Balancing Concepts of the Yoruba Culture

For me, having both negative and positive energy in the body is certainly not a hard concept to digest. The Yoruba reading is an enlightening read that gave me a much needed introduction on the fundamentals of our bodies. I like the fact that the Yoruba culture invests a heavy interest in viewing their bodies as the physical development and manifestation of oneself. The concept of balance is also a prevalent outlook in the Yoruba culture. I find the good the evil balance very interesting and true within our bodies. I like the fact that a dancer, no matter how energetic he or she may be, should maintain some stability (balance) in some way, shape or form. However, I personally find it possible, but difficult to require the body to have symmetrical balance despite the arduous movements the body may be performing. There were many interesting notions presented in this reading, but the notion that grasped my attention the most is the belief that body language and body signs are more communicative than verbal signs because the link between sign and signifier is not subjective. I find much validity behind this statement, which makes a lot of this article valuable overall.


Kereem Morgan - 163