.png)
It seems like we are constantly encouraged by mainstream media to fight. To go into battle, win the war against cancer, covid (I choose not to give it capital letters!), climate change, inequality etc. etc... The language is warlike and the message is that control, manipulation and attack rule the way and are justified means to putting things 'right'. Defeating something may change things but it doesn't restore harmony and balance, therefore nothing is truly resolved.
Standing up for what we believe in, saying no to what we feel is wrong and staying true to our values is something I support wholeheartedly. Peaceful protest has been highly effective in creating social change: Gandhi's salt march, the suffrage parade, the tree sitters of Pureora all made a huge impact for the better. Even without public display we can create ripples of change through our daily choices; how we feel, what we focus on, noticing what is positive in our world/lives/other people. How we choose to spend our money, time and energy casts votes for what we support.
Where we put our focus is where we invest our energy, so why invest in something you don't want?
Fighting closes us down, streamlines our choices and shuts us off to the possibility of a fresh perspective or a chance to face our own short-comings. If we are 'fighting' a disease or habit then we are seeing it as an enemy that could become our oppressor which already gives it far too much authority. In a fight one wins and one looses - and everybody gets hurt. Whoever wins becomes the oppressor, leaving another feeling powerless and defeated. Which in itself is a seed for the next round.
Ancient wisdom teaches that balance is necessary in all things. Yin and yang are opposite forces that are essential for balance. In a nutshell yin is nurturing, cool, reflective, calm and relaxed and yang is hot, active, assertive and persistent. Without yin, yang is destructive and out of control, without yang, yin doesn't have the power to take anything forward. With the support of a strong yin foundation, anger from our yang force can be productive and give us the assertiveness we need to take action. It can provide the clarity and heartfelt persistence to endure any hardship and stand firm in our values. Without the support of yin, yang can be destructive and create untold suffering.
When yang is out of balance there are no solutions, no place for peace and justice - so the jailer is also in jail.
When we root ourselves through somatic practices and choices that help us to thrive, we create a strong yin foundation that has the flexibility to harness energy that arises within us (or at us), and direct it in a way that can serve us well. A foundation that can help us to stay open, centred and grounded when things get turbulent, which give us the space and energy needed to choose our responses well. After all energy is energy, it is how we respond to that it makes it either harmful, healthful or neutral.
The trees that are firmly rooted bend easily through the storms and continue to thrive, whilst the ones that are inflexible become brittle and are easily overcome by the gusts. Fighting and out of balance anger makes us brittle, tense and contracted which eventually weakens us. A warlike approach to anything only creates more conflict, more suffering and serves no-one. A healthy sense of self and compassionate boundaries are the path to harmony within and without. We have far more in common with each other than we do differences. And it is curiosity, compassion and love that give us the resilience to stay aligned and thrive. When these qualities rule our heart and minds then we are able to co-operate and find healthy compromises, be open to another's point of view and be able to think for ourselves.
As we pass the mid point of the spring season this strong, outward, directional and persistent energy is available to us more than at any other time of year. Join us in our May Natures Rhythms Update as we explore this energy and learn how to direct it with a practical practice to channel this energy in a way that serves us and the wider world.
It is now more important than ever that we step up and take ownership of ourselves, our lives and help shape the world we want to live in. If you would like to begin your ongoing journey of handpicking your life, the doors to our membership are still open during this particularly powerful window of time. Join us for life and wellbeing coaching in an ongoing supportive framework. Providing the support and tools you need to gain clarity, cultivate a deeper sense of joy and contentment and stay on the track to living a rich and fulfilling life.
Wishing you all a balanced and harmonious month of May!
