The Softer Side of Spirituality

The balance of Yin and Yang has been studied and expressed throughout history in many different cultures. In this pair of Chinese Song Dynasty Scrolls, the artist used the balance of dark and white space, strong and soft composition to express both a winter scenery and a summer scenery. On the left, a lunar colder calmer quality is presented in the winter scene. On the right, a solar hotter windy quality is presented in the sumer scene. Yet in the winter scene, stronger lines, sharper angles were used to bring in a touch of yang. And in the summer scene, softer lines, more flowing curves were used to demonstrate the presence of yin. [Paintings from “Picturing Listening: The Sight of Sound in Chinese Painting” by Susan Nelson, University of Indiana]

As the gentle sea breeze caresses my hair, my spirit begin to dance in the wind, letting go the tough shell, exposing a softer side of an inner nature…

How often have I forgotten to melt into the wind? As part of my journey I insisted to be overly focused on fitting into a mold, following a form and in turn losing touch with the essence, the formless, the effortless way of being. So much of our spiritual teachings in existence were written by men – the solar Yang, the masculine, the protruding drive towards attainment. Yet for all of us, we all possess an inherent nature of the lunar Yin energy that is yearning to be a balanced part of our complete whole.

I love beauty. A bulb waiting to blossom can move me to tears of appreciation. I also love training, striving for more, and breakthrough my self-imposed limitations. Lately I noticed the more I strive, the less content I become. In a way, I’m training myself too forcefully that actually deviates my path away from my true Self-expression.

Enlightenment is already a part of our innate nature. The path of spirituality is really to allow that which is Realized to penetrate deeply into our everyday lives, in the way we carry ourselves, in the way we share love with one another. As we sink deeper into Awareness we touch upon a softer side of spirituality – the feminine all-acceptance non-conditional Love. In this side of the same coin where Yang resides, Yin tenderly watches over us like a mother tending to her child’s every need. Yet this Yin energy does not demand, it does not strive, it only watches us with the grandness of her love from a distance. She has no agenda of her own. She allows us to come and go as we choose. Don’t mistake this for non-caring, as she senses our every laughter, every drop of tear, and every challenge we face she is there for us through the strength of her spirit. This is the expression of Yin.

In all of us, we inherited both the Yin and the Yang. The Yang were well publicized in the form of committed actions such as structured meditation, contrived martial art movement, or even directionalized intense focus. We are familiar with such a drive and somehow we believed if we just do this or do that, we can achieve enlightenment or we will march our way towards attainment. On the other side of the coin, we often forget the quality of allowing, the carefreeness of going with the flow, following the way of nature.

I have forgotten my softer side and now she is calling out to me. Today, as I slow down from weeks of intense training, I allow myself to breathe in the cooling sea air, feeling myself wrapped in a warm blanket of Grace. I step slowly to feel every inch of grass beneath my toes. I open up myself to this emerging spring inside and out, feeling blessed to be a part of grand nature, balancing my own unique mixture of Yin and Yang. My meditation is to feel, to open, and to love.