Ancient Wisdom for Modern People
A healthy existence needs to center on balance. The ancient Chinese concept of Yin and Yang, shown in the symbol so prevalent throughout our culture, explains the central belief of the ancient philosophy of Taoism that there are two forces in the Universe that are opposing yet complementary. They continually interact, support, and morph into one another, and both parts are essential for the Whole that is our Universe and our lives.
The YANG energy includes:
- activity
- forward movement
- DOING
- the bright sun
- competition
- independence
- logic and rational intelligence centered in the head
- what are usually seen as "masculine" traits or values
and the YIN energy includes:
- rest
- receiving
- BEING
- the darkness and quiet of night
- cooperation
- interdependence
- emotional intelligence centered in the heart
- what are usually seen as "feminine" traits or values
These are just a few examples of the two types of energy. We need both for balance both personally and culturally, and our modern Western culture is enormously imbalanced in favor of the Masculine. This has led to issues like the inability to "turn off," inability to sleep, and pathologizing of anyone who doesn't fit the Masculine character traits of ambition, focus, and the desire to go go go. The religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, which strongly underpin our Western culture, are centered around an authoritarian Sky God/Father who punishes his children when they break his rules. These religions embody archetypal Masculine energy, and although there are Feminine parts of these religions, they are secondary to the Sky God. (One might argue that Jesus is a beautiful combination of the archetypal Masculine and Feminine... but that's beyond the scope of this current exploration.)
If the Sky, or Heaven, is archetypal Masculine energy, Mother Earth is the archetypal Feminine force. Mother Earth will always welcome us back into her arms, soothing us with the rhythm of ocean waves, the peace of a glassy lake, the deep quiet of the woods. The recent explosion of forest bathing shows that people profoundly crave experiences of silence and connection in the midst of natural splendor. Study after study shows that spending time in Nature greatly contributes to the health and wellbeing of mind, body and spirit.
The time has come for each of us to get in touch with and reclaim our powerful Feminine energy. Each of us - no matter our sex or gender - is being called upon, as a member of our current culture, to "bring balance to the Force." Doing so will not only improve our own lives but will ripple out to all those we touch and to the planet itself.