Kris Meaney

English 101
Douglas Cole

Living with Balance

Balance in life is a critical necessity. Living a life in extremes can keep us

from experiencing all that life is offering us. There is one example of balance that I

would like to discuss. Though this activity is physical in nature, in execution, it is

Page | 1
equally mental. It show parallels to a successful life, especially in that balance is a

critical necessity. The excersize discussed hither is track walking (balancing on the

track rail). It is very meditative and I feel it has taught me some basic principles

about living in balance.

Track walking has been a past-time of mine for a number of years, as I have

been blessed by living close to train tracks for much of my life. I started this

activity by walking the tracks of Carkeek park in North Seattle. I would walk the

tracks, usually north, very far - sometimes as far as Edmonds and back. I first

walked the tracks like most people, shuffling along the center of the tracks amidst

the rocks and planks that made up the tracks. This was tiring. You had to

constantly look down at where you were stepping; keeping the rocks and planks in

mind so as not to trip. It was tiring physically and mentally, but there was an

alternative; there was a consistent flat space, free of rocks and planks that ran the

lengths of the tracks, the track rails.

I began attempting to balance myself on the tracks and walking as far as I

could go without falling off. As I got better I realized that one did not have to

constantly look down at the tracks while walking, knowing that the tracks are

generally straight lines, curving over time so that large trains could navigate the

tracks safely. I was soon able to walk keeping my view in front of me instead of

focused on my feet.
Kris Meaney
English 101
Douglas Cole

Living with Balance

Soon I came to realize that this was a very meditative activity; as the most

obstructive force I faced, while walking, was my own mind. If my mind strayed too

far from what I was doing, I would soon fall. If my mind focused too intently on
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what I was doing, I would also soon fall. It is a very zen-like meditation. For

example, I must keep my mind clear yet focused. I must give my sub-conscious

mind more control over the physical demands of my body to successfully walk the

rails. Mind-no mind. I must be focused on what I am doing, yet let go, and let that

focus drift into the unconscious. The following quotation is three of, what I feel, are

the most important of twelve steps to living more like a zen monk.

Do one thing at a time. This rule will be familiar to long-time Zen

Habits readers. It’s part of

my philosophy, and it’s also a part of the life of a Zen monk: single-task,
don’t multi-task.

When you’re pouring water, just pour water. When you’re eating, just
eat.

Do it slowly and deliberately. You can do one task at a time, but also
don’t rush that task.

Instead, take your time, and move slowly. Make your actions deliberate,
not rushed and

random. It takes practice, but it helps you focus on the task.

Develop rituals. Zen monks have rituals for many things they do, from
eating to cleaning to

meditation. Ritual gives something a sense of importance — if it’s

important enough to have a

ritual, it’s important enough to be given your entire attention, and to be

done slowly and

correctly. You don’t have to learn the Zen monk rituals — you can create
your own, for the
Kris Meaney
English 101
Douglas Cole

Living with Balance

preparation of food, for eating, for cleaning, for what you do before you
start your work, for

what you do when you wake up and before you go to bed, for what you
do just before exercise.
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Anything you want, really. (Leo Babauta 1)

It is also very important to keep free from the prison of ego. If I began

congratulating myself on my success, I would become much too aware and focused

on what I was doing, and that would take me out of the important mental state I

was cultivating. This being: one-step at a time, one foot in front of the other, in a

continuous timeless rhythm, in tune with my breathing and relaxed with the sounds

of the water and wind through the trees. I call being in this mental state, being

mindful.

Mindfulness is an activity that can be done at any time. One can be

mindful of the

sensations in one's feet while walking, of the sound of the wind in the
trees, the sound

of the waves on the rocks. Any activity done mindfully is a form of

meditation, and

mindfulness is possible practically all the time. When we have a thought

—no matter

how wild or bizarre it may be—we just let it go and come back to the
breath, come

back to the situation here. (Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche 1)

I feel that this mental state, while helping me stay on the tracks, also is key to

keeping on a successful, prosperous path in life. Living one day at time, keeping
Kris Meaney
English 101
Douglas Cole

Living with Balance

the mind clear of garbage (extraneous thoughts), don’t live in fear, have

confidence but not pride, and live in peace; these are all extremely important life-

aspects necessary for a living a balanced, healthy, prosperous, happy, peaceful, and
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productive life. The mental state which I reach while balancing on the tracks, I try

and keep with me throughout my life, on a daily basis. When I got good at balancing

on the tracks and reaching this meditative state, I found it was indeed easier to

walk this way, then it was stumbling along with the rocks and planks in the center of

the tracks. Through the miles of tracks, in this meditative state, I only needed to put

one foot in front of the other in a continuous rhythm. This approach to the tracks, is

a beneficial approach to life in general. One thing at a time, keeping up the

momentum. While walking the rails, I try not to think about what I am doing. When

my mind strays off of the rhythm or my ego manifests itself, I quickly put these

thoughts out of my mind, and refocus on the sounds of the wind and water, and the

constant, timeless movement of my legs.

I now live near the waterfront by downtown Seattle, and I have found that the

tracks on the waterfront, where the old trolley used to run, is a great place for this

meditation; especially concerning the ego. This is a much more public space and

there are always people around who you must put out of your mind. There are

more noises, traffic, and the sound of the water is not there as a comfort. It is more

difficult to retain the frame of mind that is necessary, but it is still there to be

accessed. It is as much a mental balancing act as a physical one. This mental state

is so important in life. Life is one step at a time, you cannot become too focused on
Kris Meaney
English 101
Douglas Cole

Living with Balance

the task at hand, you cannot allow your ego to detach yourself from your focus, and

your goals.

The ego is not a person’s actual current physical self or even an accurate Page | 5
mental image of ourselves in the real sense. Our ego can often be based

on an old, dated mental self- image. Too many people never

experience a fraction of their potential or experience true peace-of-

mind because of this old self image. The mind (the ego) only has power

over us until we learn to use it properly. (John Valenty 1).

In this activity, the goal is to balance on the track beam and to forget time and walk

as far as one can without falling. Especially when I first started, I had to believe in

what logic told me was possible, that this would indeed be the easiest way to walk

the tracks. In life in general, the goal may be to become more familiar with your

true self and the strength of your spirit to do what you know is possible, so you can

successfully walk the path in life that leads you to peace and happiness. You also

cannot become overly focused on what you are doing, or your surroundings, as the

lack of mental balance may lead to a fall.

Kris Meaney
English 101
Douglas Cole

Living with Balance

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Works Cited

Babauta, Leo. "12 Essential Rules to Live More Like a Zen Monk". ZenHabits.

12/03/2008

<http://zenhabits.net/2008/03/12-essential-rules-to-live-more-like-a-zen-monk/>.

Rinpoche, Sakyong Mipham. "How to Do Mindfulness Meditation". Yoga.com. 1/15/2000

<https://www.yoga.com/ydc/enlighten/enlighten_document.asp?ID=122§ion=6&cat=132>.

Valenty, John. "Why are self-destructive tendencies so hard to kick?". Wellness Blog.

9/13/2007

<http://www.wellness.com/blogs/John/111/why-are-self-destructive-tendencies-

so-hard-to-

kick/john-valenty>.