Traditional Chinese Medicine offers you the gift of health, harmony and fitness...

Better known as Traditional Chinese Medicine and like many traditional therapies, the origins of Chinese medicine are lost in the mist of time. The theories of The Yellow Emperor and Li Shi Zhen from the basis for a lot of the traditional remedies of Chinese medicine today. These gifts of health, harmony, and fitness designed to establish a strong mental, physical, emotional, material, and spiritual foundation are yours for the taking.

• Meridian Therapy
• Acupuncture
• Acupressure
• Moxibustion
• Tui Na (Bone Setting)
• Dit Da

The concept of Yin-Yang is probably the single most important and distinctive theory of Chinese Medicine. It could be said that all Chinese medical physiology, pathology and treatment can, eventually, be reduced to YinYang. The concept Yin-Yang is extremely simple, yet very profound. One can seemingly understand it on a rational level, and yet, continually find new expressions of it in clinical practice and, indeed, in life.

The concept of Yin-Yang, together with that of Qi has permeated Chinese philosophy over the centuries and is radically different to any Western philosophical idea. In general, Western Logic is based upon the opposition of contraries, which is the fundamental premise of Aristotelian logic. According to this Logic, contraries (such as “The table is square” and “The table is not square”) cannot both be true. This has dominated Western thought for over 2,000 years. The Chinese concept of Yin-Yang is radically different to this system of thought: Yin and Yang represent opposite but complimentary qualities. Each thing or phenomenon could be itself and its contrary. Moreover, Yin contains the seed of Yang and vice versa, so that, contrary to Aristotelian logic, “A” can also be “NON-A”.

Historical Development

The earliest reference to Yin and Yang is probably the one in the “Book of Changes” (Yi Jing), dating back to about 700 BC. In this book broken and unbroken lines represent Yin and Yang.

The combination of broken and unbroken lines in pairs forms four pairs of diagrams representing utmost Yin, utmost Yang and two intermediate stages.

The Eight Trigrams

Finally, the various combinations of the Trigrams give rise to the 64 hexagrams. These are supposed to symbolize all possible phenomena of the universe, and it therefore shows how all phenomena ultimately depend on the two poles of Yin and Yang.

The philosophical school that developed the theory of Yin and Yang to its highest degree, is call the Yin-Yang School. Many schools of thought arose during the Warring States period (476-221 BC), and the Yin-Yang school was one of them. It dedicated itself to the study of Yin-Yang and the 5 Elements and its main exponent was Zou Yan (c. 350-270 BC).

This school is sometimes also called the Naturalist School as it set out to interpret Nature in a positive way and to use natural laws to man’s advantage, not through attempting to control and subdue Nature (as in modern Western science), but by acting in harmony with its laws. This school represents a form of what we might call naturalist science today, and the theories of Yin-Yang and the 5 Elements served to interpret natural phenomena, including the human body, in health and disease.

The theories of Yin-Yang and the 5 Elements, systematically elaborated by the Naturalist school, later became the common heritage of subsequent schools of thought, particularly the Neo-Confucianist schools of the Song, Ming and Qing dynasty. These schools combined most of the elements from the previous schools of thought to form a coherent philosophy of Nature, Ethics, Social order and Astrology.

The Nature of the Yin-Yang Concept

Yin Yang as Two Phases of a Cyclical Movement

The earliest origin of Yin-Yang phenomena must have derived from the peasants’ observation of the cyclical alternation of day and night. Thus, Day corresponds to Yang and Night to Yin, and by extension, activity to Yang and Rest to Yin. This led to the first observation of the continuous alternation of every phenomenon between two cyclical poles, one corresponding to Light, Sun, Brightness and Activity (Yang) (, the other corresponding to Darkness, Moon, Shade and Rest (Yin). From this point of view, Yin and Yang are two stages of a cyclical movement, one constantly changing into the other, such as the day giving way to night and vice versa.

Heaven (where the sun is), is therefore Yang and Earth is Yin. The ancient Chinese farmers conceived Heaven as a round vault, and Earth as flat. Hence, round is Yang and Square is Yin. The Heaven, containing the sun, moon, stars on which the Chinese farmers based their calendar therefore corresponds to Time; the Earth, which is parcelled out into fields corresponds to Space.

Because the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, the former is Yang and the latter Yin. If we face South, East will be on the left and West on the right. In Chinese cosmology, the compass directions were established Yang and South. South is therefore like heaven, at the top; North is therefore like Earth, at the bottom… assuming that one faced South. This was also reflected in imperial ceremonials when “The Emperor faced South towards his subjects who faced North… The Emperor thus opened himself to receive the influence of Heaven,

By facing South, the Emperor identifies his left with East and his right with West”. Thus, Left corresponds to Yang and Right to Yin. The “Simple Questions” relates the correspondence Yang-Left and Yin-Right to physiology. It says: “East represents Yang… West represents Yin… in the West and North there is a deficiency of Heaven, hence the right hand and foot are stronger than the left. The characters for “left” and Right” clearly show their relation with Yin and Yang as that for left includes the symbol for work (activity=Yang), and that for right includes a mouth (which eats products of the earth which is Yin).

 

Thus, from this point of view, Yin and Yang are essentially an expression of a duality in time, an alternation of two opposite stages in time.

Every phenomenon in the universe alternates through a cyclical movement of peaks and bases, and the alternation of Yin and Yang is the motive force of its change and development. Day changes into night, summer into winter, growth into decay and vice versa. 

Thus, the development of all phenomena in the universe is the result of the interplay of two opposite stages symbolized by Yin and Yang and every phenomenon contains within itself both aspects in different degrees of manifestation. The Day belongs to Yang but after reaching its peak at midday, the Yin within it gradually begins to unfold and manifest. Thus, each phenomenon may belong to Yang or Yin stage but always contains the seed of the opposite stage within itself. 

The daily cycle clearly illustrates this:

Exactly the same happens with the yearly cycle and we only need to substitute “Spring” for “dawn”, “Summer” for “noon”, “Autumn” for “dusk” and “Winter” for “midnight”
Thus:

Spring = Yang within Yin = growth of Yang

Summer = Yang within Yang = maximum Yang

Autumn = Yin within Yang = growth of Yin

Winter = Yin within Yin = maximum Yin
                

Yin Yang as Two Stages of Transformation

From a different viewpoint, Yin and Yang stand for two stages in the process of change and transformation of all things in the universe. As we have seen above, everything goes through phases of a cycle, and in so doing, its form also changes. For example, the water in lakes and seas heats up during the day and is transformed into vapour.

As the air cools down in the evening, vapour condenses into water again. Form can be more or less dense material. From this point of view, Yang symbolizes the more immaterial rarefied states of matter, whereas Yin symbolizes the more material, dense states of matter. To use the same example, water in its liquid state pertains to Yin, and the vapour resulting from heat pertains to Yang. This duality in the states of condensation of things was often symbolized in ancient China by the duality of “Heaven” and “Earth”.

“Heaven” symbolized all rarefied, immaterial, pure and gas-like states of things, whereas “Earth” symbolized all dense, material coarse and solid states of things. The “Simple Questions” in Chapter 2 says: “Heaven is an accumulation of Yang, Earth is an accumulation of Yin:”.

The important thing to understand is that the two opposite states of condensation or aggregations of things are not interdependent of each other, but they change into each other.

Yin and Yang also symbolize two opposite states of aggregation of things. Lie Zi, a Taoist philosopher (c.300BC) said: “The purer and lighter (elements) tending upwards made the Heaven; the grosser and heavier, tending downwards, made the Earth”.

In its purest and most rarefied form, Yang is totally immaterial and corresponds to pure energy, and Yin, in its coarsest and densest form, is totally material and corresponds to matter. From this viewpoint, energy and matter are but two states of a continuum, with an infinite possible number of states of aggregation. The “Simple Questions” says:” Yin is quiet, Yang is active. Yang gives life, Yin makes it grow… Yang is transformed into Qi, Yin is transformed into material life”.

The relationship and interdependence of Yin-Yang can be represented in the famous symbol. This symbol is called the “Supreme Ultimate” (Tai Ji) and it represents well the interdependences of Yin and Yang. 

The main points of interdependences are: 

a. Although they are opposite stages, Yin-Yang form a unity and are complementary.
b. Yang contains the seed of Yin and vice versa. This is represented by the small black and white spots
c. Nothing is totally Yin or totally Yang.
d. Yang changes into Yin and vice versa.

Four Aspects of Yin Yang Relationships

Yin and Yang are opposite stages either of a cycle or of states of aggregation as explained above. Nothing in the natural world escapes this opposition. It is this very inner contradiction that constitutes the motive force of all the changes, development and decay of things. However, the opposition is relative, not absolute, in so far as nothing is totally Yin or totally Yang. Everything contains the seed of its opposite. Moreover, the opposition of Yin-Yang is relative as the Yin or Yang quality of something is not really intrinsic, but only relative to something else. Thus, strictly speaking, it is wrong to say something is not really intrinsic, but only relative to something else. Thus, strictly speaking, it is wrong to say that something “is Yang” or “is Yin”. Everything only pertains to Yin or Yang in relation to something else. For example, hot pertains to Yang and cold pertains to Yin, so we might say that the climate in Naples is Yang in relation to Stockhold, but it is Yin in relation to that in Algiers. Although everything contains Yin and Yang, these are never present in a static 50/50 proportion, but in a dynamic and constantly changing balance. For example, the human body’s temperature is nearly constant within a very narrow range. This is not the result of a static situation, but of a dynamic balance of many within a very narrow range. This is not the result of a static situation, but of a dynamic balance of many opposing forces.

Yin Yang as Two Phases of a Cyclical Movement

The earliest origin of Yin-Yang phenomena must have derived from the peasants' observation of the cyclical alternation of day and night. Thus, Day corresponds to Yang and Night to Yin. and, by extension. Activity to Yang and Rest to Yin. This led to the first observation of the continuous alternation of every phenomenon between two cyclical poles, one corresponding to Light, Sun. Brightness and Activity (Yang), the other corresponding to Darkness, Moon, Shade and Rest (Yin). From this point of view. Yin and Yang are two stages of a cyclical movement, one constantly changing into the other, such as the day giving way to night and vice versa. 

Heaven (where the sun is), is therefore Yang and Earth is Yin. The ancient Chinese farmers conceived Heaven as a round vault, and the Earth as flat. Hence. Round is Yang and Square is Yin. The Heaven, containing the sun, moon and stars on which the Chinese farmers based their calendar therefore corresponds to Time; the Earth, which is parcelled out into fields corresponds to Space. 

Because the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, the former is Yang and the latter Yin. If we face South, East will be on the Left and West on the right. In Chinese cosmology, the compass directions were established assuming that one faced South. This was also reflected in imperial ceremonials when "The Emperor faced South towards his subjects who faced North. . . The Emperor thus opened himself to receive the influence of Heaven, Yang and South. South is therefore like heaven, at the top; North is therefore like Earth, at the bottom... By facing South, the Emperor identifies his left with East and his right with West". Thus. Left corresponds to Yang and Right to Yin. The "Simple Questions" relates the correspondence Yang-Left and Yin-Right to physiology. It says: "East represents Yang... West represents Yin. . . in the West and North there is a deficiency of Heaven, hence the left ear and eye hear and see better than the right; in the East and South there is a deficiency of Earth, hence the right hand and foot are stronger than the left." The characters for "left" and "right" clearly show their relation with Yin and Yang as that for left includes the symbol for work (activity = Yang), and that for right includes a mouth (which eats products of the Earth which is Yin).  

From “THE FOUNDATIONS OF CHINESE MEDICINE" By Giovanni Maciocia