Yin = 阴 (traditional 陰 )
Yang = 阳 (traditional 陽)
Today I want to go into more detail about Yin and Yang . We understand that they are two different forces. They need to be balanced because they are opposites. Once they are balanced, they create a new force.
Do you remember first learning to ride a bicycle? In the beginning, you had many chances to fall down. Most of you probably had training wheels or someone running behind you, hanging on to your seat to hold you upright while you learned to keep your balance. These two different styles of learning are very useful in the very beginning. But if you only count on the training wheels or someone running behind you to ride, you will not learn and grow and will be restricted about where you can go.
So, there is a time that we need to take off the training wheels. You have to rely on yourself if you want to go places. Once you are on your own, you have to pay attention to your own balance. If you don’t pay attention, you will fall down.
Each time that you fall down, there are only two choices: You can quit or you can get back on the bike. If you quit, you never move forward, but if you try again, you can keep learning even though you might fall down again. That’s pretty much like the current situation we are in now. We need to balance ourselves. We can count on each other for support, but the main thing is we have to balance ourselves.
When we practice Taiji, we are completely counting on ourselves. First of all, we learn to understand the principles of Taiji. The second step is to understand that it’s okay to do it wrong. If you do it wrong, just correct it next time. If you fall down, just get up.
Just get on the bike again. No need to cry over the bruised knees, no need to cry and think, “I cannot do it”. The attitude we need to have is to try again and find balance.
The balance of the Yīn and Yang also controls our breathing. We exhale when it’s Yang. When it’s Yin, we inhale. To remember easily, every ending frame has an exhale which is a Yang move. So, based on that, you can begin to regulate your breathing and begin to use your heart to listen to yourself.
