" Exit ... "

"You know he got the cure

You know he went astray

He used to stay awake

To drive the dreams he had away

He wanted to believe

In the hands of love

He felt the healing

Healing, healing

Healing hands of love

Like the stars shiny shiny

From above ...

The hands of love"

~ U2 ~ Exit ~

***

There is plenty of information out there on how to have an exit strategy for business.  But what about an exit strategy, personally?  And is does one exist ... always.

Things go wrong, not as planned, things are out of control, things are chaotic, things are unmanageable ... and whats our exit?  We BLAME ... others so that we don’t take responsibility for what is, or ourselves and stew in the guilt and shame of what is.

But what if we just let what is be ... what is?  Rather than blame, avoid, distort, or deny what is ... when we actually ACCEPT what is, we have a real chance.  A real chance to find out ... why this is happening to me.  The secret is out though ... it isn’t happening to you, it is happening through you.  If you choose to believe, what occurs “out there”, actually occurs within first.  

But it is uncomfortable, so we reach for something to soothe us, to take care of us, to take the pain away.  And it keeps coming back.  So rather than asking why this is happening to me, ask what am I to learn from this experience.  Yeah, difficult in the midst of pain ... but possible.  Many spiritual teachers have proven this very point.

The journey to enlightenment is the road with no exits ...

Life is full of duality ... black and white, sad and happy, night and day, evil and good ... and this duality is what creates gratitude for what is.  We cannot experience one without the other.  Hence if we applied our exit strategy every time we experience what we perceive as bad, then can we truly enjoy what we perceive as good?  We don’t what conflict, we don’t want aggression ... we want peace, but yet again, one is described by the other ... duality.

Make friends with the uncomfortable pain you’ve been avoiding ...

Eventually, the more we begin to settle into these discomfort feelings, the more we realize the basic goodness that resides in all of us.  We allow ourselves to sit with rage and sorrow because we know that peace and happiness are just as available to us ... it’s a choice, always.

We can learn to appreciate what is ... naturally.  Being fearless means you are not afraid or need to flight ... it’s about letting the world touch your heart because you are willing to open up without resistance ... you are truly willing to experience life rather than looking for the nearest exit.

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" Yin Yang ... "

“ … All Evergreen

No Histamine

All I, all I, all I

Really, really, really

Wanna do, is zag along with you

I got infinite ammunition

Coming out the Yin Yang

I got limitless stealth positions

Extract the champion

Extract the Champion

Coming out the Yin Yang … “

***

~ USS ~ Yin Yang ~ 

Thanks to a hot yoga practice, my affinity towards the idea of yin and yang and strengthened.  Generally speaking, Yin is defined by passiveness, reflectiveness, internally and softness while Yang is an expression, passion and energy.

Recognizing the symbol, Yin (mostly black) and Yang (mostly white) are two opposites.  When combined, their strengths and weaknesses balance each other.  And balance between Yin and Yang is how we create balance and harmony between ourselves and our surroundings … allowing us to co-exist. 

And I think it is safe to say that most people live a Yang lifestyle … personalities, philosophies, elemental preferences and aesthetic tastes.  However, there is a Yin side that exists in all of us, a form of our tendency towards personal reflection and introspective thought … a gentler side.  It is also important to note that yang and yin are not necessarily exclusively male or female.  We all have Yin or Yang “ish” at differing levels within us.  

According to TCM, each food has an energetic property of Yin or Yang.  Therefore, foods are thought of as complimentary pairs that are constantly shifting in relationship to one another.  Hence we absorb cold and hot energy from the foods we eat and medical conditions are manifestations of these Yin-Yang imbalances.  It is believed that we can heal ourselves by correcting our imbalances with the appropriate Yin-Yang foods.

Yin is to Yang 

Night is to Day

Quiet is to Busy

Cold is to Hot

***

The below is for information purposes ONLY … 

ALWAYS consult your health practitioner directly for Medical Advice.

Common health conditions and their imbalances include…

Conditions affected by too much heat (yang) in the body:

High blood pressure, skin rash, hot flashes.

Consume: Cool or cold foods that promote yin energy.

Conditions arising from too much cold (yin) in the body: 

Fatigue, depression, muscle ache, stuffy nose, cough with clear white phlegm, fluid retention.

Consume: Warm or hot foods that promote yang energy.

Conditions that alternatively arise from too much cold or heat in the body: 

Constipation, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, headache.

Consume: Some conditions are helped by either hot or cold foods. 

The treatment for the conditions mentioned here depends on your own symptoms. A holistic doctor can help you determine whether you will be helped by yin or yang foods.

Yang foods include … (hot) Cayenne pepper, dried ginger, soybean oil, cinnamon, black pepper, chili powder, horseradish, lamb, trout and whole green or red peppers … (warming) Cherries, coconut, lemons, raspberries, cauliflower, mustard greens, onion, coffee, garlic, fresh ginger, chestnuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, chicken, shrimp, mussels, lobster, turkey, yogurt, butter.

Yin foods include … (cooling) Apples, bananas, pears, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, spinach, Swiss chard, celery, soybeans, buckwheat, sesame oil … (cold) Papaya, watermelon, grapefruit, tomatoes, asparagus, cucumbers, summer squash, romaine lettuce, seaweed, barley, tofu.

Neutral foods are believed to be nourishing to everyone—and don’t increase the yin or yang balance in the body. Neutral foods include apricots, figs, pineapple, beets, cabbage, carrots, olives, pumpkin, string beans, yams, eggs, oats, almonds, peas, peanuts, rice, beef, oysters, pork, whitefish, salmon, sardines, herring and saffron.

***

www.walkstrong.ca