Articles
Understanding the basics of Yin
and Yang
by Yun Wang
Chinese Medicine has been practiced for several
thousand years.Yin and yang balance theory is one of the most basic and
important underlying theories of Chinese Medicine.
Any object has two
aspects universally, one aspect being yin and the other yang. Yin and yang are
opposite aspects of any object. Characteristics such as quiet and active, water
and fire, cold and hot, interior and exterior, night and day, earth and heaven,
up and down, blood and qi, woman and man and so on demonstrate the yin/yang
relationship. In the above examples, the former characteristics belong to yin
and the later belong to yang. In this way, anything can be classified into yin
and yang. Objects that belong to yin have characteristics such as cool, calm,
slow, heavy, controlled and so forth. Objects belong to yang that manifest
characteristics such as warm, active, fast, light, excited and so on. Each
object has two opposite aspects that depend on each other. For example, there is
no up without down; there is no day where there is no night. One cannot exist
independently of the other. The two aspects have to stay together oppositely and
mutually.
Yin and yang can be divided into numerous parts and each part
contains two aspects which are yin and yang. That means yin and yang inside
another yin and yang. A man's body belongs to yang while a woman's belongs to
yin. On any human body, the upper part is yang and the lower part yin, the back
is yang and front is yin, the exterior is yang and the interior is yin, the
hollow organs are yang and the solid organs are yin, and so on. Although
anything which has two aspects can be divided into yin and yang, yin and yang
are dynamic and, therefore, not rigidly mutually opposite.
Yin and yang
form a unit and in so doing each occupies one half inside of the unit, thereby
creating a balanced condition. This balance may be broken by either party if it
becomes more or less of its own 50%. Yin and yang stay in a normal ratio in a
human body that is healthy. Disease may happen whenever this normal ratio is
broken. Chinese herbs, acupuncture and qigong are three excellent ways to keep
yin and yang in balance, thereby keeping the body in good health.
Yun Wang has practiced acupuncture for twenty four years. His
specialty, as a medical doctor in China ,was infectious diseases. He also
teaches at Seattle Institute Of Oriental Medicine. He can be reached at (206)
367-9180.
Surrendering To Summer by Myrna
Lewis
Summertime! Summertime! Sun...Sun...Summertime! Without a doubt, at least
in the Pacific Northwest, these are two of the sweetest words in the English
language.
The warm glow of full yang energy of fire in the
summer encourages all life forms to flourish. Humans can best achieve growth
during this season by following some simple guidelines. It is important to not
go to bed too early but to get up early. It is better to eat less food. The
focus should be on foods that have a bitter taste rather than the more acid
tasting foods. It would also be a good practice to enjoy natural coolness such
as lying under a tree or sitting by the water.
Fire energy is related to
the heart as well as the Shen(Spirit). The heart, being the seat of all human
emotions is associated with love, compassion, joy,openess and generosity. If
fire energy is blocked, the result can be high blood pressure, heart problems or
nervous disorders. Fire pathology also shows as being too open hearted, a poor
sense and enforcement of boundaries in interpersonal relationships and the
inability to be spontaneous or give emotionally.
Before we totally
surrender to the soft, warm air and sweet smells of summer, Dr. Sun redommends
the following adjustments to our qigong practice for bringing greater enjoyment
to this season: ' According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the heart energy
field, which is sensitive to the hot summer, defines fire. So, with the coming
of the summer season, the heart energy field becomes more activated than during
any other season. Physiologically, the heart regulates the circulation and
distribution of blood, thereby affecting the metabolic rate. Because the heart
energy field becomes very active, the heart's paired yang organ, the small
intestine, may become weaker. Therefore, we need to cultivate the abdominal
energy more in order to enhance the small intestine's energy field and to bring
heart-fire energy down to the kidney area to harmonize the qi and blood. In
addition, according to traditional Chinese culture, the heart houses the spirit
and controls the emotions, particularly the emotions of joy and worry. Worry and
joy can affect the heart. Excessive worry results in extreme exhaustion,
insomnia, loss of appetite, dizziness and others. In order to promote better
health during this season, we need to train the mind to reduce worry as much as
possible. In contrast to worry, joy is happiness and can balance the yin and
yang. Joy can help us to harmonize the qi flow and promote the circulation of
blood. It is of course advisable to try to practice joyfulness but at the same
time it is important not to be excessive in this area either. This balancing and
harmonizing of emotions is part of Yi Ren Qigong practice.'
Despite the
admonishments of striving for balance, I can't help but wish, since our summer
season is so short, that it be totally illegal to do anything but kick back and
mellow out. NO WORK ALLOWED, only schmoozing, snoozing and smooching under a
big, old, shady tree. Ah, what sweet surrender!
recommends order to
promote better health try to practice joyfulness but, at the same time, just fun
in the sun, letting our spirits soar. aboovetion to strive fire of a tree or
sitting by the water.
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