Exploring the dance of yin and yang

                                                   

Yin and yang are opposite states of expression contained in all of life.
Yin represents the polarity of passivity, while yang is the expression of the activity.  Many other opposites can be used to demonstrate this principle such as light/dark, up/down/ inside/outside etc.  This paradigm can be found everywhere, everything has an opposite, with a multitude of expressions in between.
To observe this transformation or movement within ourselves allows us to see our own unique song as we change notes, hit highs and lows and integrate that each note contributes to the whole - the inner meaning of healing is just that - to make whole again. We see the representation of this in the  yin/yang symbol.  Each side contains an element of the other. The white has a portion of black, and the black a portion of white. The expression is in constant motion but always contains the entirety or wholeness as it moves between phases or extremes.

Sometimes in our human experience, we forget or lose sight that we are always whole and contain all parts of our divinity at all times.  We are never separate from that even when we may be out of sync.  When we can express our yin (form and receptivity) in equal portion to our yang (activity and function-service) we find our balance point, the center, or homeostasis. When we balance our physical form with our divine function or purpose, we become the embodiment of the Taiji.

This dance can easily be understood by witnessing the change of seasons.  The full yang of summer slowly and gradually gives way to autumn until it reaches the ultimate yin of winter.  This transformation process is part of our nature as well.  Just as the seasons move through this expression of polarities, we experience change and growth and continuous cycles.

A tree doesn't question when it begins to lose it's leaves in the fall., doesn't worry or fret that it worked so hard to develop them, doesn't fear rejection or feel failure in their absence.  It just moves with the phases because the tree essence remains unchanged.  It's divine expression includes all phases of "tree-ness" From bare branches to full bloom and back again.  It's in the holding on or resistance to change that interrupts the natural order of things in our lives and can cause a misunderstanding of the grace and divine order of all things.  It's not so much the changes in our lives that cause suffering but how we interpret them.

The yin/yang theory can be observed in just about every aspect of life.  Science tells us that energy cannot be destroyed, only transformed.  This speaks to the very same principle.  Everything in life is in motion and we are in constant interaction with everyone and everything around us.
Given that, we can put attention towards cultivating the quality of this constantly moving force or Qi.  In our bodies, Qi comes in through the breath.  To nurture the balance internally, we can look to the breath as one method or practice.  The inhale is the yang of the breath, the exhale is the passive yin aspect.  Even in a very short amount of time of conscious breathing we can re establish harmony within.  This simple practice sounds a signal to the rest of the body that balance is being restored on a physiological level.  This yin/yang balancing act is also the foundation of Chinese Medicine.  Either polarity can be adjusted through activation of the meridians with acupressure.

In our environment, we can also seek to restore harmony through Feng Shui.  Qi is likened to the forces of wind and water. The wind moves the energy (yang) and the water contains and supports it. (yin) That is the literal translation.  Observing the arrangement of furniture or architectural structures (yin ) with the interaction we have within these spaces (yang) can give us an indication if an imbalance exists. In other words, is there a balance between form and function? 
Clutter is a very quick illustration of this principle.  In a space that is very cluttered (overly yin) it is hard to function (yang) or feel productive.  The energy gets stuck from the over abundance of yin.  Yin is receptive, contemplative, and nurturing in energy however in excess can become stagnant, overly reflective, depressive, without movement, dark. There is not enough yang to animate the space and maintain that balance of equal yin to yang.

If we can begin to see all of our experiences through this lens, it becomes much easier to move and adjust with the natural order of things, both internally and externally, which also allows us to embrace our own divine expression without judgement. We are all simply moving through the cycles of our unique landscapes, and every change has a perfect purpose of bringing us back to center.

www.blossomingspriritfengshui.com

Matters of the heart

As we approach the summer solstice, we transition into the energy of the fire element.  This element pertains mainly to the heart, although in Chinese Medicine, each element has a yin and a yang partner meridian.  The fire element is the only element that actually governs four of the twelve meridians. (That makes it pretty important!) The two yin meridians are the heart and master heart or pericardium, and the two yang meridians are the small intestine and triple warmer.  Yin is said to pertain to our emotions, while yang pertains to our beliefs and attitudes. 

Each of the five elements has a role within the body, which can be compared to a hierarchy of a kingdom so to speak.  The hearts role is that of the emperor, who rules with clear intention and awareness, by spreading joy.  We’ve all heard the expressions lead with your heart. 

The master heart envelopes or protects the heart, particularly from excessive emotional damage and shock.  When in balance, they govern our ability to feel joy, compassion, the ability to deal with strong emotions, intimacy, and a sense of wholeness and self love.  When out of balance, we can experience mania, restlessness, a feeling of disconnection and depression, heart palpitations, sleeping problems, spontaneous sweating of the palms or feet, anxiety, phobias, a feeling of restriction in the throat, incessant talking or laughing.

The yang aspects pertain to assimilation of ideas, clarity of thought, memory, and nourishment of the body/mind connection.  A disharmony can present as inflammatory reactions, jaw problems, tinnitus, unclear thought processes, lack of energy, increase in colds or fevers or become emotionally cold or shut down.

One of the most beautiful aspects of being human is our vulnerability and the great capacity to love and be loved.  As part of our experience, we will naturally come up against the polarity of this as well. These heartbreaks, seeming failures, illness or traumatic experiences can affect this vital element and can store themselves deeply into the system.

Restoring balance to the heart can be achieved through acupressure and other healing modalities such as sound therapy, flower essences or homeopathy but also by nourishing the Shen* 

This can be likened to our spirit, or presence.  It’s our ability to connect to a higher source, to enjoy life, cultivate awareness, manifestation, our vitality, and our unique expression.  This can often be seen in the eyes. That sparkle or conversely, that emptiness.  Our Shen* is first transmitted to us in utero and it’s said the moms state can effect what is transmitted to the fetus. It can also be cultivated throughout our lives.

Practices such as Tai Chi, Yoga, adopting an attitude of compassion and forgiveness, or simply engaging in activities that feed your soul play an integral role.

In our world of rushing from one responsibility to the next and the disconnect of virtual connections, allow yourself the time this summer to explore what makes your heart sing and experience the joy of the moment. Nourish your spirit with self love and positive thoughts, breathe, and actively replenish your heart center. ♥  The best part is...living your bliss gives those around you the notion or permission to do the same. Shine brightly!

www.blossomingspiritfengshui.com

Movement in stillness

                                       

In Feng Shui, we consider the Yin and Yang of the environment. In this context, we see Yang as bright colors, shiny surfaces, oversize windows, straight lines or rooms with lots of activity.  We see Yin as soft textures, calm lighting, rounded edges, subdued low furnishings, stillness.  For our home to feel balanced, we aim to have these two polarities represented equally.  Taking it one step further, the home is the Yin quality, those who live and move within, are the Yang. This is why a home that has been left vacant feels so lifeless. The Yang/spirit is missing.

This same theory exists within us as well.  So how do we recognize these polarities on an individual level?
The Yang can be compared to our spirit self. Inspired thought and action. Often referred to as the heavenly father.
The Yin is represented by the material. The physical form. That which is tangible. The earthly mother.
That is to say our bodies, the bones and organs are considered yin, the form.  The movement within the body of blood and fluids, the transformation that occurs is considered yang, the function.
When looked at in this way, it is easy to see the interdependence of the two. The yang is what animates the yin.  The yin supports the yang.

To live a more balanced experience, we need to be mindful of the two.  It's as simple as really taking notice!
In Feng shui we look around us, but what of the view inside. Take note if you feel at home in your body, and how often are you really there, truly present?
How does your body (yin) feel or respond to the movement of your breath (yang)? The magic of the universe resides in this simple exhange :-) ☯


www.blossomingspiritfengshui.com

Protecting the kidney energy

In Chinese medicine, each organ energy is associated with both an element and a season.  The winter is the time of the kidney and the element of water.  The kidney energy is said to be the root of all yin and yang, or in other words, our foundation or reservoir. A metaphor that comes to mind is that of a water wheel, where one bucket dumps into the next, filling it up until it spills over, and so it goes as the buckets fill, the wheel turns and continually propels the cycle. If not enough water, not enough force to keep the wheel moving and an imbalance is created. 
A person who is balanced in kidney energy can be both active and productive, yet calm and reflective. Action with proper intention.  A balance of yin and yang.

So what damages or depletes kidney energy?  This energy is associated with the adrenals, and so probably the number one consideration would be stress and the emotional component of fear!  Other choices such as sugar, alcohol, drugs or coffee can also deplete.  The climactic factor is cold. Because this energy is more vulnerable in the winter, we want to take extra care to warm the inside to compensate.

Every person has a unique constitution and therefore a lack of kidney energy may show up differently, but here are some common physical markers.

* Any joint pain, commonly the knees, ankles.
* Sore lower back
* Consistent cold hands and feet
* Reproductive issues
* Premature aging, such as early hair loss
* Urinary problems
* Weakness in the legs, pale complexion, feeling lethargic
* Frequent ear infections, ringing in the ears

An imbalance can also manifest on the emotional level.  If we look back to the 5 elements, there is a particular relationship between the water and the fire.  This can also be seen as north and south, heaven and earth, and the emotional opposition of joy (love) and fear.  If the kidney energy is weak, and the cycle is not moving, we can see either an excess of water or a lack of water, which is unable to control the fire. (This dynamic can also play a role in addictions)

An excess of water can present as extreme yin. The water douses the flame where love resides and we can see a melancholic or depressed state. A lack of will.
A deficiency of water can present as extreme yang. The fire is raging out of control. Here we can see manic behaviors, anxiety, racing thoughts or impulsive actions, difficulty sleeping.

We can restore balance through acupressure, but also with the help of diet and lifestyle choices.  To adjust to the season, slow cooked foods are best to warm the interior. Eating mindfully, making sure to chew foods well to facilitate digestion. Eating more simple combinations and reducing or eliminating raw and cold foods in the winter months can all be very supportive.  The following food choices can help keep the balance.
Black beans, Mung beans, Kidney beans, Black sesame seeds, Millet, Barley, Lentils, Bone broth soups (can add seaweeds), Oats, Quinoa, chicken and salmon. Think soups and stews!
If having fruits, you can always cook them lightly to make more of a compote. The berries are a great choice for the heart connection. Raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries. Spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves, onions, also have a warming effect.

And lastly...the very wise words from our moms...bundle up, it's getting cold out there!!!

www.blossomingspiritfengshui.com 

Simple steps to a good nights sleep!

                                                                 

As the winter rolls around, we naturally tend towards indoors and nesting.  It also becomes important to follow natures cue and ensure we are getting enough rest to maintain a strong immune system during the colder months.

One of the ways to support this is by addressing the Feng Shui of the bedroom!  These principles apply pretty much to all of us, but these simple tips will be geared towards the kids in your world.

1- The bed 
To ensure a good nights sleep, the bed should be in what is called the command position. What this basically means is that the child can easily see the door if someone was to enter the room, without being directly in line with it.
There are two basic reasons for this. One, subconsciously we feel safer when we can see what is coming towards us and secondly, in feng shui, the energy enters the room by the door, so to be directly in line with the inflow of energy is not ideal for sleeping.

The next thing to consider is the bedding. Every child or person has a different consideration for what might be comfortable. Some like warm and fuzzy sheets if they tend to chill easily, while others like the feeling of crisp cool sheets. What type of pillow? Do they like the feeling of a heavy blanket or always throwing the blanket off?  It is really important to get this right so that they LOVE climbing into bed at night, and are comfortable enough to sleep the night through.

A wooden bed frame tends to offer more stability or grounding energy than say a metal bed frame. We want the child to feel very stable and secure. Bunk beds are often seen as a great space savers, and if the child/children are sleeping well, then great!! If not, it could be a result of compressed energy while sleeping. Some kids will feel it's like a restful cocoon, while others may feel stifled.  Everyone is different!

2- Colors
Ideally the wall colors for a bedroom should be either softer palettes or very rich and nurturing.  There is often a temptation to make the room very vibrant, like a child's energy, but keep in mind the main objective of the room..which is rest.
Yin and Yang...??
These are words to represent opposing forces or energies and can relate to gender, color, shape, movement etc. An easy example is the sun and moon.
The sun is yang...daytime, bright, active, vibrant!!
The moon is yin...night, dim, soft textures, restful.
We want to consider the yin/yang balance for the room overall.  Bright colors are considered yang and soft or dark colors yin. Because it is a bedroom, we want to tend towards more yin.  To achieve the balance, bright accents can easily be added or changed as the child grows. This can be done with accent pillows, carpets, draperies etc.

Colors carry an energetic frequency. Some suggestions could be soft blues to encourage rest and intuition. Yellows for grounding and confidence. Greens for healing and encouraged growth. Pinks for self love.
The child's life gua/element, which is calculated according to their birth date can also be considered to see which colors would be most suitable for their nature.

3- Clutter
As adults we know how clutter can make us feel disorganized, stressed or overwhelmed. For kids, its the same principle. It's hard to rest when things feel chaotic around you. We want to encourage breathing space and free circulation of energy. That means nothing stuffed under the bed, piles of clothes or toys lying around or the desk overflowing with clutter.
Clutter creates stagnant energy and kids are always changing and growing, so we want to encourage that. It's also a subtle way to introduce the concept of simplicity and gratitude.
Creating spaces for storage, bulletin boards for notes or mementos, shelves for books is the idea. This can still be done in a way to allow for creativity and organized chaos depending on your child's style. Allow them to engage in the process!

4-The senses
 The senses are a big part of creating the space! Here are a few fun ways to stimulate and explore.

Sound: depending on the age, they may enjoy falling asleep or studying to the sound of ocean waves or rain forest etc. It could also be other styles of music. This is an important part of developing their creativity and sense of self.
Touch: Textures are so important, especially in a bedroom. You can have fun with adding fuzzy pillows, woven cottons, sparkly sequins, sleek surfaces. 
Sight: Ideally the room should be aesthetically pleasing but also filled with things/images/textures that your child loves.  The more they get involved with the design style, the better they will feel.  This is their domain and it should be a reflection of who they are as they see it...with room to grow!
Scent: Aromatherapy can be a great addition to a bedroom, particularly during the winter months when we are a little more sensory deprived!  Adding a vaporizer and experimenting with different essential oils can be very therapeutic on a sensory level, but also help reduce the dryness that winter brings. A commonly known choice is lavender to calm and soothe. Eucalyptus can also be used if your child tends towards congestion. This is a fun way to explore with your child to see which scents they enjoy.

5-Winding down
A common habit is to have a TV or some form of electronics in the bedroom.  If this is the case, ensure they are shut off well before bedtime and cellphones placed away from the bed or better still, turned off completely.  These do emit electromagnetic waves that can have harmful effects on the body over extended periods. 
It is also great to instill the habit of disconnecting and allowing for time to simmer down before sleep.  If your child has a busy mind, journal writing before bed, reading or breathing exercises can be excellent tools to calm and prepare for a restful sleep.

Sweet dreams!
Debbie

www.blossomingspiritfengshui.com

The spirit of the seasons

According to Taoist philosophy and Chinese medicine, there is an emphasis on living in harmony with the natural rhythms of the seasons. One of the reasons for this thinking is that every season pertains to an element and is also said to have a spirit. When looking at the seasons in this way, we can see they affect our external environment, but they also impact us on an internal level.  What is transforming around us is a larger reflection of our own internal processes.  

There are five elements. One for each season, plus a fifth that represents the rest periods in between. The cycle goes something like this:

At the height of summer we have fire, these fires produce the ashes that become the earth. In late summer the earth begins to rest to prepare for Autumn and the element of metal. All metals are harvested from the earth.  Winter brings us into the depths of the water element. The water prepares us for the rebirth of spring and supplies nourishment to the roots of the wood element.  The wood then feeds the fire. Each element supports the one that comes after, creating harmony.  This is referred to as the productive cycle.  When this cycle is disrupted, there is a disharmony which can present itself as a physical, emotional or spiritual imbalance.  This same five elements theory is used in Feng Shui to evaluate the balance of elements within the home.

Now onto the spirit of each element! 

Fire houses the Shen*. Another word to describe this would be simply the spirit. If you think about the essence of fire, ascending or rising, it makes sense that this element pertains to the Shen* I like to think of it as our inner light. That sparkle in the eyes. Unwavering positivity and compassion.  We are all born with this, but shen* can also be cultivated through practices such as meditation, tai chi, yoga etc. Activities that reconnect you to your true essence. The fire element also pertains to the heart.

The spirit of the earth element is what is called Yi, or intention.  Proper thought. This is our center and pertains to the abdomen or in Chinese medicine the stomach and spleen. The polarity of proper thought is worry and most of us have experienced the physical pit in the stomach that comes with worry! With excessive worry, we can begin to experience digestive upsets or problems. The equinoxes and solstice periods are ruled by the earth element and it’s not uncommon to experience digestive upsets during those transitions.

The metal element is ruled by the Po or the corporeal soul.  That little voice inside you that offers guidance for the physical body. When you get feedback to rest, to eat, to exercise, that is the Po! It also represents the relationship between our physical being and our spiritual being.  Our physical being is the yin aspect, and our spiritual self the yang.  In balance, we are continually having exchanges between these two aspects of self and hear the wise words of the Po!

The lungs and the large intestine are ruled by the metal and we can see this function of communication in a more physical way. With the breath, we have that exchange with our environment. In that moment of stillness in between breaths, all possibilities are present, beginnings and endings.  The large intestine is responsible for assimilation and releasing that which is no longer needed. On an emotional level, both allow for acceptance and letting go.  

The water element houses the Zhi or willpower. I look at this as our inner water well or reserve. If our well is deep then we have plenty of resources, power to put behind our purpose.  If the well begins to run dry, it’s much harder for us to muster up the desire to manifest or do much of anything! In traditional Chinese medicine, the water element also pertains to the kidneys or the adrenals.  We live in a society where it’s very common to overwork, overstress, overtax our systems, which can also lead to complete fatigue or burnout.  The water is the what feeds the roots so it is important to nurture your reserves!

Finally we have the wood element which houses the Hun or our ancestral spirit. This pertains to the energy of our family lineage, and also gives us the capacity to plan and find a sense of purpose, develop our intuition and regulate our emotions. The liver/gallbladder are also associated with the wood element. When there is an imbalance here we can experience outbursts of anger or strong emotions, resentments or feeling stuck.

We are now at the time of the equinox and moving into the metal element.  In a way it is that space between inhale and exhale. A time to release the thrills of summer and begin to prepare for a quieter more introspective period.  Listen to the whispers of the Po! Allow yourself this time to release and renew.  Let your reserves restore in preparation for the water element that winter brings! 

Happy Equinox! 

www.blossomingspiritfengshui.com  

What is Acupressure anyway?

Acupressure is a healing art that predates acupuncture, going back some 5,000 years which was developed in China. Both Acupuncture and Acupressure work with what is called the meridian system. These are intricate pathways that travel through the body and can be considered a distribution network for what is said to be the vital substances according to traditional Chinese medicine. These include the blood, Qi or life force, and body fluids. An acupoint is a spot along these channels where the activity of the channel can be more easily influenced or accessed to help restore balance within the system by applying gentle pressure.

Traditional Chinese medicine takes a holistic approach and so the physical body, mind and spirit are treated as a whole.  Diet and lifestyle are also integral aspects to maintaining health and vitality. Some common ailments that can be supported or alleviated with acupressure are headaches, insomnia, anxiety, depression, addictions, digestion issues, frequent colds, chronic or acute pain (back, neck, shoulders), muscle tension, menstrual irregularities and more.

Please feel free to contact me at www.blossominspiritfengshui.com for more information or if you would like to participate in a free session for academic purposes.