For the past week I have had vertigo.  A trip to the doctor on the first day of this head reeling, stumbling, and nauseating fun resulted in a diagnosis of an inner ear disturbance of some kind, and a prescription for an antihistamine which has made me drowsy and lethargic.  Happily, for the past three days or so I have been steadily improving and I now hope to be back to myself within another week.

How much we take a simple thing like balance for granted! It's one of those things we don't think about much as we go about our daily activities, but how absolutely crucial  it is!  I found I was unable to do much of anything on the very worst days-- reading was too much eye movement and made me sick, exercise was totally out of the question, working at the computer was nauseating, even watching TV made me queasy.  The only thing I could do, because it took absolutely no movement, was meditate. During one of these meditations I had the insight that my entire life revolves around maintaining balance.  There is a never ending series of balancing acts when it comes to relationships, careers, family, dreams, ethics, whatever.  Just about any life decision we are required to make involves a consideration of all related factors and a search for the most balanced  solution. 

Of all the balancing acts, though, the most compelling, for me at least, is the balance of spirit and flesh, of soul and body, of my eternal self with my temporary here right now  self. Nothing is more mysterious, more agonizing, more challenging, and yet, for some reason, more thrilling.