[hacking balance]

Why is balancing on one leg so challenging? Why is it so hard to lift and hold my leg up even for just a few breaths? I quickly forget the hundreds of kicks that I threw to master one technique or the number of times that I fell off my surfboard before I finally rode my first wave. Yoga asanas are a completely different way of moving your body. Previous training might be transferable but it does not eliminate the learning curve. The way to progress is the same. Understand the techniques and repetition in order to build the strength and teach your body a new way to move. And that goes double for hand balancing asanas. In karate, we often to go back to first step when learning something new. Empty your cup.

Having fun in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Colombia!

[simple 1,2,3]

Avoid over complicating the process and taking on too much. So many instructional videos break things down so much that it gives you too much too think about. In the end, it becomes overwhelming and most simply give up. Focus on one thing at a time and when that is accomplished go to the next.

1. Understand the essence of balance and body structure

2. Feeling how the body uses balance

3. Training your body to balance on your terms

[the essence of balance]

As bipeds, controlling balance requires shifting our weight forwards and backwards as well as side to side. Even while standing still, our bodies are constantly shifting around. This is something most people do not take into consideration when performing one-legged or hand balancing asanas. It's something that has become natural and we do not have any memory of the time when we learned to stand for the first time. In order to walk, we must lean forward enough to the point where we begin to fall and then use that momentum. When learning an asana, we must keep in mind that we need to learn how to control the way we shift our weight.

[feel the balance]

The best way to notice this constant weight shift is to close your eyes while standing. But do be careful. Try keep a bar stool close by or stand next to a wall the first time. If you are prone to getting dizzy when you close your eyes, then take extra precautions or maybe ask a partner to assist you.

When ready, get into your tadasana mountain pose, take a breath, and slowly close your eyes. Notice how your body sways in every direction including in circles. People don't realize how much they rely on eyesight to balance. We use reference points from our immediate surroundings. Only when we close our eyes while standing up do we feel off-balance and may even have to take a small shuffle step or open our eyes to recover.

In kung fu, we do not rely on our eyes and place more emphasis on what we feel. The information that our nerves transmit to the mind and the speed in which the mind interprets that information is far greater and faster than information from our eyes. This allows kung fu practitioners to react faster because they have honed their level of awareness and sensitivity.

Perform this exercise a few times standing up to get a good understanding of it and improve your awareness and sensitivity for balance.

[training balance]

Start with a simple exercise. For the first time, consider standing next to a wall or holding onto a stool for support. Assume your tadasana asana with your eyes closed. Now slowly transition to vrikshasana tree pose. Start nice and easy. Just try lifting one foot off the ground a few centimeters. Then work your way to placing your foot on your ankle. Keep working your way up your leg until you get your deepest version of tree pose. For tree pose, always remember that the foot can be placed anywhere but not on your knee to avoid injury.

You can also use visualization. Since we rely so much on our eyes, you can transition by using the negative image of what you were just looking at.

During yoga practice we tend to focus on a single object while balancing. This point of reference helps us stabilize and stay balanced longer. With our eyes close, we lose this point of reference. So, how do we use visualization to overcome this?

Get back into your mountain pose. Focus on an object. As a tip, pick an object with a high level of contrast - like black and white. Now, close your eyes. Notice how you can still see the object's negative image. Try and hold onto the memory of that image as long as you can. Keep your eyes closed and continue visualizing the object while you move from a mountain pose to a tree pose.

Did you notice a difference? Over the time, the body will learn to balance on its own and you will rely less and less on this trick. Your body will learn to feel balance and shift weight instinctively.

When I was starting out, I combined this with chair yoga. Between the both of these, I was able to advance faster. Once I got confident, I took it to the next level by incorporating a balancing board.

With practice, your balancing will become effortless over time. Then, you can begin to focus more on getting deeper into the asana. Once your body is in balance, ultimately, you can begin to focus more on maintaining the moving meditation.