In a previous post, I talked about the yin-yang strategy: making decisions based on where you have too much yin or too much yang.
It can be difficult to know, however, how you are imbalanced. How do you know if you’re suffering from too much yin or too much yang?
As a general rule, a person who suffers from a yin imbalance never feels like he or she is getting enough. Not enough food, stimulation, money, things, attention, etc.
For example, someone who eats a lot of junk food and maintains a horrible diet typically is suffering from a yin problem – not enough nutrition. Because the body is not getting the nutrition it needs, it keeps asking for more food, but if the food you feed it is junk, then it won’t get the nutrition it needs, causing it to need more food, and the cycle continues.
This is the same problem with someone who parties too much, does lots of drugs, or spends too much. The brain is looking for adequate stimulation, which it is not getting (yin).
A person who is suffering from a yang imbalance, on the other hand, feels like he or she is getting too much. Too much attention, familiarity, responsibility, etc.
An example here is someone who is starting to feel stuck in a relationship. This is typically a yang problem: spending too much time together, a couple will start to feel bored, stuck, resentful, because they need a change, a break, some space (yin).
The same is true for someone who feels stuck in a job. This person doesn’t need more money, but rather a change, a break, some space to explore different career options.
In finding imbalance, then, ask yourself a simple question: Do I feel like I am not getting enough, or do I feel like I’m getting too much?
That simple question might allow you to think more strategically about how to solve your problem.