Y = Ying and Yang

“When the yin and yang of your body are in disharmony, it’s like trying to ride a unicycle with the spokes of the wheel short on one side and long on the other. The hub is out of center and your ride is very bumpy. If you continue for long, you’ll break the wheel and perhaps the bike. Just so, if your body continues in disharmony for long, stress and illness occurs.”

~ Kathi Remsen, Tai Chi instructor

In many Asian cultures it’s believed that all life is ruled by the interplay of two dynamic forces known in traditional Chinese medicine as yin and yang. Yin is negative, yang positive. Yin is feminine, yang masculine. Yin is passive, yang active. They’re opposite yet complementary forces, never equal, but cycle together in harmony. One is always ascending while the other descends.

Yin-yang balance represents a state of harmony. When the balance is disrupted negative thoughts and emotions creep in and take control triggering the stress response. Stress and illness are nature’s way of telling us that the balance is disrupted. We feel out of control, overstretched or overburdened, irritable, tense, agitated and restless. Imbalance also affects how well we perform under pressure.

Yang is a contractive, concentrating force. We feel it in action when we experience stress - that automatic, reflexive contraction of our muscles, usually starting with a tightening of the neck and shoulder muscles, followed instantly by a tensing of muscles throughout the body. In order to help restore balance and to excel under pressure, we need to be able to release tension quickly. A great way of doing this is to practice the 7/11 breathing technique.

Here are a couple of other ways that may help you restore your yin-yang balance:

1. Lower your expectations of yourself. Tai Chi instructor Kathi Remsen says that this is the best way to regain your yin yang balance and reduce the stress you're experiencing. Lowering your expectations reduces the pressure you place on yourself thereby helping to restore a sense of balance. Once balance is regained, our emotions return to stability.

2. Practice some form of meditation. Allow yourself a moment of peace everyday by ’emptying’ your mind, for instance by listening to relaxation music or practicing mindful meditation. Such meditation activities also enable us to become more resilient and help us to perform better under pressure.

Wishing you a perfectly balanced week ...

Go well

Tony

PS. Remember to register for the 2016 NLP Mindfest at which I'm excited to be one of the 14 expert presenters. You can learn more about this FREE on-line event here.

Tony Yuile is hired by people seeking help to perform at their best in one or more areas of their lives. He is a Personal Performance Coach & hypnosis professional based in Wellington NZ, where he specialises in helping people perform under pressure, reduce anxiety and manage stress. Tony’s solution focused approach to coaching uses a range of techniques drawn from the fields of co-active coaching, hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). Contact Tony today to discuss how he can help you, or if you think Tony could help someone you know, you might like to encourage them to get in touch with him.

This article contains the personal views and opinions of the author, which may change over time. It is intended to be for information only and does not constitute medical advice. For medical and health advice, always consult a qualified medical professional.