Bringing balance to a patriarchal society
Let’s begin with a brief introduction to the philosophy of Yin(feminine) and Yang(masculine)
Yin and yang (English: /jɪn/, /jæŋ/), also yinyang[1][2] or yin-yang,[3][2] is a concept that originated in Chinese philosophy, describing an opposite but interconnected, self-perpetuating cycle.(the creation of duality? )
Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary and at the same time opposing forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts and the parts are important for cohesion of the whole.(Direct copy and paste from Wikipedia. I could not have said it better than this…)
To my mind, yin and yang are the energetic forces of which we are ALL comprised and governed by. No man is yang alone, just as no woman is yin alone. Each of us came into this world possessing both qualities, in varying quantities/percentages. (I, for example, feel that(in my naturally balanced state) I am equal parts of yin & yang.)
I was born female, but I am not as feminine as many woman that I know. I possess many yang characteristics. I feel my balanced state to be 50% yin and 50% yang.
Yang represents masculine forces such as: fire (the sun, heat, light..)activity, rational thought, hardness, expansion and assertiveness.
Yin represents feminine forces such as: coolness (moon, water, darkness) passivity, intuition, softness, contraction and yielding to the universe.
External circumstances (caused by societal conditions and conditioning) have resulted in an imbalance to my natural constitution and I now feel that I am more yang than yin.
The yang society to which I was born created this imbalance in me and I suffer the imbalance greatly.
I am aggressive(fire, heat) and live life from inside of my mind(rational thought). I am impatient and controlling (hardness, assertiveness) and I am never satisfied with myself, I am constantly seeking to improve(expansion and activity) I am never still for long enough to appreciate life, never present enough to find joy.
I have been trying to integrate yin strengthening practices into my daily life. It has been a challenge, the ego (molded by toxic yang) is dismissive of yin pursuits. It considers them inferior, a waste of time. Create? Leave that to a select gifted few, the rest of us should keep our noses to the grind stone. Practice mindfulness as part of your daily existence? But there is so much else to think about! So much planning to do. So many comparisons to make… judgements to pass.
As if it were a natural thing, to spend each waking moment in a state of worry.
If something cannot be turned into profit then it is can not beneficial, right?
Capitalism is the toxic intellectual offspring of the minds of men in a state of imbalance/unconsciousness/insanity.
Our society, which was created solely on Yang principals, has resulted in total imbalance in humanities collective consciousness, and this imbalance has very real and dire consequences.
Somewhere over the course of humanity Yang yanked the reigns right out of Yin’s hands and steered society away from cohesion towards a power structure that does not allow for a peaceful joyful life experience. We strive, we compete, we fight we consume… we judge each other (and ourselves)harshly.
The souls needs are not being met.
The human being is not a hamster on a wheel. Yin knows this. Yin is compassion and empathy, sympathy and softness. Yin allows for rest, gives space for creativity and time for Being.
Yang without Yin is toxic (Don’t get me wrong…I love me a good Yang, big fan. Yang like characteristics in and of themself are not toxic…it is the imbalance that creates disharmony. Yin without Yang is equally as toxic.)
Our present society encourages internalization of the following narratives:
- competitiveness in place of unity.
- Dog eat dog, every man for himself…division and individual prosperity in place of communal living and equality
- Ambition in place of peace
- Forceful action in place of mindful Being.
- Profit in place of creativity
- Control in place of surrender
- Rigidity in place of adaptability
- Judgement in place of compassion
Toxic Yang calls passivity laziness, kindness weakness, self care selfish, creativity frivolous, surrender cowardice and intuition foolish.
We walk the tight rope of life holding a pole, on one end is Yin and on the other is Yang.
We have allowed Yang to grow heavier than Yin and if we do not correct this we are going to lose our balance and fall. There will be no net to catch us when we do.
Things are changing in the world, I see evidence of this in liberal and feminist movements, in the growing call for abolishment of the 40 hour work week, in mental health awareness and in newer generations, demanding their boundaries be respected and their souls needs be met. Yin IS gaining power.
But Is it a case of too little, too late?
If we look at the rate of climate change and the ongoing (seemingly escalating) global crisis of war, famine and inequality… it is difficult to imagine a movement powerful enough to stop the terrible momentum of our patriarchal past and present.
Will Yang be able to do something that goes against it’s very nature? Surrender, step aside?
Yang has a difficult task ahead of it. It must acknowledge it’s toxicity and the harm the imbalance it created has caused.
It must see it’s own shadow and it must not be triggered into justifying and defending it. It must relinquish it’s material wealth and it’s power, place it in the hands of those better suited to the task at hand.
Yin needs to be God on earth if we have any hope of saving ourselves from the brink of this man made apocalypse that is inevitable if we do not cease in the ways of unbalanced yang .(Mindless consumerism, aggression, competitiveness, profit driven living and progress for progresses sake. Violence and materialism. )
What can we do, on an individual level, to aid in this shift?
Seek to cultivate and nurture yin within ourselves.
Practice Yin Yoga and mindful strengthening practices in place of yang(and vanity) centered physical exercise
Watch your inner narrative. Be always kind and compassionate, to yourself most of all, but also to others.
Question your ego’s desire to judge and to condemn, to control and to remain rigid in the face of change.
Think about how yang has negatively impacted your life. Did yang turn your father into an emotionally challenged control freak? Your mother into a passive aggressive manic depressive housewife? Did yang force you to forget your creative dreams to pursue success and the “security” it promises? Did Yang convince you that perfectionism was something to be proud of? Did Yang convince you to fear God and segregate yourself from your fellow humans? Did Yang convince you that the only worth you have as a woman lies in your beauty?Or that to be a real man means to be on total control of your emotions? Or that you need to conform to masculine ideals to be considered worthy?
Man or woman, we are all victims to the imbalance.
We could be the change we’d like to see in the world.
A better (peaceful, joyful…FREE) Existence is possible. Nay…inevitable! Evolution to the highest possible psychological level is our purpose and destiny. It is only a question of when. Will it be now, on this Earth? Will we be the ones to change? Or will we be a cautionary tail to the humans who come after us, will they be the ones destined to succeed where we have failed?
I personally choose to believe that WE are the chosen ones. The movement has already began. We might not live to see the new world but we will be the ones that cause the shift that makes a new way of living possible.
Namaste, thank you for reading.
#nurtureyin
#bringbalance
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