How Yin and Yang Can Help Us Create Balance

As the energy of a powerful Summer Solstice wanes, and the watery aspects of a Cancer New Moon waxes toward full, now is a good time to pause, be with what IS, and feel into what it means to us to be in balance in our lives.

Many of us remark upon the chaos of opposing dualities that plague our society on every level these days. One antidote may be found in deepening our understanding of the Chinese energies of yin and yang.

Yin and Yang are complementary opposites, not opposing dualities. These energies comprise both the seen and unseen, active and receptive energies that interact within a greater whole. If you are among those seekers who wish to walk in balance - and reconcile our own internal dualities - as part of a dynamic system, it’s time that yin and yang become your partners in practice.

Yin and yang are not opposites, they are more like lover and beloved. They are the complementary energies that give rise to all creation.

Yin is the unseen, hidden, feminine and receptive, while yang is the seen, manifest, masculine and dynamic.

In patriarchal cultures, such as our own, we are taught to think of yang as being the more powerful principal. However, the ancient Chinese experienced it differently. They understood that the yin principle is far more powerful. Let’s get out a microscope to look at the egg and the sperm in order to understand yin and yang.

The yang sperm are active, striving, focused, in competition with each other. Compared to the yin egg, sperm are tiny. The egg waits in radiant majesty, magnetically attracting that which will activate her potential. Never efforting, the egg quietly and powerfully participates in the sacred act of BE-ing.

When the active “yangsters” arrive, the egg will choose who is allowed to enter her domain. And within her sacred space, the miracle of life will unfold. Compared with the restless sperm, she is huge, magnificent, all powerful. She is Yin.

In our homes, we want to have the right balance of Yin and Yang energies. Here is an at-a-glance guide that I share with my clients:

Let’s try this together. Take a look at the image, below, and see whether your perception is that there are more yin or yang energies. 

If you thought “yin,” you are correct. Yin energies can be a powerful invitation to BE-ing and allowing. The (y)in-actions of being and allowing are incredibly powerful for practitioners to understand and embody.

Now, look at the room below and see if you can tell which energies predominate, yin or yang.

Notice the use of vertical lines in the lighting and decor. This room, with its straight lines, smooth textures, bold color, open space and natural light, exemplifies the active principles of yang. 

What does a complementary understanding of yin and yang have to offer you?

The most comfortable homes have a good balance of both yin and yang, active and receptive. 

In the hot summer months ahead, I hope you’ll seek out the complementary energies and yin and yang to help you to proceed with equanimity, even in our chaotic times. The bright, seasonal reds, yellows and oranges found in our gardens and on our walks can help us continue to be active in our own lives, and can be balanced by the calm, quiet areas of our home that offer space and time for contemplation, being and allowing.