THE SCHOOL FOR TAO

4. The Balance Switchwheel

In-between your feet is the Balance Switchwheel. This chakra works on the level of the body, just like the Gravity Switchwheel. People who can keep their balance well, carry more energy in the Balance Switchwheel. The Balance Switchwheel does not have a fixed position. When you change the position of your body, the Balance Switchwheel moves with your body.

The Balance Switchwheel is always positioned on a horizontal line somewhere between your feet, sometimes closer to one of the feet or even in one foot; and vertically on the line between your Gravity Switchwheel and the centre of the Earth. When you change the position of your body, your Gravity Switchwheel also changes position and pulls the Balance Switchwheel with it in a vertical line.

When you change the position and posture of your body, the Gravity Switchwheel can slightly change position in your belly, because it is located around the centre of gravity in your body and it moves with the centre of gravity as this changes position. Also the Balance Switchwheel changes position when you change the position and posture of your body. The Balance Switchwheel determines the point of support of your body. When you stand on one foot, the point of support is in the standing foot. When you stand on two feet, the point of support moves on a line between your two feet and is closer to the foot that carries more weight. The Balance Switchwheel can also slightly move to the front- or backside of your body, when you bend forward or backward.

The centre of gravity will locate on a vertical line through the point of support in your foot or feet and the centre of the Earth. On that same line is the Balance Switchwheel. When you move your centre of gravity to a point beyond the point of support in your feet you fall. Also when you are not sure about the location of the Gravity Switchwheel and Balance Switchwheel in relation to each other, you will lose your balance.

There are several energy lines that connect the Balance Switchwheel with other parts of your body. The main energy lines are:

The Balance Switchwheel is connected through an energy line with your Gravity Switchwheel. This is the same energy line that connects your Gravity Switchwheel with the centre of the Earth.
The Balance Switchwheel is connected with two energy lines to the switchwheels in the soles of your feet.
Your feet switchwheels do each have two energy lines connected to each of the ears, where there are physical organs that help you to keep balance.

When you do exercises to keep balance, the Balance Switchwheel fills itself with more balancing energy.

To keep good balance, you need to establish a good relationship between the several chakras involved and you must ensure that energy moves well through all the channels.

The following exercises are meant not only as balancing exercises, but are also intended to make you more aware of the relation between the Gravity Switchwheel and the Balance Switchwheel. This will not only enable you to keep better balance while making complicated body movements, but it will also allow you to use the energy of the Gravity Switchwheel to give more power to for example kicks and punches in many body positions.

Try one time to do all the exercises of this chapter with your eyes closed. You will see how much more difficult it is to keep your balance. Your eyes help you to know your body position and they send information and energy to the balance organs near your ears.

When your eyes are closed and you slightly touch with one fingertip a wall or a table, you find back your balance as you get better information about the position of your body in relation to the Earth.

Exercise 9 – Stand and Keep Switching From one Foot to the Other (15 minutes)

Take a relaxed standing position with your feet on shoulder width. Try this exercise while standing on your toes. Now move your body weight to one side until you rest on one foot, standing on the toes of that foot while lifting up the other leg; then move your body weight to stand on your other foot on your toes. Continue switching from one foot to the other for 15 minutes. While you make these movements, concentrate on the position of your Gravity Switchwheel and your Balance Switchwheel.

Exercise 10 – Stand on one Leg and Swing the other Leg Up Front and then Up Back (15 minutes)

Stand on one leg and swing the other leg up until your leg is in horizontal position in front, then swing the same leg backward until it is in horizontal position in back. Keep your balance and concentrate on the positions of your Gravity Switchwheel and Balance Switchwheel. Do the same while standing on the other leg. The entire exercise takes 15 minutes.

Notice how the Balance Switchwheel moves forward and backward in the standing foot as you swing your leg and switch your weight more from toes to heel or from heel to toes.

As you try to maintain your balance it may get confusing where exactly your Gravity Switchwheel and Balance Switchwheel are at each moment, because both or moving from left to right and from back to front. But always they stand in one straight line connected to the Earth centre!

Notice also that as you swing your leg into one direction, other parts of your body will move in the opposite direction to kept the centre of gravity above the point of support and therefore also the Gravity Switchwheel above the Balance Switchwheel.

Exercise 11 –Stand on one Leg and Make Circling Movements with your Upper Body (15 minutes)

Stand on one leg and lift up the other leg until it is bent. Make circling movements with your upper body, out from your hips. Do the exercise for 15 minutes, turning clockwise and counter clockwise and do it on each of your legs. Study the positions of your Gravity Switchwheel and Balance Switchwheel while your body is moving.

Try to make smooth movements and nicely round circles with your upper body.

After you practiced for some minutes, try to kept the lifted leg in one stable position and don’t move it anymore.

Exercise 12 – Jump from one Leg to the Other on your Toes (15 minutes)

Stand on your toes on one leg. Hold your hands with your palms together in front of your breast. Jump on the other leg, also on your toes. Jump in different directions, sideward and forward and backward and keep your balance. Study the positions of your Gravity Switchwheel and Balance Switchwheel during the entire exercise.

Variation: hop on only one leg.

Try to jump larger distances and stand stable in the new position without needing to hop again on the same foot. Take a small pause to find good balance before you hop again. When you are in good balance on your standing foot, you will find easier balance in the new position after hopping.

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