Feminine and Masculine Energy: A Reflection on Balance

(International Women’s Day)

On this International Women’s Day, I found myself reflecting on something that is often misunderstood: feminine and masculine energy.

Some people may feel sensitive about this topic. Others may think that speaking about these energies is somehow sexist. But this is not about men versus women. It is about understanding the natural forces that live within all of us.

We all carry both masculine and feminine energy.

Masculine energy is often associated with what ancient traditions call yang: the energy that moves forward, takes initiative, directs, protects, structures, and holds space.

Feminine energy is connected to yin: the energy that receives, nurtures, allows, creates, senses, and brings life into form.

Neither is superior to the other.

In fact, they depend on each other.

There is no masculine without the feminine.
There is no feminine without the masculine.

When these energies are balanced within us, we thrive. We become capable of acting with clarity while remaining connected to intuition, compassion, and creativity.

But in many ways, our modern world has become heavily oriented toward masculine energy.

For the past forty years, I was raised with the idea of equality between men and women — and I deeply believe in that principle. Equality in opportunities, equality in respect, equality in salaries, equality in social conditions and at home.

However, equality does not mean that we must all express ourselves in the same way.

In many professional environments, women have felt the need to adopt strongly masculine behaviors in order to be taken seriously: competitiveness, confrontation, emotional suppression, constant productivity.

In some cases, even dressing and presenting themselves in ways that minimize their femininity.

But I sometimes wonder: how many women feel exhausted from this constant adaptation?

And what about men?

From a young age, many boys are discouraged from expressing their emotions. They are taught to suppress vulnerability, sadness, or fear. Over time, this repression can lead to inner conflict, frustration, and emotional isolation.

Both men and women suffer when we are disconnected from the fullness of our emotional and energetic nature.

We are not purely masculine.
We are not purely feminine.

We are both.

Another reflection arises when we consider our rhythms.

Men naturally function in a daily cycle. Women move through a roughly twenty-eight-day biological cycle. Yet society often expects everyone to operate at the same speed, the same rhythm, the same constant level of output.

Many women return to work only a few months after giving birth. In some cases, babies are placed in daycare at four months old because families fear losing financial stability or professional opportunities.

I remember how difficult it was for me to leave my first daughter at daycare. I was fortunate — she was eleven months old — but even then, the separation was emotionally intense.

If we consider that the first years of life are fundamental for emotional development, we can begin to see how important early bonding, presence, and care are for both the child and the mother.

Children need touch.
They need love.
They need patience.
They need to feel safe, respected, and supported in their natural rhythm.

It is during these early years that they develop emotional intelligence and inner security.

When we look at the world today, it is not surprising that many people feel disconnected from themselves and from each other.

Perhaps what we are witnessing is the consequence of a long imbalance.

What if we began to teach our children something different?

What if we encouraged them to trust their intuition?

What if we taught them to honor both their strength and their sensitivity?

What if we allowed them to express emotions without shame and to listen to the wisdom of their bodies?

The body never lies.

If future generations learned to balance their inner masculine and feminine energies, perhaps we could create a different world.

A world where action and intuition coexist.

Where the mind and the heart work together.

Where giving and receiving happen naturally.

Where people speak their truth and listen deeply to one another.

Where peace does not begin in politics or institutions, but within each human being.

True balance begins inside us.

And perhaps the future of our world depends on rediscovering that balance — within every woman, every man, and every child.