A major focus of my training in Naturopathic Medicine school was in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and one of the very well-known principles of TCM is the balance of Yin and Yang energies. When that balance is lost, health is lost. Today, my reflection is on how that translates in our lives, as women, in the society we live in and how this could contribute to some common health issues we run into.
When I work with women who are experiencing burnout, extreme fatigue, or hormone imbalances (and I can even make this observation for myself) the focus is on gaining energy, feeling better and getting things back into balance so we can get back to our lives and improve our quality of life. We’ll look at bloodwork, nutrients, supplements, etc. All very important things to put out immediate fires and feel better. The conversation about how we can do things differently and what got us there in the first place always arises, but making changes to our daily habits tends to be the thing that doesn’t necessarily stick. This is a very Yang approach to health and healing, which is important but incomplete and one-sided, in my opinion.
When thinking of Yin and Yang energies, we can translate these to Feminine and Masculine. Yin, being more feminine, is nourishing, restful, and intuitive. Yang is more masculine, meaning more action, fast-paced and focused on results. If we reflect on how we live our lives, we are usually more in a Yang or masculine energy. I always tell myself that if the work week was designed by women, it would be very different, much more respectful of natural shifts and needs of individuals, rather than focusing on constant output and production, pushing to meet goals no matter what.
If we to look at our own lives through a Yin vs Yang lens, maybe we can identify some patterns that aren’t actually working for us. Is it possible that a lot of our health issues come from an imbalance of feminine and masculine energy in our way of living? Are we living in function of how much we need to accomplish and produce rather than actually honouring ourselves? I think the easy answer is yes, but let’s look at it a bit more closely. These questions and comparisons of masculine vs. feminine ways of doing things are taken from Alisa Vitti’s book Woman Code, which I find offers a very important perspective on women’s health. More a more complete list, you can check out her book!
How are you living your day?
Morning routine
Masculine: You review your goals for the day, stick to a strict schedule, act as the time keeper, rush to get everything and everyone ready and rush out the door.
Feminine: You wake up and reflect on how you’re feeling, take time to do something to nurture yourself, taking a few deep breaths, doing a short meditation, enjoying a warm shower. You take time to connect emotionally with the people in your household and check-in with yourself on what you need to do to be your best today
Meals
Masucline: You eat what’s in front of you, forget to eat because you are too focused on other tasks or don’t have time, you rigidly adhere to a diet plan even if it makes you feel hungry and depleted.
Feminine: You plan your day ahead of time, making sure you have the food you need available to you when you’ll need it. You observe the signs your body gives you about your hunger levels and blood sugar and make appropriate food choices based on that.
Exercise
Masculine: You choose your workout based on your fitness goals for the month and you push through no matter what.
Feminine: You choose your workout based on how you’re feeling at that moment. You do your best based on what your body is capable of doing at the moment.
End-of-Day Routine
Masculine: You organize the house, squeeze in every last chore, make a to-do list for the next day and do anything you can to stay on track the next day.
Feminine: You take time to connect with your children, your partner, and/or yourself. You choose calming activities to end your day.
If you reflect on these questions, would you say that live most of your day in masculine or feminine energy? As a woman, you don’t need to live only in feminine energy, but there is a need for balance, like that Yin Yang symbol, a balance that will vary from day to day, depending on how you’re feeling and what is going on, and also depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle, if you have one. Can you identify some patterns that you would like to change when look at your habits through this perspective?
If you are a woman experiencing burnout, fatigue, anxiety, hormone imbalance, difficult symptoms of perimenopause or menopause or general discontent with how you are feeling and living your days, I encourage you to ask yourself these questions and try embracing more feminine energy in your days, as an experiment, to see what changes.
Of course, this doesn’t replace taking medication or supplements, or any other things you are doing for your health, but this shift in embracing your feminine energy may just be one of the important elements you are overlooking to bring more balance and well-being into your life.