Yin Yang Humans

Emotions are part of our human nature… and as much as we want to deny it, we live in a yin-yang world… Why is it so difficult to find the middle line during dark times? We tend to be obsessed with the “good” part of life rejecting the “bad” part… Which to me makes everything a lot harder! We have to stop fighting the bad things and observe them as an illusion… After all, even the good things that happen to us are the same: Experiences that come and go to teach us a lesson and leave us with memories about life on planet earth. They are not eternal, they are only a type of human illusion.

Being a mom has changed me a lot. Although it’s been only a few months, I can see how being responsible for a little human being, changes everything and makes you appreciate life a bit more. Observing my girl trying to adapt to this world in spite of its challenges is something incredible. She is fully embracing the two main aspects of life (yin-yang). When is time to cry, she will cry no doubt; when is time to smile, she will do it no matter what. She won’t judge, she’s present, she’s alive!

She’s been teaching me all about active and inactive cycles. She needs her naps during the day so she can sleep better at night. I also find myself more mindful so she can have the necessary hours of sleep and her specific bedtime routine every day. She’s teaching me a lot about scheduling, patience, and tolerance. However, the biggest lesson I’m learning at the moment is to embrace fear and trust life, because, behind every crying spell, there’s a big smile on its way. I believe now that growing requires a certain level of suffering until you realise you are much more than that. It’s when you find the strength within that suffering is no longer mandatory… but sometimes I still choose it anyway 🙁 It’s part of the growing process.

 

I believe most of us have forgotten how special we are… How important it is to understand and use our body the way is designed to work. My girl is amazed by the details life is offering (including her limbs). You can observe this amazement in almost every child. Why don’t we join them in this exploring stage every day of our life? Why don’t we stare at life all the time? Life is a miracle! Why don’t we smile as soon as we see the clouds changing their shapes in the sky and the sunshine warming our face? Also, why don’t we cry out loud when we need it (without feeling shame)?

There are so many negative emotions that we want to bury inside us. But guess what? It’s not healthy. It feels good to cry when you need to. Cry as much as you need and then let it go. Don’t let the mind stay attached to thoughts about these emotions. Be like children when it’s necessary. Feel the emotion and let it go!

I’m always comparing these themes to the physical practice of yoga. It’s all the same, you move your body in certain ways, you find the positions your body allows you to make and you experience the two aspects of it. There’s is a certain type of pain that is normal to feel when you’re strengthening your body, but there’s also that release of tension that happens right after your last breath holding that pose! If it wasn’t for this, your muscles wouldn’t become stronger. Honouring this and being grateful for it, is part of the philosophy of yoga, and that’s why I continue practicing even from home.

The physical practice of yoga connects me with this type of awareness but also with the gratitude that each cell of my body deserves. Accepting that life is always going to offer its yin-yang experiences is inevitable, but yoga is (to me) a good reminder of the balance we can achieve if we make an effort. What about you? Can you relate to this experience?