Applying Chinese Philosophy to the My Relationships with Cities

I’m from the Midwest so I’m not married to either coast.  I could basically live anywhere and kind find the pros and cons in everything.  This can be kind of annoying for my family and friends who have watched me hop around the country the past 13 years.  To me, it’s fun and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.  For those who may not know me well, after college I moved to LA, White Plains (NY), Stamford (CT), St. Louis, Chicago, Jersey City, Newburgh (NY), LA and Palm Springs (CA).  Exhausted?

I’m currently living in the west but no longer along the coastal area of LA but rather in the midst of the desert.  I love the desert for it’s wonderful quality of light, clear blue skies, slow pace, clean air, mineral water, ample amounts of natural vitamin D, locally grown citrus, beautiful mountain vistas, expansive starry arrays at night, ease of getting to the ocean or the ski slopes and guaranteed nice weather 350 days a year.  

So, you may ask why I’m spending at least 21 days in Manhattan when spring has not even sprung.  Well, what I love about Manhattan are the organized chaos, the constant motion and steady pulse of city life, an abundance of things to do, countless people to meet, places to explore and dreams to be fulfilled.   That’s what this place is all about.  I unfortunately, have never lived in Manhattan and only worked within it.  I would stay and visit, come in on weekends or days off but it’s just not the same. I can say with the four days I’ve spent within in so far I finally get it.  I want to live here, too.

Now, this will be sending my friends and family into “uh oh, here we go again,” mode.  Don’t fret.  I’m not moving anything right now.  What I am considering is what I love about each of these geographical areas and how to make them work together.  Walking along the East River, I figured it out.  There is a Yin and Yang to our country that pulls me to both places.

For those who are not very familiar with Chinese philosophy, I’ll explain this to you rather simply as I learned by a Tai Chi instructor.  Yin and Yang energy exist within everything.  Yin energy is calm, wet, clammy and female.  This does not mean it only exists in females because it exists in all of us.  Yang energy is hot, fast, dry and male.  Again, this is within us all.  What happens to us when either energy is out of balance is that we behave in ways which are not productive.  Neither energy is bad or better than the other.  They just are.  They are only bad if one starts to dominate the other because they must remain balanced.

I’ll create an example for illustrative purposes.  Who I am is made of Yin and Yang energy.  If I have too much Yin energy I may become too calm which may lead me to be lethargic, tired and maybe in extreme cases lazy or depressed.  So, I have to rebalance this energy with more Yang energy.  However, if I become to Yang, I may become agitated, short-tempered, and in extreme cases aggressive.  This is why the practice of Tai Chi is so valuable.  It is a natural way to rebalance the energy, or Qi (pronounced chi) within ourselves.

But back to my point which is discussing the Yin and Yang of our country.  I’ve lived a total of seven years on the east coast and a little over three years on the west coast (and for those who didn’t count, I’ve lived in nice places the past 13 years).  My conclusion is that as a whole, the west coast tends to have more Yin energy while the east coast tends to have more Yang energy, taking physical temperatures out of the equation.  When you add them in, the west coast is more balanced with Qi than the east coast, especially if you know Manhattan and think about it when it’s summertime.  So, long story short I love both places because they each help balance my own Qi.  Some people may not understand this but those who know me well probably get it.  I am an on the go person who likes to make things happen.  I can go non-stop for a while (like Manhattan) but then I need to really lay back, relax, recharge and focus on me (like LA/Palm Springs) otherwise my Yang energy kicks in and I start to get cranky.

It’s a pretty cool little discovery and I’m glad I’ve been able to make it.  So now what?  I’ll continue to enjoy my time here in The City and embrace those San Jacinto Mountains when I return to my home.