Today, a lesson on Yin and Yang… listen up, as this gets interesting.
Yin and Yang is the concept of seemingly opposite or contrary forces being interconnected and forming part of a greater whole. The symbol most of us recognise is called the Taijitu and, over the years, it has become one of the best-known visual representations associated with Taoist philosophy.
The predominantly black side represents Yin and is traditionally associated with qualities such as softness, stillness, cold, water, earth, the moon, femininity and night. The white side represents Yang and is traditionally associated with qualities such as activity, heat, fire, sky, the sun, masculinity and daytime. The dots remind us that neither principle exists completely without the other, and that the two are constantly interacting.
When we train, and in fact when we simply move, Yin and Yang are ever-present. For example, to deliver a good and effective punch, be it a left jab like a pro boxer or a quick chain punch like a Kung Fu master, you need the right balance of relaxation and tension. To move your arm quickly enough to hit the target, your back, shoulder and arm muscles need to remain relatively relaxed, then stiffen rapidly as you make contact. Too much tension and you become slow. Too little tension and the punch becomes weak and unstable. Only through the correct balance and timing of hard and soft can you generate both speed and force.
“He who stands on tiptoe doesn’t stand firm. He who rushes ahead doesn’t go far. He who tries to shine dims his own light. He who defines himself can’t know who he really is. He who has power over others can’t empower himself. He who clings to his work will create nothing that endures. If you want to accord with the Tao, just do your job, then let go.”
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
Growth
At a deeper level, Yin and Yang also represent the harmony that exists within us and the universe around us. I have found living with an awareness of Yin & Yang very freeing. You start to see compliments and insults as rather meaningless (in a good way!), and you go with the flow of life, so when it pushes, you pull, and when it pulls, you push. You ‘accept’ more than strive; you have powerful intentions rather than fixed goals and develop a calmer, more balanced outlook, which helps keep you grounded, happy and connected.
The more I study wellness, train clients and immerse myself in a life of movement, the more I see the principles of Yin and Yang at work, and the more I see physical fitness as a potential pathway to personal and even spiritual growth.
Fitness as a Metaphor for Life
When you are doing so many reps that the body eventually fails and you simply can’t do another one, you are, in a strange way, succeeding. You have reached your current limit. Training close to failure can be useful for building muscle and creating adaptation, but the bigger lesson for me is philosophical: sometimes failure is simply evidence that you pushed far enough to discover where the edge currently is.
Failure can equal progress.
The most important lesson I have for you when training is to embrace and retain a “white belt” / beginner’s mentality as you gain more confidence, skill and results. This attitude is high in humility and curiosity and pleasingly low in ego.
Challenge – Reflection
Your challenge today is to reflect on the Yin and Yang of your own life. How much balance and harmony do you have in your day-to-day life? Are you doing too much of one thing at the expense of another? Are you too focused on yourself at the expense of empathy for others? Are you doing too much at the expense of simply being… or vice versa?
When you look carefully, Yin and Yang are present in everything we do. How could you improve the balance between different and opposing principles in your own life?