to floor forces come from the feet and ankles, and (3) visual data reveals our position and any chnage in it relative to our environment.”

2. Teaching an osteoporosis prevention class where all participants (and instructors) are required to wear shoes.

Although I was able to do the balance poses while wearing shoes – a new experience – I felt like I was missing a lot of crucial data. I was substituting equipment for actual balance.

3. Explaining to a student why yoga is done barefoot.

4. Overhearing a student (not mine) say that he likes to do Tree Pose wearing heavy work boots.

Thoughts

• A child’s stack of blocks may be “balanced” but the block are not actively doing the balancing.
• Removing sensory (proprioceptive) input, wearing boots or shoes, may make it easier to be balanced but harder to balance.
• Keeping your balance requires active practice.

* Proprioception – meaning “one’s own” and perception, is the of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body. (Wikipedia.org)

For additional information on proprioception:

• International Association of Dance Medicine and Science
  http://www.iadms.org/associations/2991/files/info/proprioception.pdf
• Wikipedia
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception