Vicki Matthews
This blog, Reclaiming Balance, is the passion of Vicki Matthews, a physician, author, and teacher in Chicago. Click on the photo to learn more about Vicki.
WeNeedBalance.com
A umbrella website for all things balance
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The Goddess Letters
The Goddess Letters is a story of love and faith, and one man’s unfolding relationship with both. A testament to passion of all kinds, it celebrates those who have the courage to discard the new in favor of the old, be it love, beliefs, or entire civilizations.
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Tag Archives: yin
Equality, Balance, and Fear
A culture where status, rights, and opportunity aren’t granted equally to all citizens cannot say that it values equality. In the absence of equality, selective supremacy exists granting some citizens more privileged than others. Supremacy and privilege are hallmarks of cultures … Continue reading →
Posted in balance, equality, Uncategorized
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Tagged balance, equality, fear, stand together, supremacy, yang, yin
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The Women’s Marches: Witness the Power of Yin
I’ve been a student of Chinese philosophy for decades and as anyone who has read this blog knows, I really resonate with the balancing energies of yin and yang. They are two sides of the same coin, two equal but … Continue reading →
We Need the Yang of Yin
In the vernacular of doing versus being, the masculine principle is wired for doing and the feminine principle is wired for being. My usual litany in this blog is that our patriarchal culture needs more of the feminine principle: more … Continue reading →
Wonderful Wonder!
Wisdom begins in wonder. – Socrates I love the word, “wonder;” it sounds so melodious. According to Merriam-Webster, wonder means “rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one’s experience.” Beautiful. The definition alone feeds the soul. … Continue reading →
Posted in equality, feminine principle, masculine principle, patriarchy, reclaiming balance, Uncategorized
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Tagged compassion, depth, feminine principle, feminist, force, gentleness, inner reality, intention, love, masculine principle, mystery, one with nature, outer reality, patriarchy, reclaiming balance, Socrates, strength, wisdom, wonder, yang, yin
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In Search of Peace
The presence of violence has been considered normal in our world for millennia. Warfare, aggression, the use of guns and other weaponry to enact perceived justice are all staples of a world ruled by patriarchal principles. And while there may … Continue reading →
Posted in feminine principle, patriarchy, reclaiming balance, Uncategorized
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Tagged caring, compassion, feminine principle, financial gain, force, gentleness, good of the group, guns, harmony, idols, love, masculine principle, patriarchy, peace, separateness, The Goddess Letters, victor, violence, war, warfare, wealth, weaponry, win, yang, yin
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Thinking and Feeling and Balance
“We think too much and feel too little.” – Charlie Chaplin In ancient Chinese medicine, the energy that dealt with the head was always the yang (masculine principle) energy. The energy that flowed in and around the heart was the … Continue reading →
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Tagged brain, Charlie Chaplin, equality, feminine principle, heart, masculine principle, patriarchy, reclaiming balance, yang, yin
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Ask Yourself
What kind of a world do I want to live in? Easy! A world where people really are equal regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, education, age, or any other discernable difference. A world where all of our differences are … Continue reading →
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Tagged change the world, Deepak Chopra, equality, feminine principle, greatest good, heart wisdom, masculine principle, nature, patriarchy, reclaiming balance, what can I do, wisdom, yang, yin
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Two Takes on Power
In a patriarchy, one way to define power is the ability to control one’s immediate environment. The more powerful an individual is, the more far-reaching is their ability to control events, outcomes, and people. This matters greatly to the masculine … Continue reading →
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Tagged Alice Walker, equality, feminine principle, give up power, inner world, masculine principle, outer world, patriarchy, power, reclaiming balance, yang, yin
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One Piece of Wisdom that Leads to Another
Most of us probably think we know ourselves. I’m Vicki Matthews, author, naturopath, wife, a bit of a feminist, etc. You probably have similar lists. But I doubt that knowing myself as a doctor is what Aristotle had in mind. … Continue reading →
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Tagged Aristotle, Delphi, equality, feminine principle, heart, Know Yourself, masculine principle, patriarchy, reclaiming balance, Socrates, soul, Temple of Apollo, yang, yin
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We Need the Yang of Yin
In the vernacular of doing versus being, the masculine principle is wired for doing and the feminine principle is wired for being. My usual litany in this blog is that our patriarchal culture needs more of the feminine principle; more … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged feminine principle, Joan Baez, masculine principle, Oriental philosophy, patriarchy, reclaiming balance, the yang of yin, yang, yin
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