Oriental Philosophy of Yin and Yang

Ancient Oriental philosophers used the concept of "yin and yang" in order to perceive all natural phenomena and express their properties. This main idea has carried over into the Oriental philosophy of modern society. Yin originally meant the shady side of a hill. It represents darkness and passivity, and is associated with the qualities of yielding, softness and contraction. It moves downward and inward, and its primary symbols are women, water and earth. Yang, on the other hand, means the sunny side of the hill. It represents brightness and activity, and is associated with resistance, hardness and expansion. It naturally moves upward and outward, and is symbolized by men, fire and heaven. Oriental philosophy says that when water (yin) absorbs a large amount of heat (yang), it transmutes into vapor (yang) and rises upward.

The principles of yin and yang manifest themselves in every conceivable contrast, both large and small, and apply to all beings. Women are considered yin because of their tolerance and softness, while men are considered yang because of their strong and progressive spirit. But women with a high degree of yang "chi (life force)" are more likely to look on the bright side of problems and deal with them very positively. Men full of yin chi are relatively tolerant, open-minded and are more likely to listen attentively to others. It is generally said that a woman full of yang energy and a man with a high degree of yin energy make a harmonious couple, well suited for marriage. On the contrary, if both have the same level of yang energy, they will have frequent arguments and fight often.

Yin and yang energy can be balanced and regulated through several efficient treatments, including acupuncture, taking herbs, moxibustion (burning dried mugwort close to the skin) and meditation. Meditation enhances the chi flowing through the body by calming the mind. Thus the energized chi can restore and revitalize all organs of the body. Meditation helps not only calm the mind, but keeps the energies flowing through the body, such as yin and yang, in equilibrium. What is more, it is known to be a "miracle cure" for diseases. Excessive yang energy can abruptly cause a mild-mannered person to become oversensitive and irritated, and keep him or her from sleeping well at night. On the other hand, too much yin energy causes insomnia and manic psychosis and consequently results in fatigue. The center of yang energy is located just below the navel, whereas the center of yin energy is between the eyebrows. The smooth interchange of the two energies is very important in maintaining good health. Mental stress and health problems can greatly affect the natural movement of yin and yang energies. And this can easily lead to mysterious headaches, fatigue and a weakened immune system as well depression.

Meditation, acupuncture and moxibustion are all regarded as very powerful treatments to harmonize the energy of yin and yang and clear up the symptoms caused by the imbalance.

By Jaseng Center for Alternative Medicine.

Jaseng Center for Alternative Medicine is one of the largest integrative medical facility with 10 medical practitioners and it is a branch medical office of Jaseng Hospital of Oriental Medicine, which is the largest oriental medical hospital specializing in non surgical treatment of spine and joint condition. Please visit our website for more info at www.jasengusa.com or www.jaseng.net