Massive amounts of anything become toxic. Exercise, vitamins, health food, healing work, medicine, free time, work time, painting, writing, sex… anything in extremes flips from positive to negative.   Even too much excessive joy can become stressful on your body, truly.  If you have trouble striking a balance, here are a few things to try to get yourself more centered on the Middle Way…

1. Shut off the noise in your head & replace it with music.  If you hear the voices of “you are not good enough” rising inside of you that drive you to extremes, put on the radio, an iPod, Pandora, whatever’s available to you and play it as loud as it takes to drown out the noise.  Empowering music is worth its weight in gold.

2. Set limits on paper.  When I love something, that’s it, its over, I’m drowning in it.  My nature is to be black or white.  I’ve learned to swim in the grey more by limiting certain things that I know can become extreme very easily.  Write down one single thing that you do not have control over on a piece of paper.  Now, write out what happens when you overindulge.  How does your mind feel? Your body? What thoughts do you have? Where does this lead you? Can you feel it? Ok, good!  Now, what is a reasonable limit to set on that one thing. Reasonable is the key here. If you are battling a major addiction, find yourself good help in a therapist or support group as a possible step #1.   Even if you cross the line from time to time with less-life-threatening indulgences like too much talking on the phone, TV, etc, you will have a better sense of the middle when you can understand what it looks like on paper.

3. Add Earth to your home & office.  Nature is the great stabilizer and Earth is the mother of all elements.  For an extreme person, Earth & nature are the middle ground that should help you to feel the ground under your feet.

4. Breathe more.  Honestly, its the most organic way to live in the moment, taking deep breaths.  Consciously, mindfully breathe for a few minutes throughout the day if you feel anxiety coming on, or the desire to escape into whatever little fun-zone you like to overindulge in.

5.  And like Einstein says, keep moving.  Exercise is overall fabulous for your life.  If you can get moving, the energy in your body will circulate better & your life will feel better.  Circulation truly heals.

Embrace a bit of the warm rather than just hot and cold.  It won’t make you less interesting…I promise.  It might actually open your life up to fabulous things you never thought were possible!  xoxo Dana