---

Did you know that ancient Chinese culture believes that everyone contains both Yin and Yang energy, and in order to be healthy both must be kept in balance? Yin represents feminine aspects such as Earth, water, passiveness, coldness, intuition, and darkness. Yang represents masculine aspects, such as Heaven, fire, activity, heat, and light. Neither is superior to the other and there is no judgment attached to any of these traits; it is understood that they cannot exist without each other.

The concept of Yin and Yang is a fundamental principle in ancient Chinese philosophy and culture. It is an integral part of various aspects of Chinese belief systems, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Daoism (Taoism), and Chinese cosmology.

Yin and Yang are complementary forces that are interconnected and interdependent. They represent the dualistic nature of the universe and all aspects of life. The symbol of Yin and Yang, often depicted as a circle divided into two swirling shapes, embodies this concept of harmony and balance between opposing but interconnected forces.

Yin is associated with feminine attributes, darkness, coldness, passivity, and intuition, while Yang is associated with masculine attributes, light, heat, activity, and assertiveness. Examples of how this concept is applied in daily life and health include balancing different types of foods to maintain a healthy diet (e.g., warm foods for cold conditions, cooling foods for heat conditions) and using acupuncture and herbal remedies to balance the Yin and Yang energies within the body.

The philosophy of Yin and Yang is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture, and its influence can be seen in various aspects, including traditional arts, architecture, feng shui, and even social interactions. It emphasizes the importance of equilibrium and harmony in all aspects of life and encourages individuals to seek balance rather than extremes.
​
It's fascinating to observe how these ancient beliefs continue to resonate with people today, both within and outside of Chinese culture, as many individuals seek a balanced and harmonious approach to life and well-being.

Anything on the right side of the body mirrors attitudes to do with the masculine, men, the future or our career.
The left side reflects the feminine aspects, our attitude to women, the past or our home life.

​Divine feminine and divine masculine can't exist without the other. This means that despite our cultural associations of masculine and feminine with men and women, respectively, we all have both energies within us. They just might not be evenly balanced.
Too much masculine, and we get aggression and domination. Too much feminine, and we get disempowerment and stagnation.

In attraction, there has to be a magnetic pull.  This is the polarity of the two sides.  The feminine side will attract the masculine as the masculine will also attract back the feminine.  When the feminine is completely in her power, she pulls the masculine in.  If the one is holding too much masculine energy, the other masculine will feel non attraction pull.  Oftentimes, others will show up to get you to switch your polarity, or to show you how you are in the incorrect polarity at the time.  

​

Harmonizing Male and Female Polarities
The concept of Yin and Yang to express balance within the body's energy flow, are constantly interacting, Neither can exist in isolation from the other, their affinity to each other has a direct effect on health and harmony.

YIN IS FEMININE
cold
negative
downward
inward
dark
yielding
reaction

YANG IS MASCULINE
positive
active
exterior
hard
upward
hot
light
forceful
action

We are able to balance these two conflicting opposites by understanding that for every action there is a reaction, and the natural laws of matter are transcended.

We are in the moment. We are not our past (action) We are not our future (reaction) We just are.

Once we can grasp this moment, we gain an understanding of the eternal moment of NOW. We transcend the Newton laws of physics and step into quantum physics where all is unity, and we see wisdom in the ultimate truth.

Consider your own relationship to the feminine. Do you relate more to the roles of wife, nurse, or lover? Many of us, both men and women, are filled with stereotypes of the ideal woman that we picked up from our families and our culture. Most of the stereotypes involve women in deferential roles. We know that women are often perceived as aggressive where a man is seen as assertive. And yet, we also know that there is nothing as fierce as a mother protecting her young.
​
Carl Jung recognized that men and women have both masculine and feminine aspects to our psyches, the anima and animus.

Looking inside yourself and at the women who surround you, imagine stepping outside of the limited stereotype relegating women to finding acceptance only when protecting her young, and instead  embracing Durga, the Mother of life and death, whose ferocity brings balance to the world.  Holding both aspects of the Divine feminine, men and women together can co-create a  future where the Goddess reclaims her place as an equal bringing into being a world of balance and harmony.