What does Yin and Yang mean to me?
More than a belief and philosophy
Please, hold on a second on this photo. What does it represent to you? Taoism? Some other Eastern belief systems? Karma?
Ponder upon the first thing that comes to your mind when you see that.
Yin and Yang. Polarity. Two opposite forces. Good and evil. You name it.
For me, this represents the golden ratio and balance of life.
As a Muslim, I don’t come across this sign easily. However, I am a huge fan of the Kung Fu Panda series. The wisdom of the old turtle, clumsiness, and determination of the Po Panda. There are so many thought-provoking lines and scenes. A cherry on the top: It’s a pure comedy.
Getting back to the topic, I usually come across Yin and Yang watching those series. I love it visually and the universal meaning it holds within.
As I have mentioned earlier, Yin and Yang represent the perfect balance in every aspect of life. There is never 100% good or bad. Everything has something from the other opposite, which is the holy harmony.
Feminine and masculine qualities for instance. What a rigid and linear way of thinking men would have without feminine qualities. How spineless and unstructured we women would become without our masculine side.
Day and night. Work and rest mode. How the sunlight prepares us to work and survival mode increasing our heart rate, diluting our pupils, and triggering us with various stressors. Imagine not taking that an-hour lunch break or two during the day. We would collapse.
Night being the blanket, comforts us with serenity turning the heart rate and stressors back to normal. A verse from the Quran outlines the perfect accord of rest and work in the following lines:
And He Who made the night a covering for you, and the sleep a rest, and He made the day to rise up again. (Quran, 25:47)
How do I personally add a little bit of light into this darkness as it’s represented in a small white dot in yang? By waking up before dawn for prayer, reading, and reflection.
Regarding parenthood, being a firm yet gentle caregiver is essential as in yin and yang. Parents understand very well how kindness without discipline leads to permissive parenthood and spoils the child, while pure rigidity might end up being authoritative neglecting the child's identity.
Science and religion, material and spiritual life, relief and anxiety — keeping the sacred balance is crucial for our comprehensive wellness. As it is visualized in yin and yang, life will flow harmoniously once the bliss point is established.
What are your thoughts on yin and yang?
Please share with me in the comments. Everyone has a lesson to teach.
Tens of claps and comments are sincerely appreciated. Thanks for reading.
I write to ‘shrink’ the issues on this life journey where spirituality and mindfulness introspect with overall well-being.
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