Bringing BALANCE to The Masculine & Feminine Within You

Optimal health is achieved when you are able to bring balance to ALL areas in your life. This means finding balance in your relationships, in your social life, in your career, in your diet, in your daily life, the list goes on. Too much of a good thing can be just as detrimental to your health as too little of it.

Striving to learn the art of balance in EVERYTHING that we do allows us to increase our awareness of ourselves, and the world we live in, as everything is interrelated. Balance is founded on the concept of dualism, of yin and yang, originating from ancient Chinese philosophy and found in culture today. The principle of yin and yang, meaning “in perfect harmony," is that all things exist as INSEPARABLE and CONTRADICTORY OPPOSITES.

When you look at life, you find that seemingly contrary forces are actually complementary, interdependent and interconnected in the natural world, and more often than not, they tend to give rise to one another as they relate to each other. Some obvious and well-know examples of this concept include day and night, hot and cold, salty and sweet, male and female, etc. As you can see, one relies on and is defined by the other, and they simply cannot exist without the other. Both are needed, yet, the BALANCE between them is essential.

One area that is important to bring into balance, that is oftentimes overlooked, is the masculine and feminine parts of ourselves. While “male" and “female” signify the gender someone identifies with, the “masculine" and “feminine" that I am referring to is focused on ENERGY, and it's transformative nature. Regardless of what gender one associates with, EVERYBODY contains both masculine and feminine energy, even minerals, electrons, plants and the Earth’s magnetic poles embody both energies.

Everyone responds to the world in different ways, and HOW they respond is determined by the balance of these two energies. Furthermore, our society and various cultures are an EXPRESSION of the overall balance between the masculine and the feminine within the population.

It is crucial to understand that neither of the two energies are stronger or weaker than the other. Both the masculine and feminine states are EQUALLY powerful when fully expressed. In fact, they have the greatest effect, and are considered to be most influential, when they manifest SIMULTANEOUSLY, creating that delicate balance between the two.

Masculine energy, which is more yang, is more prosperous with the support of the feminine, and feminine energy, which is more yin, is stronger when balanced by the masculine.

Examples of Masculine vs. Feminine Energy:

+ External vs. Internal

+ Dominating vs. Yielding

+ Initiating vs. Nurturing

+ Individual vs. Collective

+ Active vs. Passive

+ Linear vs. Circular

+ Mind vs. Heart

+ Thinking vs. Feeling

+ Action-oriented vs. Receptive

+ Assertive vs. Creative

+ Analytical vs. Allowing

+ Competitive vs. Collaborative

+ Singular vs. Intuitive

+ Rational vs. Emotional

+ Determined vs. Passionate

+ Objective vs. Empathetic

+ Reality vs. Vision

+ Rigid vs. Flexible

+ Outcome vs. Process

+ Giving vs. Receiving

+ Doing vs. Being

+ Science vs. Spirituality

+ Expression vs. Silence

+ Organizing vs. Synthesizing

+ Left-brain vs. Right-brain

Obviously, the possible states of energy that we as humans express is extensive, and, keep in mind, EVERYONE contains both masculine and feminine energies. Therefore, this list is all-inclusive and associating with BOTH sides at different times is only NATURAL.

It is when these energies are IMBALANCED that they can manifest in ways that are harmful and unhealthy.

Masculine energy, absent of the feminine, reveals itself as:

+ Perpetrator

+ Defensive

+ Over-bearing

+ Controlling

+ Perfectionist

+ Dominant

+ Risky

+ Unable to be vulnerable

+ Overly-competitive

+ Suppression of emotions

+ Rigid

+ Aggressive

+ Focused only on the outcome, not the journey

Feminine energy, without the presence of the masculine, shows up as:

+ Victim

+ Weak

+ Yielding

+ Disempowered

+ Timid

+ Repressed

+ Humiliated

+ Uncreative

+ Depressed

+ Stuck in the vision

+ Catty or passive-aggressive

+ Low self-esteem

+ Afraid to share ideas In order to avoid being predominantly one or the other, and demonstrating the qualities associated with the imbalanced energies, we need to recognize the need to adapt, align and shift into a life of greater balance. Within the masculine there is always a core of the feminine, and within the feminine there is always a piece of the masculine. We can tune into and focus on these energies when we are following our goals and vision. Our feminine energy inspires creativity, unlimited possibilities and inner transformation, while our masculine energy helps take the necessary action steps to carry out our inspired ideas. Ways to engage your MASCULINE ENERGY: + Try a slightly more intense workout than you are used to and use heavy weights or different forms of cardio to challenge your body in a new way. + Call that friend or family member who you have been meaning to call but never do. + Find an area in your house that you have been neglecting, and clean it out. + Choose a charity or organization that you value and offer your support to the cause in a way that feels best to you (i.e. giving your time or money). + Consider an event, class or group that you have wanted to attend (book club, knitting, pickup basketball, etc.) and put it in your calendar to try out. Ways to engage your FEMININE ENERGY: + When someone compliments you, simply receive the compliment with a “thank you,” avoiding self-criticism or the need to compliment them in return. + Let your friend or partner take the lead in making a plan (a trip, dinner, movie choice, etc.) and trust in them and allow them to do so without needing to be in control. + Participate in a collaborative activity or project (group class, team sport, community project, etc.). + Tap into your creativity by journaling, making pottery, drawing, dancing, storytelling or decorating your home. + Take some time to simply be and sit still, quieting the mind and seeing what your intuition has to share (take a bath, meditate, sit under the moon and stars, etc.). As you become more and more aware of the qualities and principles associated with masculine and feminine energy, you can INTENTIONALLY find ways to INTEGRATE them into your life, feel more balanced and become empowered to carry out your purpose. Take full advantage of BOTH energies when pursuing your goals and manifesting your dreams. Xx, Leah Kutsch P.S. Keeping IIN Touch