Intro

Within the month of August, there are a several national observance days that relate to women. It seemed fitting for us at Safe Harbor IM to focus on highlighting women for our August theme! This week, we want to share ways to appreciate women- of every kind. One way to connect to your womanhood is by embracing your femininity.

Femininity is an amazing, complex concept. It can take years for some women to figure out what connects them to their feminine side. You may not know that cultures are categorized as either feminine or masculine, based on their values. Sometimes it feels like our society undermines femininity, and values masculinity more. This can lead us to abandon our feminine energy at times. Reconnecting to it can be empowering. 

Differences between feminine and masculine energy

Photo by Alexon Unsplash

We all know there are stereotypes of men and women. However, stereotypes aside, there is a difference between masculine energy and feminine energy. Believe it or not, both sexes have both energies! You may have heard someone say, “this will connect you to your masculine/feminine side.” Yes, every human being has a masculine and a feminine side, and both can be tapped into. The energy you exert is based on your actions or the activities you do. Masculine energy is usually expressed when you are actively working towards something. On the other side, feminine energy is expressed when you tap into your creativity and emotions. 

Why gender specific stereotypes are limiting

As I mentioned, there are stereotypes for traits that are considered “masuline,” and “feminine.” Assertiveness, aggression, and confidence are usually thought of as masculine traits. Women are generally expected to have traits more along the lines of nurturing, maternal, and responsible. Stereotypes are often harmful, and limiting. While these stereotypes can have some truth to them, there is no saying that the opposite sex can’t, or shouldn’t, embody the other gender’s stereotypical traits. 

Embracing your femininity can be challenging. It’s not news that women have been oppressed in history. Although we have many more opportunities today, it sometimes feels like our society values men more. When you’re trying to make it in a society that does value masculine traits, like working hard, it can be hard to embrace your feminine side. 

Why embracing your femininity can be challenging

Women have a tendency to be more emotional than men, or care more about talking about feelings. Our society often shames women for being “babies” or “too emotional.” In reality, there is a difference between the brains of men and women.  According to Psychology Today, research has found that women “tend to have verbal centers on both sides of the brain, while men tend to have verbal centers on only the left hemisphere.” This difference explains this feminine quality of having more interest in emotions!

The shame our society puts on vulnerability makes many women feel belittled. I’ve often felt embarrassed of my tendency to feel things deeply, and wished I wasn’t so sensitive. As I get older, I learn more and more to love my sensitivity, which comes from my femininity. Our feminine energy is beautiful. It makes great artists, mothers, friends, and therapists. Which is not to say that men can’t be in these roles- as I said, both men and women have feminine and masculine energy. Let’s appreciate our feminine energy, and let it shine. 

Embracing femininity

Photo by Arièle Bonteon       Unsplash

Not only is embracing your femininity important, it’s fun! Feminine energy is soft, and gentle. This energy is cooling while on the other hand, masculine energy is heating. Here are some great ways to express your femininity.

• Write! Embrace your emotional side and get everything out of your head and onto paper. This can feel so liberating.
• Make art. Getting creative majorly taps into your feminine side. Paint, draw, craft, collage, etc. There are so many ways to be creative.
• Sing! There’s few things that feel as good as singing like nobody is listening. 
• Dance. Moving your body in ways it wants to is a beautiful way to connect with yourself.
• Yoga. This is another good way of moving your body gently! As a result, you’ll release feminine energy! I recommend looking into a full moon cycle class, which is the feminine side of the practice. Vinyasa yoga tends to be masculine, or heating.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it’s incredibly important for us women to be proud of who we are. You can do that by embracing your femininity. We want to celebrate women this month at Safe Harbor IM. We will be sharing many articles on inspiring women, and tips for appreciating the women in your life. 

Hopefully our August content inspires our Safe Harbor community to hold our women high. Check out our Instagram page for our weekly #WomanUp posts, to continue to be inspired!

“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness on her tongue.” Proverbs 31:26

Written by Grace Haass, blogger at Safe Harbor International Ministries. For more articles, visit our blog page at https://safeharborim.com/articles/.