Yin & Yang By Logan Edwards

What is it? The yin-yang is associated mainly with the Taoist religion -Nature: the dark and light side of the mountain A starting definition: The nature of change, balanced as two halves of a whole. Yin= shady side Yang= sunny side The two halves together = complete wholness

Taoist Religion The importance of the yin yang is illustrated in the Tao Te Ching When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created. When people see things as good, evil is created. Being and non-being produce each other. Difficult and easy complement each other. Long and short define each other. High and low oppose each other. Fore and aft follow each other.

Basic Understanding Neither Yin nor Yang are absolute. Neither yin or yang exist without the other Without the existence of the other, completeness would not be and it wouldn’t follow yin-yang

Basic Understanding Yin Yang is not static. If yin changes then yang changes with it to accommodate Example: As the earth spins, the length of day and night varies. If the days grow longer, the nights grow shorter The summation of Yin and Yang form a whole. As one aspect increases, the other decreases

Basic Understanding The balance of Yin Yang can be skewed due to outside influences. Excesses of one causes deficiencies in the other This becomes particularly important in Chinese healing practices An excess of yang results in a fever An excess of yin results in fluids in the body

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Basic Understanding Yin Yang can be subdivided into additional Yin and Yang aspects. Yin Yang can be broken down farther than one level Hot vs. Cold : warm & cool, burning & freezing

Basic Understanding Additional principles defining Yin and Yang qualities exist. Taoist text do not go in great detail with the yin yang because yin yang is everywhere Taoist live naturally through the yin yang concept

Uses of Yin Yang in Everyday Life Yin Yang & Food Chinese Medicine Taoism and Confucianism Chinese philosophy Chinese science Meditation Anything involving Chi/Qi movement, circulation, and transformation Martial arts Feng Shui In prayer As a balancing amulet

Yin Yang in Chinese Medicine All physiological processes, signs and symptoms can be reduced to Yin-Yang. -In general, every treatment modality aims to: Tonify (increase the availability of energy) yang or yin Disperse (distribute over the body excess) yang or yin

Yin Yang as Seen in the Body

Front and Back “Front is more soft and vulnerable (Yin). Back contains spine that holds ribs: protection (Yang). When human depicted as crouching, back receives sun (Yang) and front faces the earth (Yin), is in shade and is protected.”

Interior and Exterior “The exterior of the body such as the skin and muscles is more Yang. The exterior protects body from attack by external pathogenic influences such as Cold (yin), Wind, etc. The classics state: "Yang is on the outside and protects Yin".”

Yin Yang Pathology “Clinical signs and symptoms can be interpreted via Yin-Yang theory. When Yin Yang are in dynamic balance and relating harmoniously, there are no symptoms to observe. When Yin and Yang are out of balance, they become separated.”

Balancing Act… Need to balance each other out Too much or too little of one or the other can cause sicknesses

Modern Day

Citations http://personaltao.com/teachings/questions/what-is-yin-yang/ http://viewofreality.com/forum/index.php/Thread/721-Yin-Yang-Symbol-Origins-Meaning-and-Uses/ http://www.sacredlotus.com/go/foundations-chinese-medicine/get/yin-yang#medicine http://www.tcmireland.ie/tcm-treatment.html