Understanding Yin and Yang
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based on the dialectical observation of two dynamic, interrelated and complementary forces: Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang form the basis for understanding the relationships between everything that exists. Of course, we all know the famous symbol Taijitu depicting a half black and half white circle which represents the ability for opposite forces to exist in harmony with each other. Yet, a deeper look at their relationship reveals a much more complex ideology from which Traditional Chinese Medicine is born.
Yin and Yang embody a duality in that they are two constantly interacting forces that together create a whole. Nature, and life itself, relies on this balance to exist. Though by no means an exhaustive list, Yin is associated with earth, femininity, night, cold, calm, and quiet while Yang is representative of heaven, masculinity, daytime, heat, stimulation and energy.
The complexity of Yin and Yang is revealed in their four major aspects. These aspects state that Yin and Yang simultaneously are opposite, interdependent, mutually consuming and inter-transforming.
Opposition of Yin and Yang
This one is fairly self-explanatory and lends itself well to a common understanding of the two principles. Yin and Yang are opposite each other: Yin represents moisture while Yang represents dryness, Yin symbolizes darkness while Yang symbolizes light. That being said, they can only be understood in relationship to each other. In other words, they symbolize opposite extremes of the same phenomena. Everything in our universe embodies two opposite aspects that continually interact and restrict each other.
Interdependence of Yin and Yang
Although Yin and Yang are opposite they are also interdependent: Yin and Yang each are the condition for the other's respective existence, and neither one cannot exist without the other. Since they rely on each other, all physiological processes are a result of the oppositions and interdependence of Yin and Yang. We live in the sweet spot where they balance and support each other - healthy bodies have this energy collaborating in itself to create a perfect equilibrium.
Mutual Consumption of Yin and Yang
Taking this a relationship a step further, Yin and Yang are in a nonstop state of active balance which is maintained by a constant adjustment of their relative levels. Apart from the normal state of balance between Yin and Yang, there are four other possible states where they are imbalanced. These are: Excess Yin, Excess Yang, Deficient Yin, and Deficient Yang. In these instances, Yin and Yang are out of balance and one is weakening, or consuming, the other. These are patterns that form the basis of pathology for TCM diagnosis.
Intertransformation of Yin and Yang
Finally, Yin and Yang transform into each other. This continuous transformation is the spark of all change. This is illustrated by the changing of seasons: spring and summer are both Yang seasons, with summer being the most Yang, while fall and winter are Yin seasons, with winter being the most Yin. Yang rises in the year going from warm in the spring to hot in the summer, then gradually descends as Yin ascends as it gets cooler in the fall, finally becoming fully Yin in the very cold winter. In essence, when one is too extreme, it will transform quickly into the other. Clinically, we can see this when a patient come in sweating with a high fever (Yang excess pattern), the patient might be at risk of suddenly going into shock (extreme Yin condition). They cannot exist in extreme relation to the other without transformation occurring, be that gradual - as with the seasons - or radical - when going into shock.
Yin and Yang provide a framework for understanding nature at both a micro and macro level. On a more philosophical level, this theory shows us that at a larger scale, everything is always balancing and changing to create a perfect state of harmony, and despite constant movement and fluctuation we are always living in that harmony. For TCM, this helps practitioners understand health and diagnose illnesses, as well as provide treatments.
