Melissa Ann Goodwin

Melissa Ann Goodwin

Friday, August 5, 2011

Yin, Yang and YadaYadaYada

My last "Leap Before You Look" post was so much fun, I really just want to leave it up forever....

But, here in bloggy land, we must move forward!

Remember when Julia Roberts won the Oscar and then immediately her relationship with Benjamin Bratt went kaput? And then, the same thing pretty much happened to poor Sandra Bullock, only it was like the Julia Roberts situation on steroids.  We call these ups and downs the yin and yang of life - the good offset by the bad, and vice versa.

Is it just me, or does this year seem like the yin and yang are waaaaay more yinny and yangy?  All my friends seem to be having big swings between ups and downs, and I know it's been true for me too. We started the year with the most wonderful, long, relaxing trip to La Paz, Mexico. Yin. Not long after we got home from that, my mother passed away. Big Yang. A few weeks later, I was selected for the jury on a very high profile, very emotional Santa Fe trial. Yang. I solved some mysteries about my mother's life as a young girl in England at the start of WWII, and made some lovely friends across the pond. Yin. We've been trying to sell our house and it just hasn't happened. Yang. But then, my book will be coming out this fall. Big Big Yin.

Every year has its ups and downs. We expect it. It's just that, this year, like the extremes in weather and the extremes in economic conditions, it feels like our lives are also swinging between dramatic extremes.

In yoga, yin and yang refer to different kinds of energy. Yin is passive energy and yang is active energy. There is no judgement that one is good and the other bad, they are simply different. It's hard to look at the sad and upsetting aspects of life as anything but "bad." But, as is often the case, looking at things through my yoga lens helps me put things in perspective. All of life has its purpose, the ups, the downs, and the in-betweens. The in-betweens would be the yadayadayada part, and that's not actually a yoga term :-).

Anybody else feel like they're on the seesaw this year?

14 comments:

  1. At this point I'd be happy with the yadayadayada!!! :>( :>)

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  2. Hi Ted! And how is right - you should know!

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  3. I love how yoga puts it into perspective. And the yadayadayada!

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  4. Hi Melissa, You have a fabulous blog! I want to award you with one of my homemade awards: Powerful Woman Writer Award for all the hard work you do!

    Go to http://astorybookworld.blogspot.com/p/awards.html and pick up your award.
    ~Deirdra

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  5. Jayne, :-) yoga does help.
    Deirdre - thank you, that's so kind of you!

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  7. Melissa, I love your philosophy. And yes, I've had a very Yin/Yang year,too but I just keep rolling with the flow. That's about all we can do, right?! Have a wonderful Monday!

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  8. English Shepherd: YES! There's even a book out called "Doga" or something like that. And my brother gave me a hilarious poster of dogs doing some power yoga poses. They might have been photo-shopped, but they look real. And of course, we all love to do Down Dog. :-)

    Becky, that is ALL we can do! xo

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  9. The last few years have been EXTREME seesaw for me.

    Congratulations on the book release this fall. If you want to do an interview, guest post or some such as part of your book tour, email me: writinginwonderland@gmail.com

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  10. Yes...up/down - life happens in between...up/down - repeat.

    I like my fluctuations a little less...fluctuating!

    Hoping for an even keel soon, for me and the rest of the world.

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  11. Sylvia - thank you - I would love that. I'll email you.

    AB - Me too, hon, me too.

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