Yin and Yang

Traditional Chinese Medicine is based around the concept of balance. Our bodies and the world around us are viewed as a delicate interplay of the two opposing principles of yin and yang. Yin is defined as cool, moist, passive and feminine, whereas yang is hot, dry, active and masculine. The terms yin and yang literally refer to the dark side of a hill (yin) and the sunny side of a hill (yang). Health is the perfect but dynamic balance of the two. Yet the deeper philosophical mystery is that there is only one -- we just experience it as two. At the core of each is the other and each is in a constant process of becoming the other. This is all demonstrated in the classic symbol of the Tao -- or the way.

Western medicine uses a similar concept called homeostasis. Though there are no specific terms to use in conceptualizing the two extremes of any balance as there is in Chinese medicine -- there are the Latin prefixes hypo and hyper. So a disease condition such as high blood pressure may be described as hypertension. Low blood pressure may be called hypotension. Being too hot is hyperthermia and too cold is hypothermia. Modern western medicine may strive to keep the various measures related to the body within a certain range-- temperature, blood pressure, heart rate or any number of lab values from blood work. Outside of the established range is considered disease.

Traditional Chinese Medicine does the same. One patient may be too yang or another may be too yin in regards to a specific aspect of their physiology. Someone with high blood pressure may be considered too yang whereas certain types of low blood pressure may be related to an excess of yin.

The philosophy of Chinese Medicine takes it a step further. The body is seen as an extension of the environment -- we are interconnected with the whole world and all of existence emerges from this dance between yin and yang. The following video is a beautiful animation that visually expresses this concept of an emergent world made up of the constant interplay of yin and yang . Part meditation, part artistic rendition this short film visually demonstrates the Taoists concept of "The Way." Done in the style of a Chinese watercolor, I found it gentle and pleasing so I share it with you -- enjoy.