2024June 24,

Life in Chinese Medicine Episode 102: The Balance of Yin and Yang

It is believed that everything on earth has "yin" and "yang", and it is also used for the condition of the human body, treatment, or health care.

For example, if you think about the seasons, from spring to summer, it goes towards "yang", but from summer to winter, it goes to "yin".
People can also be divided into "yin and yang". The stomach is "yin" and the back is "yang".
The stomach is "yin" because it is a shadow, and the back is "yang" because it is exposed to the sun's rays. In this way, "yin and yang" maintain good balance and coexist to maintain health.

If there is no yin, there is no yang.
The "yin and yang" of the yin-yang theory are always getting stronger or weaker.
For example, when "yin" becomes stronger, "yang" suppresses "yin", and conversely, when "yang" becomes stronger, "yin" suppresses "yang" to maintain balance.
Yin has the idea of stillness, and there are images of cold, dark, and cold, and yang has the idea of movement, and there are images of hot, bright, and warm.
"Yang" is not good and "Yin" is not bad, and "Yin and Yang" are in conflict with each other and cannot be separated.
Therefore, if there is no "yin", there is no "yang".

In humans, men are "yang" and women are "yin"
Let's take a closer look at "yin" and "yang".
For example, if you think about it in a day, you will be active because it will be "yang" while the sun is out, and if you think about it in a day, you will be "yin" when the sun goes down and it gets dark, so you can rest your body in preparation for sleep.
If you sleep until noon or stay up late at night, your body will feel sluggish and unwell.
This condition is thought to be due to an imbalance between "yin and yang".
Healthy people have a good balance of "yin and yang" and can maintain a state that is less likely to get sick.
On the other hand, people who get sick think that the balance of "yin and yang" is out of balance, and they are more likely to get sick.

Also, if you think about it in terms of men and women, men are "yang" and women are "yin".
Without men and women, new life cannot be created.
In this way, "yin and yang" are important elements for human beings to live.

In summer, you should be active, and in winter, you should refrain from acting.
The "seasons" in the Yin-Yang theory can also be used to determine the state of the body and be applied to treatment and health preservation. From spring to summer, we think that we should act actively because the energy of "yang" is active, and from autumn to winter, we should refrain from acting because of the energy of "yin".
For example, Chinese medicine has the idea that spending time in summer can lead to winter illness.
This is called "winter disease and summer cure". The idea is that if you eat too much cold ice cream or stay in the cooler room for a long time just because it's hot in the summer, your body will cool down and you will be more likely to get sick in winter.
During the summer, it is important to move actively in order to take in the energy of "yang" in your body.
On the other hand, winter is the season when people refrain from activities just like plants and animals, as there is less yang energy.
In winter, it is better to refrain from excessive dieting or starting new things so as not to release the energy necessary for human life.

However, in Chinese medicine, it is believed that balance is important.
If you move too much when "yang" is in full swing, it is easy to damage "yin", and if you refrain from acting when "yin" is active, it is easy to damage "yang".
In Chinese medicine, there is a word called "Doctrine of the Mean", and there is an idea that it should be done in moderation without excess or deficiency.
It is important to keep everything just right for the person.