TCM Basics 101: Yin Yang and What Can You Do for Yourself by Knowing about Them?
Now TCM is a universal medicine where it sees the body as part of nature and applies nature’s law onto the body to understand how it functions. So to understand your very own body, you should understand the big LAWS of nature.
One of it being Yin Yang. The symbol where many people would have thought that it is linked to superstition and folklore beliefs that it can be used to bi xie (辟邪)，aka ward off evil spirits.
But NO, it is not for that function. It is just a depiction of how the world works, how your body works, how everything works.
1. Dual existence, 50/50 is the balanced state
Yin and Yang always exist in one subject matter. Yin is the silent, quiet, stay-at-home side, Yang is the active, louder, party side. When you have an equal level of Yin and Yang existing in you, you are BALANCED aka HEALTHY. If not, you are IMBALANCED, aka UNHEALTHY.
What can you do knowing this? Well, if you are too hyperactive in your lifestyle, it means you are too Yang in energy. And when I say hyperactive, means you are overworked, anxious, running around and talking and expending your energy FOR others. So do more Yin stuffs to balance out, like meditation, quiet walks, staying grounded.
If you are too underactive, like sitting at your desk all day, cooping yourself up all the time, having a sedentary lifestyle, then you are too Yin in energy. So do more Yang stuffs, like active exercise, interact with more people, go out and have fun.
2. Interchangeable, too much of an extreme will switch things to the other polarity
Too much of Yin or Yang will force the polarities to change.
In layman terms means too much of an extreme will push the body to take on a totally opposite state for self preservation. One example is chronic fatigue syndrome. When one is overworked to the breaking point (extreme Yang), the body will then start to go into a shut down mode (Yin mode), that’s where one will feel tired all the time, afraid of cold and all kinds of weaknesses will show up.
Solution: balance yourself at point 1 and don’t let yourself reach the stage of point 2.
Further reading:
Everything you need to know about Acupuncture
Men’s Health Series: Which is the Better Way to Treat Prostatitis - TCM or Western Medicine?
How do Acupuncture and Acupressure work and which is the Better One
Everything you need to know about Dampness
It is not normal to have cysts and fibroids
Why Everything Cold is Discouraged during Menstruation
Men’s Health: Low libido equals low testosterone?
