I Yin, You Yang: Interpreting Relationships the Chinese Way

A Little Story About Yin and Yang

The Way gave birth to the One;

The One gave birth to the Two;

The Two gave birth to the Three;

And the Three gave birth to the ten thousand things.

The ten thousand things

carry Yin on their backs

and wrap their arms around Yang.

Through the blending of the breath

they arrive at a state of harmony.

TAO TE CHING

Once upon a time. Once upon a time in ancient China there was a hill. There was a hill and the sun was shining onto it. One side of the hill was facing the sun. The other side was facing away from it. One side of the hill was enjoying light and warmth, the other side darkness and a cool atmosphere. The ancient Chinese were very astute in their observations and they noticed that life on the sunny side of the hill developed differently from that on the shady side, and therefore each side of the hill had its own qualities. That plants growing in the sun were different to those growing in the shade. And that it had an effect on the disposition of people whether they settled on the sunny or shady side of the hill. This roused the interest of the ancient Chinese. It appeared there was a connection between light and how people lived. Between warmth and way of life. Between cold and darkness and way of life.

This potential connection was fascinating, especially since figuring out life was a favourite hobby of the ancient Chinese. So they crossed their legs and sat down in the lotus position, contemplated their impressions, observed a little bit more, waited, analysed, took a break now and then to stretch their legs, and did some more reflecting. Days turned into nights and nights into days. The seasons came and went. And then, suddenly, there was a loud ‘bang’. The wise men retreated and behind closed doors they entered all the results into their computer – and out came the concept of Yin and Yang: a comprehensive theory aiming to explain the connections between, and processes of, nature and life. This theory was based on the idea that the universe is subject to constant change. This change, however, is not dependent on a creator or some specific cause. It is the result of an inner dynamic that occurs according to certain patterns.

This inner dynamic is determined by fundamental forces; fundamental forces such as day and night, summer and winter, warmth and cold, rain and dryness. These fundamental forces behave in a particular way not because they depend on external impulses or influences but because their position in the universe endowed them with particular traits which determine their behaviour. Based on their analyses, the ancient Chinese were able to demonstrate that the fundamental forces showed certain analogies. That night, being dark, cold and still, had an affinity with winter. That day, being light, was more like summer. The sun also seemed to fit to the coupled pair of day and summer – just like dryness and warmth. Since most people tend to be more active when it is light and pleasantly warm, activity was added to the list already containing day, summer, warmth, dryness and sun. Activity entails movement. A further study brought new insights: during day and summer energetic movement is more from the inside toward the outside. During the warm season, plants are striving from the earth towards heaven. The sap of the trees is drawn from the roots towards the periphery, where it nourishes leaves, flowers and fruits. On a warm summer’s day we humans find it easier to leave our houses than in deepest winter. The list, which had started with day and summer, was extended to include outward movement and orientation.

The Chinese further discovered that the fundamental forces dominating everyday life and natural rhythms could be reduced to two opposing, but mutually connected categories. One category tends towards sun and light, the other towards darkness and shade. The next step was to determine which of the two categories the phenomena of this world had an affinity with. No matter what – fire or water, chaos or order, love or hatred, flexible or rigid, man or woman, birth or death, rich or poor – everything found its place on one of two big lists. One list was white like the light, the other dark like the night. As homage to the hill, which had triggered all these profound thought processes the lists were headed ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’ respectively. The Chinese character for Yin contains a hill in shade or under clouds. The Chinese character for Yang comprises diagonal rays of the sun or a flag fluttering in the wind.

But please don’t believe for one minute that compiling these lists was simply an act of mental masturbation. The observations made by the ancient Chinese had to stand the test of practical application. Here’s an example. The human head is on the list containing day, summer and warmth because it is the most active part of the human body. The eyes and the brain never rest and move faster than the heart, the lungs or the legs, which, in comparison, are quite sluggish, regardless how many miles they have just carried us. The legs were therefore added to the list with night, darkness and cold. In comparison to the legs the head is Yang. In comparison to the head the legs are Yin. The head, therefore, tends toward Yang symptoms while the feet tend toward Yin symptoms. The ancient Chinese certainly were right with this. How many people do you know who suffer from cold feet and a hot head? Exactly! And, of course, there is always the exception to prove the rule. However, life is too complex than to try comprehending it according to rigid laws. And even warm feet can be explained by means of the Yin/Yang principle. People with a greater affinity towards day, summer, warmth and activity will suffer from cold feet less frequently than someone dominated by the qualities of night, darkness and cold.

Thanks to the theory of Yin and Yang the ancient Chinese were able to establish the requirements of the human organism for a balanced existence. For example: in Traditional Chinese Medicine digestive problems can be caused by heat as well as by cold. While modern medicine tends to look at symptoms in a ‘one size fits all’ kind of way, Traditional Chinese Medicine always tries to look at a symptom in conjunction with a person’s individual idionsyncrasies. Thus some people will find their symptoms relieved by warmth and movement, while others need rest and cooling foods.

For millennia, Traditional Chinese Medicine has managed to support the health of the general populace with this simple approach and without having to resort to in-depth technical know-how and complicated apparatus. This view is also expressed in an ancient Chinese proverb ‘Looking after your health when you are already ill is like digging a well when you are already thirsty.’ In ancient China it was the physician’s task to support health rather than to cure illness. In some cases physicians were paid only as long as patients stayed healthy, since illness was a sign that the physicians had failed in their job. There was remuneration for health – but not for illness.

As basic as the concept of Yin and Yang may appear, its enormous empirical wisdom is proven by its efficacy and practical applicability. As long as Yin and Yang are in balance the human body is able to regenerate and is strong enough to ward off illness. However, once the balance tilts to one side or the other, weak points and areas open to attack start appearing. Let’s assume you are standing on the sunny side of the hill. You are active, fiery, and enjoy moving about. You are Yang. As long as you make sure you are getting enough sleep, rest and holidays you won’t have any problems with all your activities. Only if Yang becomes too dominant in your life will your body’s inherent harmony start ailing. In that case you will begin to become more and more active. Working late into the night. Foregoing the weekend. Holidays? Well, yes, that’s this weird place from where your colleagues are sending you postcards. Your body is screaming for a break but coffee, cigarettes and your strong will are driving you on. This hyperactivity starts giving you headaches. Next are palpitations and sleepless nights. You have forgotten about the Yin in your life. Your body and your spirit resemble a dried-out desert where it is all about survival. With all that stress you eventually lose the ground beneath your feet, stumble about and are caught by the gentle hands of a burn-out syndrome. The body is reclaiming its Yin phase. Had you gone to a Chinese medicine practitioner or a Shiatsu therapist, they would have tried to re-establish the balance of your system. They would have addressed the Yin areas of your body with needles or their hands, recommended foods with a Yin tendency and would have taught you calming body exercises as homework.

This example demonstrates that the Yin/Yang principle is not some exotic and incomprehensible philosophy. The Yin/Yang principle describes life processes that occur in Asia in exactly the same way as in Europe or America. If you don’t sleep enough you’ll get tired. Period. End of. If you are cold, warm yourself up. These are not oriental adages. This is life. The system of Yin and Yang is...