We talk about balance in life, but this month I am talking about your actual ability to balance.

In some cultures, our body’s physical balance is referred to as the sixth…and most important sense.

I was fortunate that Patricia Nguyen and the pharmacy team gifted me the book, “Balance is Power: Improve Your Body’s Balance to Perform Better, Live Longer, and Look Younger” by Jim Klopman with Janet Miller.

It caught my attention when it spoke about how a walk in the sand, skiing, or hiking a trail energizes and activates your mind and body in a much more holistic way than typical shoes on concrete.

Our bodies, when it comes to balance, are likely some of the least challenged bodies in history on a typical day; as floors are flat, uneven surfaces are minimized, shoes are extra padded, and it doesn’t resemble a walk through a forest much at all.

Here are a few ways (being sure to take safety measures as necessary) to activate your balance:

1) Stand on one foot (have a wall or something for support if necessary) and work on increasing time and adding movement to your arms and other leg while standing and then switch legs. Can you work to extend your time on each leg this month?

2) Find a trail, sand, or uneven surface to walk on and get a sense of the difference between it and a typical hard, flat surface.

3) Walk without shoes more often to enable your body’s natural balance mechanisms to activate and be strengthened.

It’s March and all the newness of spring is arriving. I’d like to encourage all of us to be mindful about our balance, practice activating it, and be aware of any changes that you feel in your body or mind afterwards.