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Hi Reader,

The qualities that become more alive in us when our inner life is more collaborative are referred to as the 8 C's in IFS lingo. One of my teachers likes to divide them into yin and yang qualities. Yin encompasses the more receptive qualities that lead us to greater understanding, while the yang qualities help us orient toward change. The following is how I organize them.

Our various practices tend to foreground methods that emphasize the yin qualities. This makes sense since Western culture, in particular, tends to emphasize productivity and attaining goals. Our softer practices (yoga, meditation, breathwork), in a sense, become equalizers.

However, in Taoism, Yin and Yang aren't opposites. These receptive and active energies co-create one another. And there is no such thing as absolute yin or absolute yang. This is why the iconic Taoist symbol, the Taiji, depicts the white dot in the black half and the black dot in the white half. 

We can apply this to the 8Cs. For example, within the quality of compassion is the urge to help. Within creativity (probably the most yang of all) is inner spaciousness and quietude from which inspiration flows. 

In the Monday yin class this month, we explored how courage relates to practice. Courage is another quality that seems more unambiguously yang in it's nature. We muster up the courage to DO things, particularly hard things. 

I offer that there's a potent yin side to courage, too. 

The English word courage comes from the French word for heart, cœur. The Latin root, cor, also means heart. While we often think of courage as a synonym for bravery, what we're saying about courageous people is that they have a lot of heart. 

As the seat of our emotions in many cultures and traditions, the heart is probably the most guarded area of the body. We use phrases like "armored up" when we talk about hiding or protecting our feelings. 

I find it curious, then, that we associate emotional vulnerability with weakness. One of the bravest things we can do is let people into our hearts.  

We also associate courage and bravery with willpower, a concept connected to control (such as restraining impulses) and determination (pushing through tough challenges). These are certainly very yang qualities.

But how about courage as a reflection of one's willingness? When we are willing, we consent voluntarily and ungrudgingly. Some definitions even say that we prepare ourselves to act gladly. 

In willingness there is an absence of resistance. 

When we engage in self-reflective work, we must necessarily be willing to meet what we uncover. Some people call this "inviting the shadow." Inviting the shadow is a bold act of bravery to allow in (another yin concept) what we usually try to hide. 

While it's easy to consider the courage it takes to deliberately work on ourselves, we also encounter our shadows in our yoga and mindfulness practices. How many times has my savasana at the end of class been invaded by all the things I've been trying to avoid? Too many times to count. 

So, I offer to you a practice phrase, given by my teacher, to recite at the beginning of your practices to invite bravery:

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I know we're still in the thick of summer, but I'm starting to onboard new clients for the fall. I've got space for 2-3 (depending on frequency) more coaching clients this year.

You can read more about how I use Internal Family Systems as an approach to life coaching here, and book a consult call here.
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