In yoga the idea of balance is very important.
There are two very important energy channels or nadis in the human body out of the 72,000 nadis that exist in every human being. Both important nadis flow symmetrically. One is known as ida and the other as pingala. Ida represents the creative feminine qualities within you and pingala represents the energetic masculine qualities within you. Bringing balance to the body through the use of balancing postures brings balance between ida and pingala and thus balance is achieved not only physically but also on an energetic level within ourselves. Between ida and pingala is the sushumna nadi, which exists parallel to and slightly in front of the spinal cord.
Ida nadi starts and ends on the left side of sushumna nadi. Ida represents the lunar energy within us, that is the energy within us that is related to the moon. It is a fresh energy and is nourishing by nature. The color white is sometimes used in yogic teachings to represent the subtle vibratory qualities of ida. Ida is also active on the right side of the brain. Pingala represents the solar energy within us, which is energy related to the sun. It begins and ends on the right side of sushumna nadi. It is warm and stimulating by nature. Pingala is responsible for all vital somatic processes within our bodies. The subtle vibratory qualities of pingala are sometimes represented by the color red in yogic teachings. Pingala is active on the left side of the brain.
The interplay between ida and pingala relates to the interplay between intuition and rationality, consciousness and vital power, and the left and right hemispheres of the brain that take place within us. In everyday life, one of these nadis is always dominant. Although this dominance changes during the day, a nadi is usually more dominant. This generates personality, behavior and health factors that can be described as ida or pingala. One of the goals of yoga practice is to achieve a balance between ida and pingala.
The idea of balance in yoga is seen when yoga is described as hatha. ‘Ha’ is related to the sun or the solar principle of pingala and ‘tha’ is related to the moon or the lunar principle of ida. So, in hatha yoga, the goal of our practice is the balance between the solar and lunar energies within us.
It is said in many yogic teachings that balancing the sun and moon, or pingala and ida, allows for the awakening of kundalini and thus the awakening of higher consciousness felt in sahasrara, the seventh chakra. In fact, certain yoga teachings say that as long as the ida or pingala is dominant, the sushumna nadi remains dormant or dormant and the kundalini power cannot be awakened and therefore you cannot feel sahasrara consciousness.
If we look at these definitions in scientific terms, we see that the left and right hemispheres of the brain are responsible for different functions. The left hemisphere of the brain controls the functions of the right side of the body and is also responsible for scientific thinking. The right side of the brain is responsible for creativity as well as the functions of the right side of the body. In yoga we seek a balance between left and right, and therefore the balance between the left and right sides of the brain and the right and left sides of the body contribute.
The balance between ida and pingala occurs in the ajna chakra, which is represented as a lotus flower with two petals in the center of the forehead. One of the petals is represented by the ida energy channel and the other petal by the pingala energy channel.
In addition to this, yoga theory states that there is a connection between the mind and the body, so when there is balance in the mind, between ida and pingala, between the left and right hemispheres, there is also balance in the body. Therefore, it is important to work on balance in the mind in order to develop balance in the body. This can be achieved through meditation (dhyana) or breath control techniques (pranayama).
However, the opposite is also true: when there is balance in the body, balance can also be created in the mind. Therefore, working on the physical asanas of balance also helps to create balance in the mind, especially when we focus on the breath, as when we focus on the breath, we also focus on the prana or life force within us. .
Important balance postures in yoga practice include standing balances such as:
Garudasana (eagle pose)
Vrikshasana (tree pose)
Natarajasana (dancer’s pose)
Utkatasana (fierce pose)
Arm balance poses include:
Bakasana (crane pose)
Mayurasana (Peacock Pose)
Tolasana (balance pose)
Pinchamayurasana (Feathered Peacock Pose)
Bhuajapidasana (hand press pose)
In all balancing poses you should focus your attention on your core muscles as they help to stabilize you and also on your ajna chakra as your ajna chakra is the command center of the body and mind.
Therefore, by working on balance postures, you are not only bringing balance to the body, but also to the mind and your nadis. A balanced life is always a happy life.