What in the world …
…can Yin and Yang teach me about the secret to great relationships? If we visualize the famous symbol, we will see that there are no beginnings and no endings, no straight or hard lines, they both seamlessly connect with the other and carries their opposite colour at their center, and yet they are distinct and separate.
For the last few 1000 years this symbol has served to remind us that we are intimately linked to the natural world and to one another and that our relationships depend on this constant exchange and transformation of energy. Yin symbolizes the feminine, reflective and contemplative nature while Yang represents the masculine, outward and expansive nature. Men and women have both these qualities. In fact our mental and physical health depends on being able to keep them in balance. There are times in our lives when we need to take charge, make changes, express ourselves in the world and times we need to be still, patient and compassionate.
We are not meant to be static and one-dimensional. In order for us to live vibrant and healthy lives we need to be constantly adapting to changes in our personal life and environment. Similarly, our relationships in order to grow, be exciting and nurturing need to be flexible, creative and adaptive. They need to challenge us, support us and encourage us to be the people we want to be on this planet. Instead of pushing against the current sometimes we need to just go with the flow and see where it takes us.
When we are feeling stagnant in our lives or in our relationships, we can look back at this symbol and begin to understand what we need to do in order to make things better. If we are overly ‘yang’ for example, very opinionated and outspoken, short tempered, and always on the go, we may need to find ways of drawing a little more ‘yin’ into our lives to keep us balanced. We may need to listen more and speak less, pay special attention to our breathing in order to keep us level headed and maybe find more time to read a book, meditate, or go for a walk. If, on the other hand you find that you are very passive, unassertive, lethargic and spend most of your time sitting and ‘zoning out’ you may need to draw more ‘yang’ into your life to keep your energy moving. You might need to move more, speak up for yourself, and change your routine so you are spending more time outdoors. When we are tilted too far in one direction we need to look at the opposite side of the circle to help us find our way back to the center. This will help us navigate our way in all areas of life and especially in our relationships.
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