a YIN YIN Situation

In the 5 Element image above you can see that every number is exactly the same.

As each element has the value of 24 points, they are all Yin (less than 72) and no Yang (greater than 72).  Therefore each response to the Pop Quiz was with a score of 1 being the least likely.  

Quoting from the previous post Controlling Your Yang Elements 

Is it necessary to balance out my elements? 

or 

Does everything have to be matchy matchy?

The short answer is no, if you are content and feel that all is as it needs to be then hey, keep doing what you are doing.  If you are feeling like you would benefit from moving some energy to feel different or more balanced then the answer would be, yes.

It is not ideal to have equal scores on each of the elements.  It would be difficult to manage that and since life is dynamic we need both Yin and Yang elements in order to keep us moving.

I stand corrected.

The reader indicated that the answers were first instinct choices, in the moment of reading, while taking the quiz.  

My first instinct response is, "You are the most Zen person I've ever come across"

Using myself as an example I would hasten a guess that on any given day my own score results would vary based on what was happening in my present.  However I would safely wager that Fire would be Yang consistently based on my historical data.

My curiosity was piqued so I asked the reader to take a subsequent quiz called the Lifestyle Balance Analysis which asks specific questions to flesh out the Yin and Yang lifestyle influences in your life.  The totals were not dissimilar, Yin 71 & Yang 74 total scores.  

What my intuition keeps coming back to is,"Is it possible their dominant Yin energy can actually be their Yang?"

Perhaps.  And frankly Why Not.

Reviewing the Life Balance results coupled with the Pop Quiz, I'm continually drawn to the consistency of their nature.  Their strong sense of inner, of quiet, of individuality.  Their strength and comfort within themselves and investing in themselves can be feels like pure contentedness.

My observations of these indicators is that their lives and lifestyle supports the cultivation and maintenance of Yin.  The Yang factors:  the outer, the busy, the bright, the fast are filtered, absorbed and reflected back as necessary rather than them being intrusive and overwhelming.  Or seeing the Yang elements as a force to deal with, whereas they accept and respect the Yang without getting caught up in it.

Overall I would interpret these results as a win win or "Yin Yin" situation; the reader has created a nurturing life to live within; letting go of feeling that they are without.  

    

The 5 Elements- Assessing your Physical Space

The pop quiz for finding your elements within you may help to identify how those elements are within us.  

And those elements within may also be represented in what we surround ourselves with in our physical spaces.  We surround ourselves with the things that we are most attracted to and our homes, our desk and our closets are a visual representation of who we are and what we like.

Here are some ways in which we can identify those elements.

Wood:  Greens, Blues, plants, flowers, actual wood, columnar and pillar shaped items.

Fire:  Reds, triangle shapes, cones, pyramids, sunlight, wool, leather, animal products.

Earth:  Yellows, earthtones, soil, rectangles, square shapes.

Metal:  Whites & pastels, rocks, stones, metals, arches, circles, ovals.

Water:  Black, dark colors, glass, crystal, mirrors, assymetrical shapes.

If you want to balance out a room that has a dominant element, the same controlling cycle applies.

If you want bring more of an element into your life you could also choose to wear the associated colors.  So take a browse through your closet, which element do you most often wear?

As an example Red may not be a color that for everyone wants to cover themselves in or paint an entire room in.  Choosing a red pen or a red journal, or red undergarments can add some spark or fire and melt a bit of metal.  

If you find yourself wearing or surrounded by a lot of earthy colors, try adding blue or green throw pillows to the sofa or a blanket to add some pop.

Color and shapes can amuse the eye and add that little something something to your wardrobe and also to your space.

I'm curious does your physical space reflect your Pop Quiz results? 

I invite you to share below on the Blog,  Facebook or email.

Controlling the Yang Elements

If you took the pop quiz I posted previously you may be asking the question, 

Is it necessary to balance out my elements? 

or 

Does everything have to be matchy matchy?

The short answer is no, if you are content and feel that all is as it needs to be then hey, keep doing what you are doing.  If you are feeling like you would benefit from moving some energy to feel different or more balanced then the answer would be, yes.

It is not ideal to have equal scores on each of the elements.  It would be difficult to manage that and since life is dynamic we need both Yin and Yang elements in order to keep us moving.

Yang elements are the ones we project outside of us, from the quiz standpoint they are the ones with a score of 72 or greater.  Yang is masculine, bright or light, big, busy, high contrast, and open.

Yin elements are the inside of us, scores on the pop quiz are less than 72.  Yin elements are dark, feminine, muted, and softer.

We need both for overall balance, as we need the light and the dark; day/night; big/small and so on.  Essentially balancing opposites.

Nourishing Cycle:

Choosing to control an element would be desired if the overpowering presence of one of the elements inhibited your ability to nourish another element or energy in your life. 

Here are my top tips on how to you may be able to balance out the main Yang element.

Controlling Cycle

Water douses Yang Fire:  

Fire is strong communication, Water is strong connection to Spirit. 

Fire is connected to speaking words, Water is connected to the sense of hearing.

Fire is leading; Water is going with the flow.

Top tip to cool your flames:  You have something valuable to share and when you talk people listen, however, we can learn more by listening than speaking.

Fire melts Yang Metal:

Metal is mental and intellectual; Fire is passion and emotion.

Metal is focused, quick and sharp; Fire is lively, spark and excitement.

Metal is strength and endurance; Fire is warmth and community.

Top tip to melt your Metal:  Allow your wisdom to be conveyed with clarity and delivered with warmth.  The facts may speak for themselves but may be received better if delivered with emotion as well.

Metal cuts Yang Wood:

Wood is intuition and inspiration; Metal is mental and intellectual.

Wood is taking root and branching out; Metal is excavated and can be manipulated.

Wood is what you see; Metal is what you smell.

Top tip to prune the tree(s):  Your vision of life is strong, however you may benefit from backing up your intuition with the facts.  The facts can help you determine where you can prune your branches in order for the stongest ones to really prosper and for the roots to take better hold. 

Wood consumes Yang Earth:  

Earth is grounded; Wood is connected to both heaven and earth.

Earth is practical and stable; Wood is rooted and flexible.

Earth is fertility; Trees have seeds (knowledge)

Top tip to your cultivate your forest:  Start planting your ideas by getting them out there in the fertile soil, in order for them to start to grow.  Let your intuition guide you and trust in your ability to allow yourself to take reasonable risks.

Earth blocks Yang Water:

Water is movement and depth; Earth is stability.

Water is the tapping into spirit; Earth is grounded in here and now.

Water is synchronicity; Earth is accountability.

Top tip to get more earthy:  Too much water can make you feel overwhelmed and you may benefit from stepping on firm ground in order to take stock.  Connect physically, meditate, stabilize yourself by taking a stand, choosing to process all the floating "stuff" that is washing over you. 

Top Tip for all the elements:  Be Gentle with Yourself as you experiment with finding your own balance!

Yang Metal and Water; Yin Wood Fire Earth

The Children and Creativity Gua is the home of Metal and is associated with water, Lakes specifically.

Metal is is the thinking, the intellectual element.  Metaphorically speaking you have a mind like a steel trap.  You are focused, quick witted and razor sharp. Determination along with strength and endurance would potentially be ways to describe you.

Metal is excavated from the earth, and the large gap between your earth score and metal depicts that.  This element can be shaped to our liking, as in using metal for jewellery or building skyscrapers.  It is both strong and can be malleable.

When we have too much metal in us it can also be portrayed at times as uncompromising or an inability to change course even when it makes sense to do so.  The razor sharp mind may also be interpreted as having a sharp tongue.

Yang Water is the connection to Spirit and Spirituality.  Your metal thinking may be a high source of creativity, which brings Joy to yourself and others.  Water is tapping into your spirit or going with your flow.  Metal is a nourishing cycle to water, in that metal holds water.

These elements are Yang elements and are what we show to the world.

To control Metal the addition of Fire is necessary.  Fire controls metal since it melts the element.  Fire is our communication to our community.  Fire is our passion and emotion, it is leadership, it is connecting.  

Absorbing and accumulating information comes easily and it shows you are one to go with the flow.  I would invite you to consider sharing your wisdom and creativity in teaching another or a group of others.  Stoke the fire within by communicating what you know.

You have a strong sense of connection and synchronicity and may benefit from tending the wood element to nurture your own ideas by sharing what brings you Joy.  

Wood, Fire and Earth are yin elements. Yin is the inner details of ourselves.

Allowing the water vibe in your life to nourish the ideas you have to branch out.  Fire needs wood to burn.  Perhaps there are things you are "thinking" about and not doing.  

What would it feel like to grow those ideas (wood), and tell others about what you are thinking (fire), and connecting to your ground (earth) to take action on your ideas?

I would invite you to think about how it wood feel to put yourself out there rather than think about it?  

Groove or a Rut?

Are you in the Groove right now? 

You know, when you everything seems to be moving along in just the right rhythm. The times when you have everything in the radar and you know where you have to be, you know what you have to do, and you know how to get there. Things get done, you have the energy, and you have the motion.

Or are you in a Rut? 

When the flow is just not smooth, the rhythm is choppy and the beat is just not moving you. These are the times when you need everything in the radar to either slow down or speed up but the energy just isn't there to precipitate that change. Things aren't getting done, your energy is zapped, and you either feel you are at a standstill or a on a treadmill (moving but really not going anywhere).

Sir Isaac Newton stated, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” And that is illustrated in the Yin Yang symbol from the Chinese as these elements exist in all things.

I Love the "S" imagery in this yin yang symbol.

Yin elements are feminine; they are dark, introspective, muted and soft; while Yang elements are big, bold, busy, masculine, extroverted and bright. 

The symbolism and meaning of this is that the universe requires the duality of all things in order to exist. We would not know what light is if we did not have dark; hence we wouldn't know what a groove was if we didn't have a rut!

My interpretation of Sir Isaac Newton’s first two Laws of Motion is that if you are at a standstill or are moving at a constant speed that only an external force will cause that to change and the change will only be as good as the force itself.

Therefore, if you are in a groove and want to keep that humming, you need to continue to attract the things into your life to perpetuate that groove; and if you want to boost it you'll need to attract those vibes as well.

The tricky one is the rut. Once entrenched in a rut it can become dangerously close to resembling a hole if we let it. We can become so introspective and enmeshed in that feeling that we forget what its like to groove in the light. 

Make peace with where you are.  Acknowledge that the not so "flow" feeling may be the pause needed to take on the next leg.  Moving through and beyond a rut may require you to simply be; take that cleansing breath and find your inspired action that feels good to help you find traction to start moving.  Ask yourself what would feel better, what ripple can you create with your thoughts?

If you are in a rut right now, thank the rut for giving you the opportunity to float, ask for the push to move forward. You don’t have to know what kind of push you need or who you need to answer your call; recall the rhythm of your groove, and keep listening for the beat.

If you are Groovin’ right now, feel that rhythm, express your gratitude, be golden! And listen for someone calling out for your help to get them out of a rut.

How do YOU get yourself out of a rut?
How do YOU get your flow moving again?
Would love for you to post YOUR go to rhythm generating ideas, below or on Facebook.

With Grateful Ch’i

Yang: Water Earth Metal; Yin Wood Fire Assessment

In the 5 element image above we can see that Water is the dominant element, Earth and Metal are also Yang (or what we show to the world).  Wood and Fire are the internal or inner Yin elements.

The water total is 12 points greater than the next closest of Earth.  When we have too much water energy it may manifest in being overwhelmed or overwhelming others.  Flood of emotion and or white rapid ride.  Your Wood number is 38 less than Water so you may be having a difficult time getting things going.  Your ideas, inspiration and seeds are drowning rather than growing.

Earth's archetype is fertile soil.  It is the accountability of what we do and say.  The earth number is Yang (greater than 72) yet in this instance with too little earth to control the Water you may be feeling precarious and floating.

Metal, another Yang element in this instance, may still present by way of procrastination. You may be in too deep of water to be able to focus, communicate clearly and convert your acumen into clarity.

To control water when it is dominant is to add Earth.

What do you do or what could you do to make yourself feel more grounded and centered.  Are there things that you could let go of, busymaking, that would allow you to slow the flow down?

Yin is the inner and the details, your yin elements are Wood & Fire.

When the wood element is overwhelmed by the flow of water it may be keeping you from branching out.  Again I would invite you to find a way to look at things from a practical standpoint and see where you may benefit from decluttering.

Fire is leadership, speaking words, and emotion.  I would suggest you to observe when you are saying no to something are you saying yes to yourself; when you are saying yes to something are you saying no to yourself.  Fire burns the wood which turns into earth.  

Notice how you are communicating and as above; look for the contrasts in your choices.

Your assessment is one where the word "busy" keeps running through my mind.  I also invite you to pause and be present.

Pop Quiz - Finding Your Element

How does one know which element is your Yin or your Yang?

Which of the 5 elements are primary in YOU: Wood, Fire, Water, Metal or Earth.

If you are up for a pop quiz continue reading.

Please accept this as an invitation for you to email me your totals from each part of the quiz, from which I will provide you my observations and interpretations.

Score each question on a scale of 1 to 5.

• 1 being the least likely
• 2 being sometimes likely
• 3 being occasionally but not characteristic
• 4 being frequently
• 5 being most always

Part One: ___Are you a natural born initator?

___Do you act assertively & confidently?

___Do you resist authority figures?

___Do you find that people and activities move to slowly for you?

___Do you like struggling against all odds, proving yourself to others?

___Are you always doing something or going somewhere?

___Do you have high blood pressure?

___So you strongly resist giving in to a compromise?

___Do you always want to be first and best?

___Does confinement and sitting quietly drive you crazy?

___Do you get frequent muscle cramps?

___Do you like to make all the rules and then break them?

___Do you pioneer new trails wherever you go?

___Do your nails alternate between hard & thick and dry & brittle?

___Are you impatient with people who seem to have no direction in life?

___Do you strongly resist showing vulnerability?

___Do you love speed and adventure?

___Have you ever had tendonitis?

___Do you manipulate situations to get what you want?

___Is it difficult for you to control your anger?

___Do you find any kind of restraint insufferable?

___Do you do your best work under pressure?

___Are you considered moody?

___Is your personal freedom a supreme value in your life?

Part One Total_________

Part Two:

___Are you highly motivated to seek the divine?

___Are you charismatic?

___Do you have heart problems?

___Do you have an extreme aversion to pain?

___Do you love drama, performing and being in the spotlight?

___Are you often spontaneous?

___Do you get sores on your tongue or around your mouth?

___Can't say no to anyone?

___Do you tend to be more emotionally intense than your friends?

___Have you ever had a speech impediment?

___Do you love to give your opinion?

___Do you fear separation above all else?

___Are you clever on your feet?

___Do you desire personal fulfillment more than almost anything?

___Do your cheeks turn red easily?

___Could you be described as extravagant?

___Are you bright and scintillating at social gatherings?

___Do you have eczema or other skin eruptions?

___Do you enjoy talking during most activities?

___Do you have trouble with boundaries in relationships?

___Is the need for intimacy and merging a strong motivation for you?

___Do you suffer from anxiety or insomnia?

___Are you mostly optimistic and enthusiastic about life?

___Are you strongly empathetic?

Part Two Total_____

Part Three:

___Do you see yourself as a service oriented person?

___Are you working on being more self-reliant?

___Do your friends often use you as a negotiator?

___Is bloating and water retention a problem?

___Do you struggle with inertia and feel "stuck" sometimes?

___Does nurturing come easy to you?

___Do you like to be in charge but not in the spotlight?

___Does your need to be accommodating sometimes result in conformity?

___Is a need to belong strong in you?

___Do you suffer with muscle tenderness?

___Do you regard loyalty as one of the most important traits in a person?

___Are you conservative in your thinking?

___Are you the family member or friend who knows what's going on in everyone's lives?

___Do you suffer with swollen glands and other lymphatic disorders?

___Would you like things to be more predictable?

___Do you tend to be overly protective?

___Do unrealistic expectations leave you disappointed much of the time?

___Do you try to be all things to all people?

___Have you recently gained weight?

___Are you considered a worrier?

___Do you feel you haven't been recognized for your efforts?

___Are you prone to obsessive thoughts and actions?

___Are you the family member or friend who remembers everyone's birthday?

___Are you regarded as the peacemaker by friends and family?

Part 3 Total__________

Part Four:

___Do you hold righteousness and virtue in high regard?

___Are rituals important to you?

___Is chaos your enemy?

___Do you have stiff joints and muscles?

___Do you have no time for nonsense?

___Do you hold very precise standards?

___Are you very sensitive to temperature?

___Is clarity and agreement important to you?

___Are you a law and order person?

___Is your skin or hair really dry?

___Are you considered a perfectionist?

___Do you fear intimacy?

___Do you have a strong artistic sense or an eye for good design?

___Does carelessness in others drive you up the wall?

___Are you considered cool, dispassionate and distant?

___Are reason and high principles your guiding light?

___Are you considered a little too strict and nit picky?

___Do you have elegant or refined tastes?

___Is social involvement on the bottom of your list of things to do?

___Do you have sinus problems?

___Does your high level of self control drive your spontaneous friends crazy?

___Do you know best?

___Is it difficult for you to experience or release powerful emotions?

___Are you good at providing structure and boundaries for others?

Part 4 Total__________

Part Five:

___Would you describe yourself as introspective?

___Is the search for truth a prime motivator in your life?

___Do you have a very strong sex drive?

___Are you highly creative, imaginative and original?

___Do you dislike superficiality more than anything?

___Do you pride yourself on being self-contained and self sufficient?

___Is rapid deterioration of teeth or gums a problem?

___Do you seek the deep mystery in everything?

___Do you suffer with frequent backaches?

___Do you occasionally catch yourself being tactless or thoughtless?

___Do you have a very penetrating and critical mind?

___Do you hate waste and conserve everything?

___Is the desire to stick to it one of your strongest virtues?

___Do you have hardening of the arteries?

___Is it difficult for you to share your things with others?

___Do you suffer from a feeling of chronic isolation?

___Are you afraid of losing yourself in others?

___Are you considered enigmatic and eccentric by your friends?

___Do you often feel misunderstood?

___Are you awkward in social situations?

___Do you resist conformity?

___Do you have kidney or bladder problems?

___Are your hands and feet likely to be cold?

___Do you have remarkable powers of concentration?

Part 5 Total__________

Summary: Part One is your WOOD Score

Part Two is your FIRE Score

Part Three is your EARTH Score

Part Four is your METAL Score

Part Five is your WATER Score I invite you to email me your summary with the totals from each part of the quiz, from which I will provide you my observations and interpretations.

Water - Its Elemental Dear Bagua

How would you describe your favorite body of water? 

How would the water be moving or is it still?

Would it be deep or shallow?

Would it be calm or energetic?

Off the top of your head, what water metaphor could you use to describe your life at this moment? 

Does that metaphor match your ideal Flow in your life?

Water is an essential ingredient in our life.  Literally.  Our bodies are composed of 50-75% of water.  We can live without food but we can not sustain our life without water.  

Water is the source of Life, it is connecting to spirit and spirituality.  It is the Flow of life.

When we have to much water energy in our lives we can 

• lack form
• overwhelm ourselves and others
• tidal waves of emotion; flooding
• unprocessed stuff
• feel wishy washy

When we have too little...

• anxiety
• like we've lost the/our flow
• lost connection to our Higher Power
• lack synchronicity
• dehydrated, dry and combustible.

Momentum would also be a great way to describe Flow. That feeling of being in the groove.  

Where in your life are things not going with the flow?

Where have you sprung a leak?

What could you add to your life or let go of in order to improve your momentum?

We can unclog our flow by letting go of things that seem to be holding us back.  It could be letting go of literal things, people, relationships, thoughts, clutter and even the simple act of deep breathing can help to release energy to get your flow back on. 

What parts of your life are going with the most perfect flow?

What can you learn from those tributaries and apply to the areas that need some help?

I believe that we could associate multiple metaphors of water to describe our lives.  Your ideal career pace may look completely opposite from what you want your home life to feel like.

The magic is finding the Balance that suits you best.

Wood You? - Its Elemental Dear Bagua

If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound?  I'm not sure.  However if a palm frond falls off your palm tree and hits the neighbor's garage it most definitely makes a sound.

I've had the pleasure of being in the garden on 2 occasions in the last month to hear the cracking and subsequent whoosh and crash of a 2 metre frond drop.  This morning as I looked up at my tree I was struck with something, perhaps you can relate.

Isn't it fascinating that plant life just does what it does?  Right now in the Southern Hemisphere I see new leaves opening on my trees, my lawn is covered in clover, my citrus trees are nearly done producing and the palm is dropping the seed branch which I think is Australia's version of snow.

The tree never questions its process, it just goes with its rhythm.  All it wants to be is a tree.  

You don't see the orange tree trying to emulate the bamboo, or the bamboo trying to be a hedge.  Plant life does its thing, its the plant its intended to be.

The element of wood in Feng Shui is that of growth.  Plant life of all kind have a foundation of roots to support the growth above the earth.  Just like in our literal life we sometimes need to cut or prune to allow new growth, or to clear so that growth is not stunted or all consuming.

Wood is 

• intuition, 
• it is what you see and what your don't see; as in the plant/tree reaches out above the earth while the roots are hidden in the earth therefore it holds trust; 
• its an element of new growth, new skills, new projects. 
• Wood embodies expansion.
• trees have branches; our brains can branch out
• trees have seeds; seeds are knowledge
• the color green.

Wood is in Balance when we can trust the process and take reasonable risks; while open to guidance and open minded.

Too much wood can leave us feeling encumbered, and we can not keep up.

Taking to much on and consuming to much of the Earth.  We need to bring in the metal element to cut the wood.

Too little wood may be felt when we are not branching out; when we are keeping ourselves small. We need water in order to nourish Wood.

I invite you to consider where you are nurturing yourself for growth in all ways.  Physically, mentally and emotional nurturing to grow your tree of life.

Who am I Creating?

Captivating quote Mr. Shaw.

My youngest daughter recently shared with me her love of this quote, and I wholeheartedly agree with the message.

As I've been focusing on creating my/our life here in Australia I've shifted my attention to other forms of media to build my community.  Such as Facebook and YouTube; and freshly added is Pinterest .  

Admittedly as much as I value my personal strength in all ways, my dang gremlins when it comes to writing stuff down are very robust & convincing.  So thanks for indulging me as I again "Start where I am".

I have grown with the number of people who have "Liked" my Facebook Business Page and today I feel an overwhelming urge to Share about Me.  And not in the blurby, marketing kind of way in order for those who have been attracted to what I've been posting to get to know me.

So here goes...

If a picture says a Thousand words, I'd be curious as to what words you would use to describe me at a glance from the picture above.  

• I am Loud Music and I am Silence and every rhythm and beat in between.
• I am as much Type A as I am Atypical.
• My Physical workout style is: Feel the Pain & Push my limit; my Bodywork teaching style is restorative.
• I can exude the Rock Star Vibe as well as being the Zen Vibeage.
• I can and will eat that plate of French Fries with as much enthusiasm as I do juicing beetroot, spinach and carrots.
• I do not buy Fat Free anything unless by accident and I only use butter.
• I am sarcastic; I am diplomatic.
• At times outspoken, but always truthful.
• I know what it feels like to Love.
• I know what it feels like to Grieve.
• I will stand up for what I believe in; I will stand behind those I believe in.
• I am as simple as I am complicated.
• I am Fire; I am Water.
• I am Yin and I am Yang.

With Gratitude I can say with conviction I am...ME!

Enjoy your day ;)