15 effective ways to balance yin and yang in your life

I used to have this inclination towards yin, as I think we need more yin energy in today’s busy world.

But when I feel an imbalance in my life and mood, I realize that my Yin Yang balance is too low. And this imbalance hinders my personal and professional growth.

If you’ve been experiencing inevitable struggles, it could be because of the lack of balance of your Yin and Yang energy.

So it’s about time that we discover how we can balance our yin and yang.

Yin and Yang in our everyday life

Probably, you’re familiar with the yin and yang symbol but its deeper meaning is new to you.

Briefly, yin-yang is an ancient Chinese philosophy that represents a dynamic balance of opposing but complementary and interconnected forces, known as chi.

It means that there is duality in all aspects of the physical world (and even the nonphysical world) – and nothing is purely good or purely bad.

Keep in mind that all things existing in nature are due to Yin and Yang.  Yin and Yang are in everything, and most things.

This concept can serve as our guide in the pursuit of good health and well-being in the realm of nutrition, physical fitness, and self-actualization.

We can turn into the other, but the best things in life come from the confluence of the two.

Appreciating Yin and Yang creates balance in our world – our homes, work, relationships, and emotions.

But because of our hectic and sedentary modern lifestyle, we tend to be more on the Yin side. Also, many aspects of Western culture tip the scale towards the more active Yang energy.

These make us out of balance. Some of us tend to rely on our yin strengths while some others may be too reliant on their yang strengths.

The best thing to do now is to create more balance.

How do I balance my Yin and Yang? 15 effective ways

Here are the simplest and most powerful ways to balance yin and yang in your life.

1) Bask in the morning sun

I’ve started to love short morning walks and feeling the first rays of the sun.

Getting caught up in the natural beauty of the sunrise gives you a better sense of gratitude for what’s happening in front of you.

When I wake up and start my day like this, I get warmed up and more ready to face the busy day ahead. It keeps me calm, positive and focused.

Here’s the thing,

Going outdoors during the first six hours after sunrise makes you tap that Yang energy as you fill your life with sun and fresh air, and do some cardio.

This is because we get cooped up in our restrained office or room, it can cause too much Yin – and this makes us lethargic.

So it’s important to embrace the sunlight to get that much-needed Vitamin D and have a better sense of well-being.

2) Try to eliminate heavily processed food

Yin Yang is closely related to Taoism, keeping us closer to nature.

So think organic and natural food as it provides our body with more nutrients and balance instead of overly-processed ones.

Stay away from trans-fat and food high in salt as they offer very little in terms of essential nutrients.

Seems hard? But here’s how to detox from those overly-processed foods:

• Take small steps to build this habit
• Have healthy snacks on hand
• Drink more water to lessen your intake of sugary drinks
• Add garlic or pepper for a flavor boost instead of salt
• Choose whole grains over white ones
• Make homemade versions of traditionally processed foods
• Don’t let advertisements fool you

3) Have your fill of essential macronutrients

We’re surrounded by several New Age dietary fads that promise unparalleled health benefits. But they can only distract us from the essential nutrients our body needs and wreak havoc on our body’s nutrition.

And it’s not enough to stay away from junk food or heavily-processed foods. We also have to keep track of and be mindful of the amounts of macronutrients we are taking in.

Having a good balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fats helps our bodies to function at optimal levels.

But you have to find what works best for you.

Your macronutrient intake has to depend on your lifestyle, dietary restrictions, health condition, as well as specific body goals.

4) Bring harmony to your plate

We eat not to fulfill our hungry stomach, but also to make our bodies work harmoniously.

Yin food has higher water content. This includes fruits, vegetables, tofu, fish, soy products, blueberries, seaweed, fish, and eggs.

Yang food has higher energy content, particularly from fat. This includes garlic, onion, chicken, lamb, salmon, chestnut, and black beans.

We have to balance them out equally and ensure that we achieve nutritional balance in every dish.

Here are things to remember:

• Avoid eating when in a hurry as it affects digestion
• Eat in a relaxed state
• Start your day with warm water, squeeze a lemon if you want
• Try mixtures of sweet, bitter, pungent flavors in your dishes

Most importantly, enjoy your food and eat it with a happy heart.

The key here is to find foods that balance yin and yang and support your unique body type and needs.

5) Detoxify your body from alcohol and drugs

I’m sure you also know that excessive intake of beers, liquors, and drugs can heap layers of stress on the liver.

When your lifestyle puts lots of stress on your liver, it creates a significant imbalance and leads to increased irritability and several health problems.

This is one of the most common reasons for energy imbalance.

So if you have this habit of drinking alcohol frequently, try to limit yourself to 1-2 servings per week, if you can’t give it up altogether.

And when it comes to drugs, avoid them like plague, for obvious reasons.

It is best to avoid accumulating these substances in the body.

A huge disclaimer here: If you have serious health or mental health condition, always consult a doctor, and never try to self-medicate.

6) Do cardiovascular exercises without excuses

If your job and lifestyle also revolve around computers, it becomes easy for us to turn into sedentary creatures.

Lack of movement can affect the yin and yang energies of our hearts.

Aerobic exercises like cycling, running, jumping, swimming, or even brisk walking reinvigorates the body.

The benefits of doing cardiovascular exercises are virtually limitless as it leads to better physical and mental well-being. And it even allows the Yang in the blood to circulate

So if you’re in perfectly good condition, why not move and do some exercises?

And again, check with your doctor before starting an exercise activity especially if you have serious heart problems.

7) Engage in yin activities throughout the day

Most of the time, we get so focused on getting things done – that we get to activate the Yang energy even more.

If your job is very demanding and you are busy all the time, there could be an overdrive of yang energy in your life. But this is throwing your life into imbalance and disharmony.

You need to nurture yourself by inviting more yin back into your life to find your way back to balance.

• Avoid rushing like a mad person during meetings
• Get a massage, a facial, or hair treatment
• Enjoy reading, writing, or listening to soft music
• Do slow arts and crafts like painting or needlework
• Schedule mini-breaks between the day
• Sit, be still, and relax even for 10 minutes

8) Start a meditation or yoga practice

After sitting in front of my desk all day, yoga gives my body a good stretch and a chance to turn inward.

Meditation soothes and relaxes me as I wind down at the end of the day.

I love how yoga and meditation make me more self-aware and bring me closer to myself.

This allows me to sit, be still, and notice what my body and mind are telling me.

It doesn’t even take up a lot of my time. With just 10 to 20 minutes of practice, I can feel the huge benefits they bring.

Even most people I know live active lives – working long hours, trying to get everywhere fast, and with lots of external stimulation.

While this isn’t bad at all, we risk becoming overstimulated and experiencing burnout or health problems.

By doing yoga and meditation, you’ll build up and release energy effectively. These harmonize and promote good yin and yang balance in the body.

9) Create a soothing nighttime routine

Once the sun sets,  we need time to wind down and relax to better regain our power.

This is the perfect time to prioritize your Yin activities even more.

• Play relaxing music to calm your mind
• Dim the lights and diffuse calming essential oil
• Curl up with a book in your cozy pajamas
• Avoid watching a movie or scrolling on your phones
• Take relaxing baths
• List down things you’re grateful for
• Follow a sleeping schedule to ensure enough rest

Going to bed early and having a good night time create a good balance between yin and yang.

When we sleep, the depleted Yang energy is nourished so we can use it again once we wake up. It also syncs your body with the natural daily yin-yang cycle.

10) Engage in sports or martial arts

Stress, worries, and anxieties seem to be part of our lives, but they are detrimental to our health.

These can cause Yin to inflame our minds and bring Yang’s energy into destructive outbursts.

It’s good to have an outlet to redirect these energies into productive physical activity.

Think about engaging in team sports or some internal form of martial arts.

Internal martial arts like Tai Chi is so powerful in balancing the yin and yang as it focuses on the internal spiritual, mental, or Qi energy.

And when you engage in team sports, the competitive environment acts as a catalyst for growth. as it brings physical health, mental health, neurological, and social benefits.

Both winning and losing in a sports competition become a balancing board that teaches us to accept both sides of ourselves.

11) Avoid health and fitness fads

Are you familiar with gluten-free, paleo, or keto? Most of these diet solutions seem healthy at first glance.

While some of these work or are a bit effective for others, it limits you from achieving the true long-term results you desire.

It isn’t advisable to subject your body to extreme fasting by taking a specific drink or eating starch alone.

Even those detox and cleansing diets are likely unsafe and ineffective.

Following a certain diet leads to micronutrient deficiencies, making you weak and putting you at an even greater imbalance within your body

The thing is, there is no one-size-fits-all approach as we all have different nutritional needs.

12) Develop habits toward being financially sound

One of the main stressors in our lives concerns our finances. The burden of debt can make it difficult to pursue the self-fulfillment aspect of Yin-Yang.

Because of this, I can’t neglect how important it is to save for emergencies and earn a healthy stream of income.

If we dig deeper, we can find a host of underlying issues that cause us to be careless with our finances.

Sometimes, we try to fill the void in our lives with shiny objects, material things, food, and drinks.

We are taught that we can find success and fulfillment in these temporary fixes.

The key here is to control the impulse to spend haphazardly and be savvy with one’s money.

Understand that there’s always a time to indulge in material pleasures and to pursue delayed gratification to prepare for the future.

13) Encourage physical touch in your relationships

Touch plays a big impact on our development and physical and mental well-being.

That warm back rub from our partner, a hug from an old friend, and the cuddle from our child, are so powerful.

When we hug a family member or a friend, it tends to calm our minds and we feel that sense of bliss.

After all, we all need that positive energy to balance out all the negative energy that is building up in our lives.

There’s something about touch that makes us feel good.

The thing is, we need a human touch more than ever.

Getting and receiving physical touch from those we love is important in keeping our energies in balance.

The power of physical affection and intimate touch is essential in our life.  For when we embrace the concepts of yin and yang in all our relationships, it can be deeply healing.

14) Get out there, seize the moment

I know how good things come to those who wait. But, in most instances, we don’t have to wait, sit still, and mope until the world gives us something.

When we become complacent, our energy scales to the yin side. And when we choose to stay in our safe zones, we experience a negative impact in the long run.

It’s just that most of the time, it’s vital to take action and tap into our fullest yang potential.

And this means:

• Accomplishing our to-do lists
• Fixing problems right away
• Taking steps to achieve our dreams
• Being present in every moment
• Working on being the best version of ourselves

But after doing what you need to do, make sure to find time for relaxation and solace to enjoy the blissful yin-centric periods of calmness.

15) Consider balancing the energies in your home

Achieving harmony in our abode not only keeps Yin and Yang’s energy balanced but gives our place good feelings and warmth.

Even if you don’t believe in the power of Feng Shui, one can’t deny the effect of a place designed with those guidelines in mind.

And this is also because some places require a stronger presence of one or the other.

After all, there’s no harm in following Feng Shui especially if it makes our home more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.

So should you want to consider it too, here are some best ways to balance the Yin and Yang at your home:

• Create a quiet and cool environment in your bedroom
• Fill your bedroom with gentle, soft textures or artwork with lively colors
• Use bright, vibrant colors in the living room
• Use lighting with dimming capabilities in your kitchen and living room
• Plant bright flowering shrubs or blooms at your front entrance
• Keep your home clutter-free

Achieving a dynamic balance of Yin and Yang at home will help you to live a healthy, happy, and fulfilling life – and makes your space truly feel at home.

Achieving and finding balance

When I do the ways I shared with you, I never realize that I will find stillness within the yang flow – one that helps me achieve mind and heart balance.

Achieving yin and yang energy balance provided me with a filter for how I view life. It allows me to embrace change and appreciate subtleties.

And this means never looking at things merely in black and white.

Yin Yang is more than just the integration of males and females. Rather, it reminds us of the integration of life and everything in between.

Keep in mind that balance is the key to everything.

Know that our power comes when we learn how and when to call forth both our masculine and feminine energies.

And remember to aim to achieve balance within yourself.

For when you are balanced with yourself, you’ll have the right attitude and energy in every moment – with your family and friends, at work or at play, and even in stressful situations.

The more balanced you are, the more energy you can bring to your moments.