Be Poised, Be Healthy

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By Gary Stokes

manposePoise is a sublime state, sublime because life is at its best when we are composed, balanced, and self-possessed. Poised, even in times of great challenge, we are self-controlled, self-assured, in a state of equanimity. Poised, we are free from ego, affectation, fear and embarrassment, our full powers available and ready. Poised, we live in possibility and delight. Poise is the ultimate cool, attractive and sane.

Poise is our healthiest state.

Body, mind and spirit are a marvelous system that works at its optimal level of well being when we are poised. Happily, most of us achieve periods of genuine poise, and poise may be the predominant state for some of us. Still, our poise can be disrupted in predictable patterns if we aren’t intentionally sustaining this most desirable state. Notice that these five elements are in play when you are poised:

Presence: When we are poised, we are living in the now. Our attention is focused on the only time we have to live in, the present moment. We’re not fretting about the future or obsessing about the past. The present moment offers everything we need, and we welcome it, when we are poised.

Connectedness: Poised, we see that we are connected to other people. We have forgiven everything and we have no judgment. We feel one with this beautiful earth that nurtures us. We feel connected, too, with our own mission in life, in harmony with our life’s purpose and commitments. Poised, we have access to our love.

womancouchGratitude: The masters of poise have reported that whatever life brings them is sufficient for bliss—a cup of tea, the song of a bird, a loved one’s touch, the bouquet of the earth when it rains, a breath of air. Poised and grateful, we say yes to life.

Creativity: Poised, we are in a dynamic state, creative beings shaping the life we want. Because we are poised, we are in the flow, our experience, knowledge, and intuition guiding us to what wants to emerge. Poised, we are masters of improvisation, creative participants in what is unfolding.

Light-Heartedness: Poised, we successfully avoid negative thinking that weighs down our spirits. We’re not obsessed with anything. We have no unfinished business. Laughter and delight are the natural response to life when we are poised.

Illness and unhappiness can’t find nourishment in this poised consciousness. It is only when we feel sorry for ourselves that we lose our poise. A nurse practitioner friend once told me, “Have a cold? Look back two or three weeks to see what part of your life you were rejecting. A more serious illness? Look back a few months. Sick all the time? Take a look at how you’re rejecting your life.”

Here is the wayward path to lost poise, anguish and vulnerable health. First, respond to somebody or something in your life with anger, impatience or irritability. Allow yourself some resentment. Feel sorry for yourself and create a victim story, which explains how your feelings are someone else’s fault. Get support for your victimhood from friends, family and colleagues. Then obsess about this situation. Don’t forgive. Let these poisons work their way into deep positions in your mind, body, spirit system.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?

Learning How to Sustain Poise

We want to be healthy. We want to be able to sustain our poise every day, no matter what is happening. We know how fleeting life is, how precious, and we don’t want to waste a minute of it. We still lose our poise, however, and wonder if it is possible to sustain our composure and balance when we’re faced with challenges.

Yes, it is possible to sustain our poise. A substantial portion of the human population have unlocked the secret to sustained poise and live a vibrantly healthy life of joy and practical advantage.

womanarmupHere’s a good practice: every time self-pity appears–as it inevitably will when certain people or certain situations don’t align with our expectations–avoid sliding into a victim narrative. Instead, ask yourself if you’re present. If not, take a breath and get back into the now Then connect yourself to the people who you’re blaming right now; take them into your heart’s embrace and forgive them. Connect with the beautiful earth around you. And connect again with your own purpose.

Check your gratitude. Remind yourself that you are a magical being who has everything you need for a vibrant life. Be a master of improvisation in this moment: draw upon your creativity to solve the challenge that has presented itself. Then laugh, in recognition of your own humanness and your ability to rise up out of the challenges of life into sweet poise.

And find a person or persons who will give you the support you need as you move toward sustained poise. We need to talk with someone who loves us about our work on self-pity and our commitment to move toward sustained poise.

There is a wonderfully healthy place within each of us, a place that resists all sickness and unhappiness. That place is our poise.

– Gary Stokes is the author of Poise: A Warrior’s Guide. He maps the universe of poise at www.thepoisedlife.com where you can receive a free assessment of your poise.

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