Yugas, Duality and Rhonda Byrne
December 29, 2024
8 min read
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{Body}
Effect of yugas on the physical body
In Sanskrit, the word yuga refers to an “epoch” or “age” within a cyclical framework of time. Much like the Western concept of seasons — the Earth endlessly orbiting the sun to create spring, summer, fall, and winter — yugas are cosmic cycles influenced by our planet's proximity to the center of the Milky Way galaxy, approximately 26,500 light-years away.
(Here’s a wonderful YouTube video to help you visualize this.)
For roughly 12,000 years, the Earth moves closer to this “Central Sun,” and for another 12,000 years, it drifts further away. This is similar to how the Earth oscillates near and far from our sun over 365.25 days, or how the moon waxes and wanes over its 27.55-day orbit.
Now here’s where it gets interesting…
Just as Earth's position relative to the sun tangibly affects our bodies — more energy and vitality in summer, lower moods and immunity in winter — the yugas bring profound changes to human consciousness and physicality over their 24,000-year circuit.
For example, Satya Yuga, the “Age of Truth,” is like summer for the soul. Marked by harmony, love, heightened awareness, and optimal vitality, this golden age will occur from 7700 A.D. → 12,500 A.D. During this time, the physical body is said to become lighter, more radiant, and vibrate at a higher frequency, reflecting the elevated consciousness of the age.
In contrast, Kali Yuga (700 B.C. → 1700 A.D.) was marked by dense, material-focused energy — like a spiritual winter. During this age, our bodies became heavier, more prone to disease, and reliant on dense, processed foods for sustenance. This reflected the lower vibrational state and survival-oriented mindset prevalent during that era.
We are now in 325 Dwāpara Yuga — the beginning of spring, so to speak. This is an exciting period in which human consciousness begins blooming after its long hibernation in the cave of ignorance. As we transition into this age, the physical body is gradually becoming lighter, more energized, and more attuned to higher frequencies. Psychic abilities begin to come online at this stage.
Here an image that might help you wrap your mind around this:
{Mind}
What is duality?
At its core, duality refers to the existence of two opposing (or even contradicting) forces that are interconnected and interdependent. Properly understood, it can be seen in all aspects of life, where opposites not only coexist but literally define each other.
Daytime vs. Nighttime — The two periods only make sense in relation to one another. The sun rising means the sun must eventually set.
Long vs. Short — A "long" road gains meaning only in contrast to a "short" road. Moments that feel short are experienced only in contrast to those that feel long.
Destruction vs. Creation — What was created must eventually be destroyed. What was destroyed makes room for a new creation to emerge.
Pleasure vs. Pain — You only appreciate joy because you’ve known misery. You only hate misery because you’ve tasted joy.
Black vs. White — The concept of “black” only makes sense when compared to the concept of “white”. The darkness teaches you about the light, and vice versa.
Self vs. Other — A “you” implies a “me.” A “self” implies an “other”.
Life vs. Death — What is born must eventually die. Ethan here implies Ethan gone.
Ignorance vs. Wisdom — A spiritual awakening naturally brings with it a spiritual slumber. One cannot know themselves indefinitely; eventually there must be a forgetting.
The existence of duality is why the taoists use the yin-yang symbol as their icon ☯️. It’s an elegant representation of how opposites are intertwined. Each side of the symbol contains a small part of the other, symbolizing how no force exists in isolation. Strength cannot exist without weakness, just as heat cannot exist without cold. Order cannot happen without chaos, just as growth cannot happen without decay.
Luckily, duality isn’t the end of the story. By letting go of seeing the world as “either-or,” we learn to embrace both forces as interconnected parts of the same whole. This is what it means to hold two truths simultaneously — to understand that opposites don’t conflict, but enrich one another. This is how one learns to live in gratitude — to exist equanimously, knowing that this, too, shall pass.
{Soul}
Could your life be better? In a sense, sure. After all, you could always have more stability, more freedom, and more pleasure. More of your desires could be fulfilled. More of your pain could disappear.
While technically true, that mindset is guaranteed to make you miserable. In order to be happy and content, you must at some point find gratitude for your present circumstances, right? So why wait? Why not just get it over with and be grateful for things right now? Not everything is broken. Not everything is terrible. Not everyone is out to get you. Rejoice in your average, mediocre life!
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