Ying & Yang: A flame requires wax

"I know you can do more, but can you do less?"

In our culture, doing less can be harder than we think because we place so much emphasis and value on “more” - doing more, being more, having more.

When I did yoga training years ago, I learned about the Chinese principle of yin and yang for balance and harmony. My teacher used the example of a candle to explain that Yin is like the wax of the candle and Yang the flame. Yin nourishes and supports the flame (Yang). Yang consumes the wax (Yin) to burn brightly and give light. They both work together and are essential to each other. When the wax is gone so is the flame.

Our vitality works in a similar way. We need balance. We need to both the inhale and the exhale. To take in and to give away. We need to be able to shift from stress to relaxation and from our sympathetic nervous system to our parasympathetic nervous system. If we burn through our wax (Yin) the flame cannot burn; it’s extinguished.

Consider the things in your life that can help you regenerate Yin energy and shift into rest and restore (parasympathetic nervous system). What in your life nourishes and recharges you? What helps you take a deep breath?

What thoughts have you unintentionally or intentionally formed around “doing less?” This can help you see if you have beliefs that may be getting in your way of cultivating rest practices and experiencing more overall balance and vitality.

As many yoga teachers on my path have asked (including myself), "I know you can do more, but can you do less?"