Practicing the Art of Structure & Flow

It certainly seems like most of us are facing a lot of choices these days. Some of them are just the day to day logistics of life, but others feel fairly urgent.

Certain types of questions lead us deep into the stories of our minds.

Who do I support? What do I stand for? How do I determine the best actions to take - both for myself and for the collective? And how do I even begin to find the right way thru this maze of life?

And if we're not careful, the story we believe in will make these choice for us. Instead of our conscious, mindful and embodied consideration. Especially when we're exhausted from the frantic pace of modern life.

All Too Often, Our Choices are Framed as Either-Or Choices

We're told we have to choose a side.

Do we lean liberal or conservative? Are we more technological, or are we more nature-based? Are we pro-vaccine all the way, or are we anti-vaxxers? Are we capitalist or socialist? Are we willing to be vulnerable and authentic, or are we trapped behind our masks? Do we win by fighting, or do we win by loving?

Peace or War? Right or Wrong? Good or Evil?

It seems inevitable that we choose the side we believe is the best.

But Do We Always Need to Choose Sides?

Or maybe, there is a different a way to find forward motion. Maybe there is a way to embrace duality without creating mutually exclusivity? Maybe there is a point of neutrality that can lead us to the secret of balance?

Can we find a way to embrace our constant paradox? Can we find harmony in the dualities we find ourselves facing?

I believe the answer is yes!

And for me, the secret to finding balance is to find the place of neutrality between the two opposite poles. Anyone who's ever studied this issue will know that the middle road is at the heart of the teachings of ALL the great sages through history.

When the current between two opposite poles leveragest the best of both sides, it will form a coherent wave. This is very different from cultivating the frequencies that cancel each other out, negating the energy of the current.

If you want to know more about where to begin with neutrality, study these 8 universal principles. You can go down this rabbit hole as deeply as you want, really.

Integrity is Asking Us to Begin Embracing the Wholeness of Things

It's all a matter of fine-tuning our disagreements and turning them into coherent synergies that bring the strengths of different perspectives together and amplify the strength of the collective.

So this 4th edition of TBG is written to draw attention to the synergy that can happen when we learn to embrace both sides of any given issue.

I'm here to talk about finding the synergy of structure and flow, as they work together.

Yin / Divine Feminine / Flow

Creativity in All Directions that can Birth Spirit into Matter

Finding our flow and embracing creativity is absolutely vital to cultivating art of thriving. Typically assigned to "the feminine," flow is actually essential to health and well-being, regardless of your physical gender.

The Taoist concept of Yin encompasses not only the soft, the quiet, the dark, and things that move at a slow and deliberate pace - but it's also representative of the body, the soil, and the generative sexual force of Eros. Yin is where the life force emerges and manifests in matter. Yin sinks down and condenses in.

We NEED to learn how to nurture these aspects of ourselves in a world that skews heavily towards the mind, or the Yang principle of being. Here on International Sleep Day, I'd like to give a shout out to more flow and ease in the world.

For me personally riding my @Onewheel is where I find my flow, since getting to the ocean or the mountains everyday is a bit challenging in Austin, TX. If you're short on flow in your life and this kind of movement based flow appeals to you, definitely check them out.

Yang / Divine Masculine / Structure

Design and Form to Support Linear Progress

Creating systems and order to direct and contain the flow of the Yin, the Yang principle is often assigned to "the masculine," which is (again) contained within all beings regardless of physical gender.

This principle is about gorgeous beauty of the fast, the expansive, the light, and the acceleration of pace into forward progress. It's representative of theory, the digital superhways of the internet, and the transcendent principle of the mind. Yang rises up and diffuses out.

To cultivate Yang energy, I step onto the training floor. Here's a video of me from 2006 demonstrating what I've learned from training my yang qi in my younger years. Definitely a time and a place to chop things up and break them down.

It's all about how we use this energy. And it's all about how we balance it out with our sense of flow.

This Stuff Works Best When You Understand Both the Theory, and the Practice

Next time someone asks you to pick a side on some issue, take a moment to reflect. Perhaps there are merits worth considering from both sides of the matter.

And maybe you can find the place that embraces the both/and philosophy instead of demanding the limiting belief systems imposed by the mandatory either/or approach.

It's certainly worth a try. Because war is SO last century. Let's keep it there, why don't we?

Here's Your Question for today:

Where can you find a neutral position around a topic where perhaps you recognize that intense polarization is not serving you?

I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

? Kaia Tingley 18 March 2022 on the Worm Moon

Photo by Timon Klauser on Unsplash