Reclaiming the feminine: The true "feminist" movement

~How can we demand gender equality when we devalue the feminine?~

We have come to live in a world where we are waking up to the realities of gender inequality. This is not new news. We see this in our history- through the legal discrimination of sexes in the US Constitution and women’s only newly founded legal status as “persons”. We see this today through the gender wage gap and the overrepresentation of women as sexual violence victims.

But this article is not about the feminist movement we have grown all too familiar with- a politically & socially involved one. This article argues deeper than the physical, material, and legal rights denied to women.

This is an argument about what we have come to value as a society. We have grown to value the masculine, at the expense of the feminine. How can we demand equality of genders, when we as a society consistently devalue the feminine? Now hear me out.

These terms feminine and masculine are deeper than the physical aspects of gender. These terms represent innate energies residing in each individual, regardless of sexual orientation. More commonly known through Chinese philosophy, these energies are called the Yin (feminine) & Yang (masculine). As a female identifying person, I have both Yin and Yang energies within me.

But I have grown up in a society where I have been told that only my masculine energies are of value.

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The masculine energy is the logic oriented, structured, driving force within each of us. It represents the thinking mind- our ability to rationalize, debate and justify. It is a beautiful, intellectual skill, that allows us to weigh the pros and cons in any scenario.

The masculine within is the drive towards productivity, goals, an end game, and ultimately external achievement. We see this drive present in our everyday desires to tick off the “to do” list, meet deadlines, complete a task, goal, university degree, and even to reach our desired body goals.

This energy is beautiful, and our modernized Western society, technological innovations, and advanced healthcare are all beneficial products of this masculine drive.

However, without balance, this energy can be dangerous. We see this in our time crunches and chronic stress to meet deadlines, in societal pressures towards material and financial gain, an unhealthy amount of university students experiencing burnout, body image and self-love issues as not looking “hot, sexy, (and everything above) enough”

Without balance, this masculine energy can transform our lives into a workaholic society, so focused on external signs of success...that we have grown to neglect our internal success. We have become so focused on what we can achieve, that we are living in an ongoing epidemic of mental health crises, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, chronic stress, and escalating suicide rates. We are suffering internally, and we never have the time to “stop and smell the roses”.

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Now this is where the feminine energy comes in. It is the energy within each of us, separate from the rational, thinking mind, but rather connected to our intuition. Connecting to and valuing this energy, means to connect to ourSelves, our deepest desires, and truest needs- regardless of the justifications of the mind or the external society.

This can look like choosing to take a day off from your vigorous workout schedule because you feel freaking tired. Or, to take a 30-minute brain break from your 9 hours of office work. It is honouring where you are at each and every day, even if your mind is screaming to “get on the grind!”

This energy within us, honours our natural cycles of work and rest. Productivity and recharge. Just like the cycles of Mother nature and her changing of seasons, the feminine energy knows that our body goes through cycles as well.

Just like the feminine honours where our body is at, it honours where our emotions are at. It is compassionate towards our internal needs- our mental and emotional needs. It is compassionate towards our insecurities, sadness, and human flaws, and is non-judgmental.

It is knowing that sadness is normal, and unapologetically crying and releasing that emotion. It is knowing that anxiety is normal, and taking the steps to reduce that- mindfulness, listening to music, running. It is knowing that self-doubt is normal, and being compassionate with these feelings. Ultimately, it is acceptance for your emotions and insecurities, but also that of others.

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I strongly argue that understanding and valuing the feminine is essential to gender equality, but also each and every one of our social problems. Learning how to slow it down, honour our emotional and physical needs may sound easy, but it is not. We have been programmed in this “go, go, go” mindset that has resulted in mental health and physical health crises (obesity, anorexia, chronic pain, etc). We are constantly told that sacrificing our needs is essential to success... but at the expense of our health!

Devaluing our natural cycles of productivity and rest, has resulted in devaluing the natural cycles of all beings. We see this in our financial penalization of women in the workforce that get pregnant. We devalue natural cycles to the point that we penalize women that go through this natural event of birthing life.

Devaluing our inner states of emotions, has resulted in this toxic masculinity where young boys are told not to cry. In the workforce, women are told that showing anger or emotion is discouraged, because this makes them unprofessional. Because we inherently devalue the feminine nature of expression and compassion towards emotion, we in turn devalue women. There is a societal dialogue that says emotion = no success.

In greater society, this devaluing of emotion manifests as a stigma around people suffering with depression and anxiety.

Once again, I ask, if we so desire to change our societal problems of gender inequality among many others, how can we dare to do so when we devalue the feminine energy?

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We live in a potent time in history- where women leaders all over the world are approaching this feminine revolution with a feminine energy. With compassion for our and others’ emotions & insecurities. With understanding of our needs to rest and slow down. With an emphasis on self-care and love, before external success. We are acknowledging the damage of this overly masculinized society- burnout, anxiety, body image...and treating it with a feminine medicine.

I know that this is a radical and different perspective on the “feminist movement” we’ve grown so accustomed to. But I truly believe restoring the heart of the feminine energy in our movement is where it begins. To change society, we need to change what we value. And this starts with the individual- men, women, and all genders alike. This means little changes in everyday life, towards a more compassionate way of living.

Compassion to yourself and your human experience... and eventually compassion to the world and all beings.

Thank you for reading friends. I hope this resonates.

Love,

Sammy

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**Picture creds above go to "Unsplash" photography through wix.com & @krystalaranyani on through instagram.