Most people have heard of Yang and Yin (light and dark, initiating and receiving, advancing and retreating; respectively). What, however, is the point of knowing about these opposites, without being able to apply it to your life, Tai Chi and/or Kung Fu practice?
Too much yang in ones life, they can be too aggressive, too intense, pushing through their daily activities without hearing or receiving what others are trying to tell or teach them.
Too much yin in ones life, they can be too passive, too sedentary, being too much in thought, and not enough in action. These people can talk themselves out of doing what needs to be done.
With opposite energies of Yin and Yang, we should look for ways to balance them in our lives. Too much negativity can overpower us and bring us down, so we need to counteract that with positivity.
Being aware and noticing what is happening in our lives is Yin. Reinforcing and affirming the positive aspects of what we noticed is Yang. This is our action, advancing towards more of what we want. Noticing and being aware of when we’ve had enough of one thing though is also essential. This is Yin again, and turning our attention and action towards something else beneficial is Yang again.
It is a constant back and forth dynamic. Learning to ride this wave is essential to success in Tai Chi or Kung Fu. This is definitely applicable to our daily lives outside of the the martial arts.
What is one way in your life where you’ve balanced these opposing energies? How did it feel?