Everything with a Balance: The Antidote to Extremes
Everything with a balance. That is my mantra, and I believe it is the antidote to the extremes we are experiencing as a species right now.
Where do we stand in a world of duality?
The Yin & Yang symbol shows opposing and complementary forces, and it reminds us that duality is part of the fabric of life, in nature and in the human psyche. So where do we stand? Do we take one side and oppose the other? Do we jump from one stance to the next? Do we neglect one side and focus only on where we stand?
I don’t know about you, but I want to experience life in the center – not from either extreme of the spectrum that can’t appreciate the kaleidoscopic nature of reality.
The river in the middle
What does that mean? It means navigating with balance. Look at the line between the two opposing forces, the one that connects them, and with a little imagination you can see a river running through the center. That is the stream I want to bathe in.
The river has twists and turns and rocks that block the flow, but the “Water” aspect of my being finds a way around them.
Life is multifaceted and nuanced. It can’t be boxed into black or white, right or wrong. What seems right in one situation turns out not to be in another. Take the expression “go with the flow.” It’s good advice in many cases, but tell that to the salmon going upstream. It really is in the eye of the beholder, or the gills of the fish.
Balance in everyday life
“Everything with a balance is the medicine we need to cultivate.”
If we assume we start with a baseline of somewhat healthy choices: greens and veggies from local organic produce and, if you eat meat, from happy grass-fed animals, while staying mindful of sugar. Then we could practice “everything with a balance”.
- Coffee? Great. It’s full of antioxidants and may help with fatty liver, but drink too much and your sympathetic nervous system gets wired.
- Chocolate? I don’t blame you. Pure cacao is powerful medicine. It’s the sugar and milk that mess with its medicinal properties.
- A glass of wine? Go for it, though two bottles will make you lose your balance.
- Coca-Cola? Not the best, right? But an ice-cold soft drink with lime on a hot summer day can be just what the doctor ordered. More people die from obesity and type 2 diabetes than from starvation, so we do want to be mindful of our consumption. And you can always balance it out with homemade fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles, shiitake mushrooms, just to name a few – to support your gut biome.
Living in extremes, with rigidity, is not a sustainable way to live. I propose the middle way.
Unity at the center
Let’s not be too hard on ourselves or on our fellow humans. That goes for the food we eat, the beliefs we hold, the emotions we express, and the thoughts we create every day.
At the center of it all is unity. Free from division and separation, we can live in balance. Sometimes that means behaving like the salmon and going upstream. Sometimes going downstream is the way. When we are centered, the path reveals itself. This is what the ancient Daoist masters would advise: the “Water Way,” in deep trust.
Living in accordance with nature, following the cycles of the seasons, and working toward unity rather than separation is, I truly believe, the antidote to the turmoil we are experiencing. At Five Elements Wisdom Academy, that is what we want to be part of: the solution.
If returning to balance resonates
and you’d like to explore balance through practice, we’d love to have you with us for our 150-hour Yin Yoga & Chinese Medicine Teacher Training at The Sanctuary in Koh Phangan, Thailand, March 15 to April 2, 2027. Three weeks of immersion in Yin Yoga and the wisdom of the Five Elements, with time to slow down and find your own center. Early bird pricing is available until December 1, 2026. Learn more about the training.
To your health and well-being,
Tobias
Five Elements Wisdom Academy