Joyful Balance - it’s purpose and context Joyful Balance was set up to offer a way out of the mental, emotional, and physical tension, and the trauma, from which many people suffer. This suffering is often the result of violence and conflict, and pressures with which people are confronted at home, in the workplace, and in the community and wider society. In many places, people live in extremely difficult situations, often from a very young age and continuously for many years. War, poverty, poor health and lack of education; lack of, or failed livelihood opportunities; and insecure and inhumane social and economic systems assert incredible strain on beings. As a consequence, many experience stress and tensions, or suffer from trauma and emotions such as anger, fear and sorrow. In other places, people may be better off, more secure and wealthier. Yet, the economic and social environment of modern society with its emphasis on competitiveness, achievement, individualism, and consumerism presents heavy demands for in particular parents, women, adolescents, and professionals, and strong temptations for some of them as well. Relational tensions, addictions, stress related illnesses (family and job-related), are widespread and severely impact on social coherence and care, on social tolerance, as well as on life satisfaction.