Seeking balance can be a fickle thing, and finding the right time to tap into our power to move forward versus surrendering and letting go can be challenging. The concept of yin and yang dates from the third century BCE in Chinese philosophy and is the idea that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites that attract and complement each other.
Yin energy is feminine, passive, and soft, while yang energy is more masculine, active, and rigid. These two forces exist within all of us, and the balance of both is necessary for us to navigate and grow throughout the course of our lives.
Without yin energy, we may show up to the world with a hard exterior and an overabundance of masculine energy- causing us to overdo and over produce. Without yang energy, passivity has the potential to take over, resulting in less inspired action and allowing life to happen to us instead of asserting ourselves and co-creating with the world around us.
Finding this balance of strength and softness when it comes to navigating the ups and downs of the human experience requires practice and becoming attuned with your body, patterns, and what you need in each moment. Both yin and yang energy play a vital role in helping us move through life in a centered place- helping us tap into our unshakeable warrior spirit.
When it comes to the balance of feminine and masculine energy, most of us tend to embody one more than the other. Some of us are over productive, rarely make time for rest, and meet the world in more of a rigid way- embodying more masculine energy. If we embody more feminine energy, we may seek rest often, live in flow, and approach life in more of an adaptable way.
When it comes to finding balance, it’s important to become aware of which energy you tend to approach life and challenges with, and how that benefits you and in what ways it also may be doing you a disservice. Some situations require a bit of resistance, action, and yang energy, while others are better served with a little bit of softness and learning to let go.
Navigating when to push and when to release is an important part of embodying a centered spirit. There is a time for cultivating strength and a time to lean into softness. When these two elements are in balance, we are able to uphold our center and navigate difficult times with a bit more ease. It’s important to use your own judgment and check in with yourself on how it may be most beneficial to show up to different circumstances in your life so you can truly practice embodying balance.
If you tend to meet life with softness and surrender, try asking yourself where more discipline, consistency, and masculine energy may benefit you. What areas of your life feel unorganized and where could you benefit from a bit more movement and forward motion? Reflect on these ideals and put them into action to practice embodying more yang energy and approach your life with more balance.
It’s important to know that softness is also strength, and that abiding in a more yin or feminine energy is not indicative of weakness. If you tend to approach situations in an active and rigid way, ask yourself where you may benefit from letting go or moving throughout life a little bit more downstream. What are you holding onto that would benefit you to release? Where can you cultivate forgiveness and find more rest in your life so you can show up as your best self? Take inventory of where you can implement more balance in your life to cultivate a more centered state.
If you can, find somewhere outside where you can root your feet firmly on the earth. If you can’t get outside, anywhere indoors is fine too. Come to stand in tadasana, feet separated hips width apart, palms facing forward down by your sides and eyes gently closed. Stand tall and centered. Take a few slow and deep breaths in and out of your nose. Notice what the air feels like entering through your nostrils, and what it feels like as it leaves.
Become aware of the balance of strength and softness, the effort of drawing the breath in, and the surrender in letting it go. Feel both of your feet firmly planted on the ground, equal weight in both legs. Notice if one foot is bearing more weight than the other, and try to distribute the weight evenly so both of your feet are supporting your body the same.
Keep a strong core and steady center as you stand here and breathe, firmly rooted on the earth, embodying both strength and softness as you ride the waves of your inhale and exhale. Stay here for up to five minutes or until you feel like you have accessed a more centered and peaceful state, ready to move throughout your day feeling balanced and ready to take on anything.
Discover the nature of resilience through the lens of compassion and care and connect with your wholeness in Journey to Well-being: Resilience, a four-part series with Daniel, available now in the Chopra App.
Yin energy is feminine, passive, and soft, while yang energy is more masculine, active, and rigid. These two forces exist within all of us, and the balance of both is necessary for us to navigate and grow throughout the course of our lives.
Without yin energy, we may show up to the world with a hard exterior and an overabundance of masculine energy- causing us to overdo and over produce. Without yang energy, passivity has the potential to take over, resulting in less inspired action and allowing life to happen to us instead of asserting ourselves and co-creating with the world around us.
Finding this balance of strength and softness when it comes to navigating the ups and downs of the human experience requires practice and becoming attuned with your body, patterns, and what you need in each moment. Both yin and yang energy play a vital role in helping us move through life in a centered place- helping us tap into our unshakeable warrior spirit.
Balancing Our Energies
When it comes to the balance of feminine and masculine energy, most of us tend to embody one more than the other. Some of us are over productive, rarely make time for rest, and meet the world in more of a rigid way- embodying more masculine energy. If we embody more feminine energy, we may seek rest often, live in flow, and approach life in more of an adaptable way.
When it comes to finding balance, it’s important to become aware of which energy you tend to approach life and challenges with, and how that benefits you and in what ways it also may be doing you a disservice. Some situations require a bit of resistance, action, and yang energy, while others are better served with a little bit of softness and learning to let go.
Navigating when to push and when to release is an important part of embodying a centered spirit. There is a time for cultivating strength and a time to lean into softness. When these two elements are in balance, we are able to uphold our center and navigate difficult times with a bit more ease. It’s important to use your own judgment and check in with yourself on how it may be most beneficial to show up to different circumstances in your life so you can truly practice embodying balance.
Embodying Strength
If you tend to meet life with softness and surrender, try asking yourself where more discipline, consistency, and masculine energy may benefit you. What areas of your life feel unorganized and where could you benefit from a bit more movement and forward motion? Reflect on these ideals and put them into action to practice embodying more yang energy and approach your life with more balance.
Embodying Softness
It’s important to know that softness is also strength, and that abiding in a more yin or feminine energy is not indicative of weakness. If you tend to approach situations in an active and rigid way, ask yourself where you may benefit from letting go or moving throughout life a little bit more downstream. What are you holding onto that would benefit you to release? Where can you cultivate forgiveness and find more rest in your life so you can show up as your best self? Take inventory of where you can implement more balance in your life to cultivate a more centered state.
A Practice for Finding Balance
If you can, find somewhere outside where you can root your feet firmly on the earth. If you can’t get outside, anywhere indoors is fine too. Come to stand in tadasana, feet separated hips width apart, palms facing forward down by your sides and eyes gently closed. Stand tall and centered. Take a few slow and deep breaths in and out of your nose. Notice what the air feels like entering through your nostrils, and what it feels like as it leaves.
Become aware of the balance of strength and softness, the effort of drawing the breath in, and the surrender in letting it go. Feel both of your feet firmly planted on the ground, equal weight in both legs. Notice if one foot is bearing more weight than the other, and try to distribute the weight evenly so both of your feet are supporting your body the same.
Keep a strong core and steady center as you stand here and breathe, firmly rooted on the earth, embodying both strength and softness as you ride the waves of your inhale and exhale. Stay here for up to five minutes or until you feel like you have accessed a more centered and peaceful state, ready to move throughout your day feeling balanced and ready to take on anything.
Discover the nature of resilience through the lens of compassion and care and connect with your wholeness in Journey to Well-being: Resilience, a four-part series with Daniel, available now in the Chopra App.