“The visible is yang and the invisible is yin”, is an astute observation by Dr. Joni Carley, author of The Alchemy of Power: Mastering the Invisible Factors of Leadership. After highlighting the benefits of both tender self-compassion (yin) and fierce self-compassion (yang) in the previous blog, this dovetails nicely into shining the light on how one is internal and the other is external.
“Breathe in, you’re more yin; breathe out, more yang” says Carley. She brilliantly makes the point of how this is a dynamic process that is in constant flux. There is no static or perfect balance between the two. You can be more kind and attentive in one instance and more solution focused and goal oriented the next. She goes on to elaborate, “There is always at least a little yin in the yang and vice versa.” This is most reassuring to know you don’t have to be pigeon-holed into one or the other category.
What are considered feminine and masculine characteristics are simply expressions of our inner, softer skills as well as our outer, action-driven skills. Balance both movement and rest, and you are at your optimal functioning. Shift between creativity and productivity, and you bring your best to the workplace. Attend to emotional states as well as specific goal-setting, and you are scaling your leadership to greater heights.
Both Yin and Yang are opposing and complementary forces that form a whole dynamic system according to Taoist philosophy. The beauty is in the awareness that the ‘whole’ houses both aspects, and one without the other makes it sluggish, lop-sided or stunted. In our personal and professional lives we want to develop, nurture and express both forces to achieve increasing equanimity.
Too much Yin keeps you in process mode indefinitely, slipping into complacency and inaction. Too much Yang keeps you furiously busy rushing to goal posts, without garnering desired outcomes. Learning to step into one energy fully, then shifting to the other mode is critical for self-composure, self-assured poise, and success. Flowing with ease between these strong forces and keeping the sway steady is an art to be mastered.
This awareness is essential for us as individuals, as organizations and as a society as a whole, for us to thrive. As Carley puts it powerfully, “It’s time to swing yin-ward away from the path of extreme yangdominance.”
Are you up to the challenge? How hesitant are you to set aside your need for Yang driven outcomes and to step inside into reflective Yin mode? How scary is it to come out from the shade of the thoughtful state of Yin, and open the door to the brightly lit, continuous motion world of Yang?
Identify what you lean towards naturally, and then set intentions to cultivate the other energy that you had thus far deemed frivolous, unnecessary, irrelevant, or beyond your grasp. You are activating your whole dynamic system of wellness.
Let your values driven Yin wisdom inspire your results oriented Yang practice and you will soar!