Masculine and Feminine Imbalances in the Body
Existence on this planet seems to be dominated by dichotomy and extremes: good vs. bad, light vs. dark, pain vs. pleasure. Gender is no exception. The two polarities of masculine and feminine are not just abstract concepts, but actually exist as energy within the physical body.
This is not the same as biological sex, but rather a way of feeling, being, existing.
Many people have misconceptions around these two energies, and I often find imbalance of these energies as manifesting in the physical body. So today I want to do a deep dive into what makes up these two energies, and how we can approach them with more nuanced understanding in order to bring better balance into our own bodies.
Masculinity is complex, rooted in structure and systems. It’s carried by the left side of the body, and can have various blocks or challenges in different regions. In the left shoulder, it’s represented by fire-like emotions such as anger or frustration (or a lack of safe expression of these emotions). In the left pelvis/hip, it shows up as self-confidence, financial security, and intrinsic ability to care for one’s own physical needs. Paternal ancestral or personal trauma can result in tension, dysfunction, pain, or weakness anywhere along the left side of the body.
Feminine energy represents flow, creativity, being able to safely “color outside the lines”. It’s connected more strongly to the element of water, and the processing of “watery” emotions like sadness and grief. I often find creative self-expression blocks through the right pelvis, or grief blocks around the right shoulder. Feminine energy is also the energy that allows us to expand conscious awareness beyond the 3-dimensional physical realm. This is why more healers, mystics and psychics tend to be women.
It’s very important to remember that each and every person has their own unique balance of feminine and masculine energy. True alignment comes from being able to access the skills and wisdom offered by both energies, and the creativity required to apply them in different situations. For example, some situations are best handled with gentle compassion, while others require firm boundary setting.
Over the past several thousand years, masculine energy has dominated society. But nature always finds a way to return to balance, and this season is the collective debut of feminine energy in a really big way. Each of us are being challenged to dive inward and evaluate how we’ve learned to repress our own internal feminine wisdom. For some, this means making more time for creative endeavors. For others, it means slowing down and allowing the body and mind to rest.
Some common patterns of feminine-disconnect in the body looks like:
Hypermobility of the right hip joint (disconnect from creative self, poor sense of identity, lack of relationship boundaries)
Right shoulder tightness resulting in abnormal shoulder mechanics (suppressed emotional expression of hurt, sadness, or grief)
Dysfunctional breathing through the diaphragm, often in a pattern of tension/restriction (hyper-conforming to societal expectations or demands)
Right ankle pain or hypermobility, possibly resulting in frequent ankle sprains (lack of grounding, lacking empowerment)
Right hip pain/tightness or pelvic floor dysfunction (physical or emotional trauma, fear of full expression of self, maternal-relationship trauma)
Some common patterns of masculine-disconnect in the body includes:
Left shoulder tightness (suppressed anger, frustration)
Left shoulder hypermobility (weakened sense of own healthy boundaries, possible history of social manipulation)
Lower ribcage flare with concurrent low back tension (compensatory expression of control, often with underlying fears of lack of control)
Left hip tightness (fear of financial or household instability, paternal-relationship trauma, lacking sense of self)
Left hip hypermobility (paternal-relationship trauma, adaptive reaction to threat of violence, poor relationship to structure or organization)
Every person comes with their own unique history, both personally and ancestrally. While there are certainly patterns, no two individuals will present exactly the same. This is why it is incredibly important to learn how to connect inward with your own body, with the physical sensations that arise when given the opportunity. Traditionally, we’re taught that medical doctors, physical therapists and chiropractors know more about our own bodies than we do. But the body is specifically designed to communicate with the mind, to provide information and wisdom that no outside person will be able to understand in quite the same way. And when a physical ailment has an underlying energetic driver, it’s even more important to learn how to listen to your own body.
