6 Ways to Balance Yin and Yang in Your Daily Life

The Yin-Yang symbol is based on an ancient Chinese philosophy that is over 10,000 years old. It represents dual forces that are polar opposites, yet complementary to each other. The circular representation shows life, depicting the cyclical nature of energy. It moves fluidly from yin to yang and back to yin again, continuing over and over - never reaching stagnation, and never reaching its absolute. Yin is the passive female portion of the universe, characterized as female and sustaining and associated with earth, dark, and cold. Yang is the active male portion of the universe, characterized as male and creative and associated with heaven, heat, and light. Achieving a Yin-Yang balance helps you to stay healthy, happy, and fulfilled - here are 6 ways to do so:

Immerse yourself in nature

Go outside for a walk. Better yet, purposefully walk somewhere surrounded by trees and nature. Recent studies have found significant health benefits associated with living near trees. Walking in nature is soothing and replenishing, and a great way to balance Yin and Yang in your body.

Satisfy your nutritional needs

Eat well, incorporating all the colors of various food groups. Get your nourishment from whole food nutrients in their natural, raw state. Don’t solely rely on supplements. Be kind to yourself and eat a pretty plate of colorfully delicious foods everyday. Replenish your body with plenty of water, and avoid too much caffeine. Get rid of toxic beverages and replace them with refreshingly, cool cucumber, lemon-infused water or other naturally flavored waters.

Move your body in a way that makes you feel good about yourself

Take up yoga, zumba, dance, snow skiing, skydiving, rock climbing, white water rafting, or get a trampoline in your backyard. Have fun and live actively. This should be a source of joy - not a task for you to check off on your to-do list. Find a physical outlet that releases your pent up energies from the day. As the yin and yang philosophy goes, one state-of-being should naturally flow into its sister component. Choose to replace stress with peace, calm and energy.

Treat your body to a massage. A massage should not be considered an extravagance, but a great way to restore inner peace. A massage helps you relieve the tension in your neck, back and shoulders that can easily accumulate over time.

Allow your body time to heal

Be kind to yourself and allow your body time to replenish and heal. Many people receive acupuncture, an ancient, holistic medical procedure, to help speed up the healing process.

Remember to also allow yourself adequate and restful sleep. This is the time your body needs to heal itself through rest. Take the care to create a proper sleeping environment. There are many airborne contaminants in your living environment that may affect your sleep quality - get an air purifier for allergies with high clean air delivery rate ratings to help you get rid of these pollutants.

Put down your phone

Do yourself a favor and momentarily disconnect from cellular radiation. This is not only a good idea to possibly prevent future health issues, but also a good practice to allow yourself some time without technological distractions. Focus on what is truly important in your life.

Alleviate tension, stress and anxiety

If you are searching for a way to alleviate anxiety, try out tai chi. This is a graceful exercise that cultivates peace of mind through gentle, flowing movements.

Breathing meditations can also help you relax. Breathing deeply physically calms you to the core of your body. It reminds you to calm your mind. It helps you practice mindfulness - deeply inhale while counting, focusing only on the present and nothing more.

Namaste.