Latest / Abide Meditation App / The BEST Story to Fall Asleep to_ Big Ideas at Bedtime_ Balance 😴 FALL ASLEEP FAST

Transcript

The BEST Story to Fall Asleep to_ Big Ideas at Bedtime_ Balance 😴 FALL ASLEEP FAST · Abide Meditation App

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: we get sleepy. My name's Thomas, and I'm your host.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for tuning in to tonight's episode. Shortly,
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: we'll return to our series, Big Ideas at Bedtime, to
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: explore the idea of balance. In our first installment of
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: this series, we looked at animal intelligence and all of
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: the intricacies of the subject. If you'd like to go
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: back and listen to that episode, you'll find it on
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: our feed, released on July 7th, 2025. As for tonight,
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: we'll get curious about how balance is reflected in the
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: world around us, and how it might guide us towards
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: happiness and a life well lived. We'll consider a range
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: of ideas and practices, from the religious beliefs of the
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: ancient Egyptians, to a philosophy in modern day Sweden. Okay
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: my friends, let's prepare for our story, and settle down.
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: in our comfortable havens of rest. Know that, as you
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: listen along, there are thousands of other people all over
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: the world doing the same thing. Whatever it is that
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: brings you to this place, be it the sense of
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: calm and reassurance we try to nurture, the intrigue of
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: our stories themselves, the familiarity of our voices, or just
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: for the helping hand to ease racing thoughts and welcome
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: relaxation when you come to bed. Know that you are
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: far from alone with that. We've all come to this
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: place for a good night's rest, That's a beautiful thing
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: to share in with one another. Who knows, maybe you've
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: crossed paths with a fellow Get Sleepy listener when you've
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: been out and about in your day-to-day life. Maybe there
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: are even one or two people that you know well
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: that have checked out a few of our episodes in
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: the past. or that are regular listeners, like you may
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: well be. And it's funny really, because even I have
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: had those pretty mind-blowing moments where I've been telling a
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: new friend what I do for work, and they'll say
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: to me, wait, that's you. And they might go on
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: to say that either they've listened to the show, or
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: their partner or someone in their family, Now I'm sorry
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: if this is coming across like some sort of brag,
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: but I promise that's not my intention. It's just that
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: I like to re-emphasize the widespread community that we have
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: with this show. And there are many people that may
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: listen to other podcasts or apps and sound machines and
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: whatever else. Ultimately, we're all in the same boat. Everyone
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: who comes here is seeking that source of familiarity and routine,
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: and the comfort that just nudges us in the right
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: direction when it comes to getting a good night's sleep. So,
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: with that being said, let's all enjoy a couple of deep,
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: relaxing breaths, breathing in to the count of five, Holding
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: for a moment, then exhaling to the count of seven.
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: Breathe in again for one, two, three, four, five. And out, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: Feel free to maintain that rhythm of breathing for as
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: long as you like. And gently invite your natural rhythm
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: to return whenever you're ready. And now, you can snuggle
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: in and listen to the sound of my voice as
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: we begin our story. considering the value of balance in
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: our lives. Chances are that at some point in your life,
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: you've reflected on the importance of balance. Perhaps you were
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: trying to stick to a budget to buy nothing more
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: than what you really needed. Maybe you've aimed for a
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: more balanced diet with more fruits and vegetables. And at
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: some point, you've probably tried to create more balance in
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: your life overall. So it's not all about work and responsibilities.
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: Concepts like the elusive work-life balance might seem, at first,
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: like very modern phenomena. But these are things we've been
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: thinking about for millennia. even if the specifics have changed.
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: From the earliest civilizations, humans have noticed the prevalence of
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: balance in nature. Different cultures have valued this concept, aspiring
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: towards it in many areas of life. This is what
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: we're exploring tonight. What people through time have believed about balance,
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: and how these beliefs have affected their lives. Let's begin
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: in ancient Egypt, a civilization that began around 5,000 years ago.
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: The Egyptians were a deeply religious people and balance was
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: key to their beliefs and culture. They observed that nature
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: often happened in cycles and that these cycles kept everything working.
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: Warm seasons were balanced out with the cold and daytime
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: was followed by night. Then there was the river Nile,
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: the lifeblood of Egypt, which provided the nation with its
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: food and water. It made the land fertile after an
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: annual flooding, which balanced out the dry seasons and allowed
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: crops to grow. Balance was at the center of Egyptian
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: religious beliefs. Beliefs about nature and the cosmos, life and
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: the afterlife. The goddess Mat was the embodiment of balance,
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: as well as harmony, order, truth, and justice. The Egyptians
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: believed the world had been born out of chaos, until Atum,
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: or Ra, created himself and his children, and structured the
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: world into sky, earth, and air. Once there was structure,
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: Mart came into play. She was the force that held
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: the new world together. Mart was both a goddess and
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: a cosmic principle, the opposite of chaos, injustice, and evil.
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: As Egyptians saw it, It was their duty to maintain
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: this balance. By doing this, they would keep chaos at bay.
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: A healthy society was a society in balance, one which
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: upheld the ideal of marked. Laws were written, with social
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: harmony in mind. Judges promised to rule with fairness and justice.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: The Egyptian pharaoh at the head of society was thought
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: to be the living representation of Maat. They handed out
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: pardons and punishments for the good of the community and
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: played a vital role in maintaining order. Regular citizens had
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: to do their part too, by honouring March at religious
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: festivals and through daily rituals. They might also show their
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: devotion by living a life of virtue and aligning their
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: behavior with the principles Mart stood for. This meant being
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: honest and living with integrity, being respectful of other people
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: and the world around them. Living a life of balance
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: was fundamental to the Egyptians Not just for their daily life,
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: but their afterlife as well. The Egyptians saw death as
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: the beginning of another chapter. Just another stage in a
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: continuous cycle. After death, a person's soul journeyed to the afterlife.
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: where their worthiness would be judged in the Hall of Mart,
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: also known as the Hall of Truth. There, they had
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: to recite the 42 negative confessions with statements of denial, like,
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: I have not committed sin, and the more specific declarations,
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: I have not polluted the water. Next, the god Anubis
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: would judge a person's soul using a giant balancing scale
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: with a plate at either end. At one end, he
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: weighed the heart, the home of a person's conscience. At
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: the other, there was a feather, the symbol of Mart.
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: If a person had lived a life of dishonesty and wrongdoing,
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: it would show up on the scales as a heavy heart.
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: The heart would subsequently be eaten by the creature Amit,
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: and the soul would be destroyed. A heart that weighed
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: the same as a feather, or less, was the sign
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: of a life lived in harmony with Mart. And thus,
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: a person could travel on to the afterlife, their reward
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: being entry into the field of reeds. On an individual level,
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: A life of balance brought immortality. For the wider society,
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: it brought peace and prosperity. Balance for the Egyptians was
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: the blueprint of life, the natural and cosmic order which
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: mankind must align with. The ancient Egyptians were far from
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: alone in putting balance at the center of their worldview.
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: Similar themes can be found in philosophies and religions across
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: all six continents, from tiny tribes to great empires. In India,
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: there's a concept that's strikingly similar to Mart. Known as Rita,
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: it's the principle of truth, order, and balance. A concept
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: at the core of the ancient Vedic religion. Today, we're
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: more familiar with what Rita evolved into. namely the concepts
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: of Dharma and Karma. These are central to many Eastern religions,
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. Each religion differs on the
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: specifics of these concepts, but in Buddhism, Dharma is the
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: principle of cosmic order. It illustrates how societies should govern
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: and make laws, how people should behave to keep the
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: world in balance. It's closely entwined with the concept of karma,
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: which is about the moral weight of our words, thoughts,
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: and actions. In simple terms, dharma is the right way
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: to live, and karma is the result of what we
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: actually do. Some of us might know karma by its
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: most basic and westernized description. Do good things, and good
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: things happen. Do bad things, and bad things happen. It's
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: the version that's been popularized, sometimes leading to misconceptions. One
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: being that karma is a reward or punishment. In fact,
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: it isn't personal in any way. Generating karma is a
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: natural consequence of acting. And there is no good or
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: bad karma, just karma itself. It's no more personal than
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: how a ball falls back down after it's been thrown
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: into the air. Nor is it a case of bad
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: things happening to bad people. At least, not in the
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: sense that we might like to see it. Most Hindus,
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: for instance, believe in a cycle of rebirth, in which
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: karma plays a key part. The energy a person generates
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: influences their next life. What form they take, how intelligent
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: they might be, and how rich or healthy. So, even
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: if a person who behaves badly seems to be doing well,
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: misfortune might await them in their next life. A common
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: analogy compares life to a garden. When we do the
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: right thing, when we're kind or honest, a good seed
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: is planted into the soil. When we intentionally harm others
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: with words or deeds, a bad seed is planted, creating
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: weeds instead of flowers. Karma isn't fate, it's a matter
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: of free choice. The gardener is free to plant the
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: seeds they choose, but the resulting garden, with its weeds
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: or flowers, will eventually come to harvest in this life
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: or the next. Interestingly, gardens have often been used as
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: a literal representation of balance and harmony. The ancient Egyptians,
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: who we heard about earlier, created temple gardens as an
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: expression of mart. Trees planted in rows, and plants in
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: geometric patterns, were a visual reflection of the sacred order.
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: Pools symbolized life and purity, while plants stood for regeneration.
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: The symmetry of the garden was reflected in the pool's surface,
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: which only enhanced the sense of harmony. Thousands of years later,
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: in the 17th century, the French formal garden displayed similar themes.
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: The most notable example is at the Palace of Versailles,
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: the home of King Louis XIV. Straight gravel pathways connect
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: a network of gardens which are square-shaped or rectangular. The
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: walkways are laid out symmetrically and flanked with lines of
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: identically pruned trees. Water features reflect rows of neatly trimmed hedges. However,
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: gardens like Versailles weren't a reflection of the cosmic order. Instead,
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: they were designed to showcase their owner's power. At Versailles,
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: the king showed that he could even tame nature, bringing
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: order and balance to the wildest landscapes. This style of
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: design couldn't be more different from the Japanese gardens that
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: are still popular today. Here, balance can be found by
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: embracing the irregularity of nature, by finding beauty in its
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: impermanence and unpredictability. Pathways, plants, and water features are intentionally
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: placed in asymmetrical patterns. For instance, a rock might be
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: placed opposite a lantern. Although they're not the same, they
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: complement one another. These designs are rooted in Eastern religion
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: and philosophy, Zen Buddhism, Shinto, and Taoism. They are also
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: indirectly influenced by Chinese philosophy, in particular, the concept of
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: yin and yang. This represents complementary opposites. Both are needed
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: to keep the world in balance. You might be familiar
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: with the yin and yang symbol, black and white teardrop
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: shapes interconnected within a circle. Japanese gardens express this concept
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: by providing contrast in a number of ways. Areas of
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: empty space are balanced out by those with plant life,
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: and there are patches of light alongside shaded sections. Water
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: and stone provide opposing elements and textures, Flowing water is movement,
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: while the rocks are stillness. These gardens also illustrate the
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: philosophy of wabi-sabi, which balances beauty alongside decay. A weathered
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: wooden bench or a moss-covered stone These things reveal beauty
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: in both age and imperfection. Gardens are a microcosm of
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: the natural order, a small-scale version of the outside world.
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: Rocks are sometimes used to symbolize islands or mountains. Patches
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: of sand might be the sky, and pools of water,
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: the ocean. The Japanese garden isn't just there to be
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: looked at. It's designed to be experienced, to be felt
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: as well as seen. A common meditation involves taking a
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: rake to sand or gravel, forming wave-like patterns to create
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: a sense of flow. Time in the garden might offset
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: how the other hours are spent, working, thinking, socializing, and doing.
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: These gardens are like a form of living artwork, designed
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: to foster spiritual harmony between people and nature. The same
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: is true of some traditional art forms, not only in Japan,
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: but across the world. One example is the geometric designs
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: that originated in the Islamic world from around the 8th
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: century onwards. Colorful patterns tile the walls of buildings, like
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: the Alhambra in Spain. Designs and colors are often symmetrical,
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: including precise geometric shapes which interlock or overlap. But as
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: pretty as these are, they're about more than decoration. They're
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: a visual representation of Islamic beliefs. the viewer might reflect
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: on the divine order when looking at shapes so mathematically precise,
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: or the Prophet Muhammad's teachings about balance and moderation when
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: taking in the symmetry of shapes and colors. Balance is
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: also a theme in Christian artwork. particularly during the European Renaissance,
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: around the 15th and 16th centuries. Perhaps you've seen The
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: Last Supper, a painting by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci.
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: It depicts Jesus and his disciples at their dramatic last meeting,
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: after he's told the group that one of them will
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: betray him. Leonardo places Jesus at the exact center of
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: the table. With his arms outstretched, he forms the shape
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: of a triangle. The artist uses light, as well as
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: lines in the backdrop, to make Jesus the focal point,
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: a source of calm amidst the chaos. Leonardo also created
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: the Vitruvian Man, an iconic image which sets out the
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: proportions of the body. In this drawing, precise measurements, ratios,
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: and angles show the human anatomy as a reflection of
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: the divine. It points to an equilibrium between body and soul,
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: between faith and logic, and science and nature. The figure's
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: placement within a square and an outer circle reflects the
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: earthly and spiritual worlds that mankind is linked to. These
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: ideas weren't new in the 15th century. Leonardo's Vitruvian Man
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: was inspired by the works of Vitruvius, a Roman architect
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: and engineer who lived in the 1st century BCE. In
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: his volumes on architecture, Vitruvius had explained that buildings should
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: reflect the proportions of the human body. Temples should be
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: symmetrical and perfectly proportioned to mirror the composition of the
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: human anatomy. If you've ever seen the ruins of a
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: classical temple or one of the Renaissance buildings inspired by
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: classical designs, then you might well have noted a sense
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: of visual balance. Something along the lines of white marble columns,
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: positioned evenly around a rectangular base, and a triangular pediment
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: creating symmetry at the front, as if there's a mirror
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: down the centre of the building. In classical architecture, balance
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: meant beauty. In temples in particular, it reflected a belief
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: in the divine order. Temples were built to honor the gods,
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: deities who valued balance just as much as mortals. Such
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: buildings were only possible thanks to complex mathematics and formulas
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: like the Golden Ratio, discovered in ancient Greece around 300 BCE.
• 33:50
  Speaker 1: Ever since, this ratio has been used by artists and
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: architects to create the ideal proportions between two quantities or measures.
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: This allows for a display of balance that is aesthetically pleasing.
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: According to some scholars, the golden ratio is behind the
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: architecture of the Parthenon. It's what makes the Mona Lisa
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: so pleasing to the eye. Today, the ratio pops up
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: in a number of different ways and has inspired the
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: designs of many well-known symbols. For instance, think of the
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: logos for Apple and Pepsi. These brand logos might not
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: strictly adhere to the golden ratio, but with their simple
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: elegance and sense of proportion, there's a clear visual balance,
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: one that the ancient Greeks would likely have approved of.
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: What's particularly fascinating about the golden ratio is how it
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: appears in nature. There are multiple examples in the natural world.
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: For instance, the spiral patterns on the skin of a
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: pineapple often match the Fibonacci sequence. If you look closely
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: at the skin and count the spirals of scales in
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: opposite directions, you might find patterns of numbers such as
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: 8 and 13. The ratio of consecutive Fibonacci numbers approaches
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: the golden ratio. Interestingly, honeybees also follow the Fibonacci sequence
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: in their reproduction patterns. Each male bee has one parent,
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: while each female has two. If you trace their ancestry
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: over generations, you get Fibonacci numbers. The ratio of these
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: numbers gradually gets closer to the golden ratio. Snail shells
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: are another intriguing example. Although they don't necessarily follow the
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: golden ratio, they grow in the form of logarithmic spirals.
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: Each new chamber of a snail shell is proportionally larger
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: than the last. This allows the shell to expand without
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: changing its shape. The same balanced growth of logarithmic spirals
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: can also be seen elsewhere in nature, from hurricanes to galaxies.
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: On a general level, all plants and animals rely on
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: balance in the natural world. There needs to be balance
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: between predators and the prey that make up their ecosystem,
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: between sunlight and water, and between space to roam and shelter.
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: Even the cells that make up all living organisms work
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: to maintain a steadiness within. From temperature to pH levels,
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: a cell's growth and functioning depend on balance. Human biology
• 38:40
  Speaker 1: works in much the same way. On a cellular level,
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: across organs and systems, automatic processes work to keep things
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: in balance. When we exercise, we sweat to cool ourselves down.
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: If we swim in cold water, we shiver and heat up.
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: Consider the makeup of the human body, the symmetry of
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: the skeleton, and the way bones grow in proportion. The
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: structures of the inner ear keep us upright and steady,
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: alongside our vision and our sense of awareness. When you
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: bend your knee, you use antagonistic muscles. The hamstrings contract
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: and the quadriceps relax. The opposite happens when you straighten
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: your leg. The quads contract and the hamstrings relax. Balance
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: is also integral to our understanding of physics. What we
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: know about energy, motion, and stability. This knowledge has been
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: applied practically across numerous fields, from mechanics and architecture to
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: electrics and engineering. For example, skyscrapers use counterweights to keep
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: them steady during a storm or earthquake, The electricity we
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: depend on runs on balanced voltage. A car's brakes will
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: only work if its braking force is balanced between the
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: front and back wheels. And in order to fly straight
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: and level, a plane needs dynamic equilibrium, a balance between
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: vertical and horizontal forces. The Goldilocks principle is a term
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: sometimes used by designers and engineers across various fields. It's
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: a reference to the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears,
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: in which a young girl visits a bear's empty cottage.
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: As the story goes, Goldilocks enters the kitchen and finds
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: three bowls of porridge laid out on the table. The
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: first is too hot, and the second too cold. But
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: the third bowl is just right. Similarly, when she sits,
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: she finds the first chair to be too big, the
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: next one is too small, But the third one is perfect.
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: And again, when she's sleepy and ready for bed, it's
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: the third one that's just right. Neither too hard, nor
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: too soft. In its modern usage, the Goldilocks principle is
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: about finding a happy medium An engineer, for example, might
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: use the principle when designing a particular product. It guides
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: them to find a sweet spot between competing requirements like cost, safety, performance,
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: and sustainability. Economists might talk about a Goldilocks economy meaning
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: one that's ideal for steady growth. Unemployment rates are low
• 43:32
  Speaker 1: and inflation is stable. Indeed, the Goldilocks principle pops up
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: in all kinds of places, in politics and education, in
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: business and marketing, and even in space travel. Planet Earth
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: has been called a Goldilocks planet because it's the perfect
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: distance away from the sun. Any closer and the seas
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: would evaporate. Further away, the seas would freeze. Earth is
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: in the exact right position to enable liquid water to exist.
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: which is why life is able to grow and thrive
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: on the planet. So, balance is crucial to the survival
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: of our world and every living thing on Earth today.
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: It's a theme across our societies and our thinking as individuals.
• 44:58
  Speaker 1: in how we work, travel, live, and feel alive. And yet,
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: as much as mankind has progressed in leaps and bounds,
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: many people today struggle to find balance. Advances in technology
• 45:25
  Speaker 1: have helped to blur the boundaries between our careers and
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: life outside of work. With such busy lives, it can
• 45:37
  Speaker 1: be hard to find time for the things that matter.
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: In part, perhaps this explains the increasing curiosity about other
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: cultures and other ways of living. Globalization has seen the
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: spread of different wisdom and rituals, and Eastern traditions have
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: become popular in the West. Once upon a time, you'd
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: have had to visit India if you wanted to learn
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: about or practice yoga. But today, you can find a
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: video at the click of a button and perform the
• 46:28
  Speaker 1: movements that balance mind, body, and spirit. Tai Chi originated
• 46:39
  Speaker 1: in China hundreds of years ago as a means of
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: harmonizing yin and yang within the body. As a physical activity,
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: it's somewhat similar to yoga. Slow, flowing movements synchronized with
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: the breath and poses performed with a sense of focus.
• 47:11
  Speaker 1: Other martial arts are more physically demanding, but they are
• 47:16
  Speaker 1: similarly known to encourage balance within. Core stability is required
• 47:24
  Speaker 1: across all kinds of disciplines, whether striking, kicking, evading or attacking.
• 47:36
  Speaker 1: In sports like judo, practitioners try to break their opponent's balance.
• 47:44
  Speaker 1: That's when they go for a throw or takedown. A judoka,
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: or judo practitioner, must remain aware of their own weight distribution.
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: They have to keep their own balance while disrupting their opponent.
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: These activities balance the mind as well as the body.
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: They help to master difficult emotions. Practitioners might walk a
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: tightrope between fear and aggression. But with practice, they learn
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: to go with the flow. Of course, there are also
• 48:40
  Speaker 1: other ways of encouraging inner balance, pastimes which require a
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: lot less movement. Ikebana, for example. is a Japanese tradition
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: which centers around the process of arranging flowers. Like the
• 49:03
  Speaker 1: Japanese gardens that we heard about earlier, it emphasizes asymmetry, irregularity,
• 49:12
  Speaker 1: and space to reflect the reality of nature. Putting the
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: flowers together requires a level of concentration. It calms the
• 49:29
  Speaker 1: mind while cultivating patience. It might be likened to mindfulness
• 49:38
  Speaker 1: meditation which itself is a concept brought over from the East.
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: Rooted in the traditions of Asia, mindfulness has been widely
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: embraced in the West. Mindfulness practices and meditations have made
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: their way into homes, workplaces, and even schools. They're aimed
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: at encouraging a sense of inner balance across body, mind, thoughts,
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: and emotions. One might offset a hectic day with a
• 50:30
  Speaker 1: few minutes of breathing, balancing out the busyness with a
• 50:36
  Speaker 1: calming slowness, or regain equilibrium by bringing awareness to the body,
• 50:45
  Speaker 1: feeling and noticing, rather than thinking. A person can gain
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: a more balanced mindset by becoming aware of negative patterns
• 51:00
  Speaker 1: of thinking. They learn to see things as they are,
• 51:08
  Speaker 1: without attaching a story, or falling into the trap of
• 51:13
  Speaker 1: negative thinking. Over time, this can help with mental equilibrium.
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: By practicing mindfulness, we might learn to become less reactive
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: and steadier in our thoughts, words, and actions. Mindfulness can
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: take many different forms, from meditation, sitting still with our
• 51:47
  Speaker 1: eyes closed, to going about our day with our eyes open.
• 51:56
  Speaker 1: It's as easy as paying attention to our senses and surroundings,
• 52:04
  Speaker 1: noticing what's happening in the present moment. but it's about
• 52:12
  Speaker 1: more than any one practice. Mindfulness might be considered a lifestyle,
• 52:21
  Speaker 1: a way of being that brings balance. In Sweden, a
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: balanced approach to living is encapsulated in the concept of Lagom.
• 52:42
  Speaker 1: The Swedes frequently score highly in studies on global happiness,
• 52:49
  Speaker 1: and many cite Lagom as one of the reasons. The
• 52:56
  Speaker 1: word means just right, not too much, not too little.
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: At a glance, it's similar to the Goldilocks Principle. but
• 53:13
  Speaker 1: it runs far deeper as a life philosophy. Largom encourages
• 53:22
  Speaker 1: us to find perfection in simplicity, to practice moderation, taking
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: only what's sufficient. But it doesn't carry any of the
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: negative connotations that we sometimes associate with words like adequate.
• 53:47
  Speaker 1: It isn't about avoiding what you really want, missing out,
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: or self-restricting. Lagom is about taking only what you need,
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: because that's what brings the most joy and pleasure. It
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: steers people away from any kind of extreme, in what
• 54:14
  Speaker 1: we eat and drink, and how we work, rest, and play.
• 54:23
  Speaker 1: Enough is as good as a feast, is how the
• 54:26
  Speaker 1: Swedes often put it. When eating, for instance, people should
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: listen to their body, so as not to eat too
• 54:39
  Speaker 1: much or too little. And it isn't necessarily about health. Rather,
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: it's a case of enjoying every bite. A balanced diet
• 54:57
  Speaker 1: also makes room for indulgence, for which the Swedes have
• 55:03
  Speaker 1: the custom known as fika. It's a cross between a
• 55:10
  Speaker 1: coffee break and a mindfulness meditation, with the addition of
• 55:16
  Speaker 1: a sweet treat such as a cake or pastry. Lagom
• 55:25
  Speaker 1: and fika are close companions. A cardamom bun, for instance,
• 55:33
  Speaker 1: might be described as lagom. because it offers a balance
• 55:37
  Speaker 1: of sweet and spicy flavours. And on a deeper level,
• 55:46
  Speaker 1: the overall ritual of Vika offers a moment to pause,
• 55:52
  Speaker 1: a break in the busy day. Lagom is frequently used
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: as a descriptive term. It's an item of clothing that
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: fits and feels perfect. Or a joke that provokes laughter
• 56:15
  Speaker 1: without crossing too many boundaries. It's easy listening music that's
• 56:24
  Speaker 1: melodic but not distracting. Or a sunny day with a
• 56:31
  Speaker 1: cool breeze. The interior of a home might be called lagom,
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: if it reflects the middle ground between ostentatious and minimalistic.
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: Imagine a typically Scandinavian room, neither cluttered nor bare, both
• 56:58
  Speaker 1: calming and cozy. On a broader scale, There's another element too,
• 57:09
  Speaker 1: a comment on overspending and modern consumerism. A Largom lifestyle
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: emphasizes ease over excess. There's no need to buy two
• 57:26
  Speaker 1: things when one is enough. It also runs counter to
• 57:36
  Speaker 1: what's sometimes called hustle culture, in which overworking is accepted
• 57:43
  Speaker 1: or even admired and work is prioritized above everything else.
• 57:54
  Speaker 1: To the Swedes, this is the path to imbalance and unhappiness.
• 58:01
  Speaker 1: Work is important, but it shouldn't consume you. A lagom
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: approach to work allows for healthy boundaries. Blocks of focused
• 58:17
  Speaker 1: work are interspersed with breaks and staff go home at
• 58:22
  Speaker 1: a reasonable hour. Rest time is not only respected, but encouraged.
• 58:34
  Speaker 1: After all, happy people make for dedicated workers. A well-rested
• 58:42
  Speaker 1: workforce is a productive one. Swedish attitudes are not too
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: dissimilar to the idea of work-life balance. This concept emphasizes
• 59:01
  Speaker 1: the need for rest and boundaries. Modern approaches to work-life
• 59:10
  Speaker 1: balance often draw inspiration from Eastern cultures. Workers might try
• 59:19
  Speaker 1: yoga and mindfulness as a means of finding calm and
• 59:25
  Speaker 1: unloading any stress. In recent years, some companies have implemented
• 59:35
  Speaker 1: a four-day work week, giving workers a longer weekend without
• 59:41
  Speaker 1: reducing productivity. Such experiments are surely bound to continue as
• 59:51
  Speaker 1: part of our quest for balance. A quest, perhaps, that
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: isn't meant to be completed. We might think of our
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 1: lives as a Japanese garden, not a goal to be achieved,
• 1:00:13
  Speaker 1: but rather something to be cared for, worked on, and nurtured,
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 1: one day at a time.
• 1:02:42
  Speaker 2: Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching.
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 1:04:18
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 2: You Thank you.
• 1:06:35
  Speaker 4: Thank you. Thank you.
• 1:07:28
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 2: Thank you for watching. Thank you.
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you for watching.
• 1:10:43
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 1:11:23
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 1:14:37
  Speaker 2: Thank you for watching. Thank you.
• 1:15:38
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 1:15:57
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 1:16:59
  Speaker 3: Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching.
• 1:18:01
  Speaker 2: Thank you for watching.
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for watching.
• 1:19:39
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 1:20:14
  Speaker 2: Thank you for watching.
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 1:21:22
  Speaker 4: Thank you. Thank you.
• 1:22:16
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 1:23:36
  Speaker 2: Thank you for watching.
• 1:24:16
  Speaker 3: Thank you for watching.
• 1:26:11
  Speaker 2: You you Thank you.
• 1:28:30
  Speaker 4: For watching.
• 1:29:00
  Speaker 2: Thank you for watching. This is the first time that
• 1:29:30
  Speaker 2: I have seen this.
• 1:29:31
  Speaker 3: Kind of thing.
• 1:30:01
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 1:30:27
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 1:30:46
  Speaker 4: Thank you. Thank you.
• 1:32:50
  Speaker 2: Thank you for watching.
• 1:33:18
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 1:33:55
  Speaker 4: Thank you. you Thank you.
• 1:36:44
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• 1:40:21
  Speaker 3: You can also use the power of your imagination. You
• 1:40:23
  Speaker 3: can also use the power of your imagination.
• 1:41:00
  Speaker 5: You Thank you. Thank you for watching. Thank you.
• 1:45:22
  Speaker 2: You you you.
• 1:48:00
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 1:48:10
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 1:48:38
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 1:49:11
  Speaker 2: You Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• 1:51:26
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 1:51:48
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 1:53:10
  Speaker 2: Thank you for watching.
• 1:55:03
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 1:55:43
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you.
• 1:58:00
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 1:59:05
  Speaker 2: This is the first time that I have seen this.
• 1:59:06
  Speaker 2: I have never seen anything like this. This is the
• 1:59:09
  Speaker 2: first time that I have seen this. I have never
• 1:59:12
  Speaker 2: seen anything like this. This is the first time that
• 1:59:14
  Speaker 2: I have seen anything like this. Thank you for watching.
• 2:02:47
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 2:03:24
  Speaker 4: Thank you for watching.
• 2:03:57
  Speaker 3: You you.
• 2:05:39
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• 2:07:57
  Speaker 3: For watching.
• 2:09:10
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 2:10:29
  Speaker 3: Thank you. you Thank you.
• 2:13:15
  Speaker 2: Thank you for watching.
• 2:13:41
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you for watching. Thank you.
• 2:15:02
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 2:17:05
  Speaker 2: Thank you for watching.
• 2:17:33
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 2:17:40
  Speaker 4: Thank you. Thank you.
• 2:18:44
  Speaker 3: You you.
• 2:20:28
  Speaker 4: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• 2:24:00
  Speaker 3: Thank you for watching.
• 2:25:16
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 2:26:12
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 2:27:35
  Speaker 2: You Thank you for watching.
• 2:28:40
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you.