Our society, however, favors yang qualities over yin. Most rewards are given for action, not for looking within. It's acceptable to ask people who are being introspective, "Why aren't you doing something?" In other words, value isn't perceived in contemplation. But it is important to balance activity with rest.
Turning external focus inward allows us to renew ourselves and prevents us from exhausting our resources. Seeds don't constantly produce. They gather strength within the dark, damp depths of the soil so they can burst forth with life. A fertile field must have fallow time or it won't produce a bountiful harvest.
Women are emotionally and physically more yin. The distinctly female pituitary hormones oxytocin and pitocin promote passive qualities and the ability to resolve conflict through bonding with other females. Long ago, women were valued for their fruitful, abundant natures and it was their very connection to nature, to the ebb and flow of life, and their ability to give life that conferred that value. But when our cultures started becoming more externally oriented, women were shamed and punished for their connection with the forces of nature.
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| How To Get Fast Pregnancy |
Author Joan Borysenko tells the story of when, as a little girl, she questioned the nonexistent role of women in the synagogue. She asked her rabbi the reason for this discrepancy, and he responded that women don't need a house of worship to be connected to the spirit of life; they inherently are connected. They bleed with the moon. They give life. They flow with the world through their emotions. Men, however, were seen as needing a house of worship because they connected with the spirit of life more from their thoughts and their intellect. How To Get Fast Pregnancy
This story reminds us that along with women, men's yin qualities have also been stifled, so that men, too, are not able to embrace their softer tendencies. Yin, in every form, has declined. Women have become much less focused on who we are inside and taught to focus attention on how we appear to the outside world. In an attempt to create more balance, women now strive to be more like men, developing their musculature, sucking in their bellies, and rejecting aspects of their femininity, such as being open and receptive.
In my own case, because I perceived my parents were dissatisfied having yet another girl in the family, I reacted to this perception by acting like a boy. I kept my hair short, played sports, climbed trees, and tried to be tough. When I grew up, I retained the male attitude of doing and achieving and kept strengthening my exterior to cover up the softness inside. I starved myself and exercised like a maniac to make the curves disappear - I literally made myself infertile.
We each have an inner yin aspect-trusting, intuitive, open, and flowing - and we each have an inner yang aspect-direct, confident, authoritative, and goal-oriented. By identifying your yin and yang tendencies using the exercise below, you will become aware of your imbalances and grow from that understanding. For example, if your yang is too strong you may be relying too much on your intellect, while not letting your feelings impact your decisions.
You may be prone to rigidity and imposing your will on others. If your yin is too strong, you may be extremely sensitive and emotional and lack an inner voice, losing yourself to others. Understanding your imbalances is the first step toward bringing your yin and yang back into alignment. How To Get Fast Pregnancy
Yin exploration
Write down your first response to the questions that follow, and contemplate how these answers have shaped your life:
- When you were growing up, how did you feel about being a girl?
- What kind of messages did you receive about the value of being female?
- How did you feel when you had your first period? Where were you? Who was with you? What did you do?
- Which of your feminine attributes gave you a sense of pride or self-worth as a child?
- How did you know your mother loved you? How did she show her love?
- How did you show your love to your mother?
- Who were your female role models?
- How did you know your father loved you? How did he show his love?
- How did you show your love to your father?
- Who have been the important men in your life? What did you learn from each of them about masculinity?
- How do you think your life might be different if you were a man?
- How old were you when you first had intercourse? How did you feel about it?
- How do you feel about intercourse now?
- How do you experience arousal?
- What do you do with that feeling?
- If you are in an intimate partnership, how is your relationship with your partner?
- How do you show affection to your partner?
- How does your partner show attention to you?
- Identify and make a list of your feminine and masculine qualities. Feminine examples could be receptive, fertile, internally oriented. Masculine examples could be active, powerful, goal-oriented.
- Which of these qualities work for you and support your cherished destiny? Which do not?
- In which situations do you act more from your feminine nature? In which do you act more from your masculine nature?
- When do you feel out of balance?
- When do you feel in balance?
- What can you do to bring more balance into your life?
- Your endocrine and reproductive systems consist of both masculine and feminine aspects. So do your attitudes about your reproductive system. Which masculine or feminine traits do you attribute to your feelings about your own fertility, your inner creativity, and your sense of sexual arousal?
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| How To Get Fast Pregnancy |
Now that imbalanced responses have been brought into the light of your conscious awareness, when you notice that these imbalances are showing up in your behavior, you can allow their resolution through intending a more balanced response. To learn more, you can check out How To Get Fast Pregnancy.
