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submissions to | Home > Newsletters > July 2005 > Balance in Change |
Balance in Change |
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By Dr. Bruce Eichelberger, OMD
You’ve no doubt seen the image accompanying this article – the one that looks sort of like two fishes swimming around one another. This symbol is called the taijidu, or Grand Ultimate symbol. It represents the constant interplay between complementary opposites we experience at every level of living and is a wonderful visual metaphor for balance in our lives. The two parts of this symbol represent the Oriental concepts of Yin and Yang. When we in the West see two such opposites we commonly think they represent things that are conflicting with one another. In reality, the taijidu symbol represents something quite different. Yin and Yang are not opposed, but rather complementary to one another—one simply cannot exist without the other. Originally these two concepts referred to the light and dark side of a mountain. If you observe a mountain over the course of a day you will notice that the light and dark sides are constantly changing and shifting. Ultimately, what is light in the morning becomes dark in the evening and vice-versa. This somewhat obvious fact reflects a profound truth, namely that in nature all things go through cycles of change: day turns into night and back into day; summer and winter alternate; every inhale is followed by an exhale. In fact, it is the interaction of complementary opposites in the world that make life possible. The taijidu also gives us a really interesting view of what balance actually means – it isn’t a state of static equilibrium, but rather a fluctuation over time between two poles of experience. The balance comes as we move through the experiences. Here are some basic facts about Yin and Yang worth mentioning:
These complementary concepts of Yin and Yang are reflected in every aspect of our lives. Finding balance in the midst of change is the ultimate goal of a healthy, self-actualizing person. You might find it interesting to spend some time observing how these complementary polarities function in your world. For example, sometimes it’s totally appropriate to move forward with great energy and directly confront an issue. I have a friend who calls this “tunneling through the mountain to get to the ocean.” On the other hand, there are definitely times when a more indirect approach actually makes more sense, sort of like getting on a raft and letting it carry you on it’s winding way down the river to the ocean. Both approaches have their place, and both are useful when done appropriately in the process of finding and keeping our balance in life. Wisdom and experience end up being our best guides to know when each is best used. Dr. Bruce Eichelberger, OMD is a Doctor of
Oriental Medicine whose practice is based on the concept of
balance in all areas of living. He practices acupuncture, herbal
medicine and Metabolic Typing in Reno, Nevada. You can reach him
at (775) 827-6901. |
Most
of the time, and usually outside of our conscious awareness, we
are in the process of finding our balance. This happens both
internally on spiritual, mental/emotional, structural, and
biochemical levels and externally in relationship to other
people and our environment. This ongoing process of continually
returning to balance is called homeostasis. In fact, how well we
function, adapt and thrive in the world is largely related to
how well we can return to balance in all circumstances.| This Month's Articles |
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July, 2005 |
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Archives 2005 |
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