What is Yin-Yang balance?
The term ‘Yin-Yang balance’ may lead many to think of it as a static and fixed state; however, this is not the case. The interplay and interdependence of Yin and Yang in the human body are not in a state of stillness and immutability, but rather in a dynamic process of ‘Yin diminishing and Yang increasing’ and ‘Yang diminishing and Yin increasing’.
Yin-Yang balance in humans refers to the internal organs!
The five Yin organs are the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys; if any of these organs are deficient or overactive, it can lead to illness.
The six Yang organs are the stomach, gallbladder, bladder, large intestine, small intestine, and san jiao (triple burner); if any of these organs are deficient or overactive, it can also lead to illness!
When there is an imbalance of Yin and Yang in the body, it does not mean that problems will arise everywhere; by regulating the deficient or overactive states, replenishing what is deficient and reducing what is overactive, balance can naturally be restored!
The movement of Yin and Yang within certain limits maintains a relative balance, promoting the development of things.
In terms of human physiological functions, various functional activities (Yang) and material nutrition (Yin) are also constantly in a state of ‘Yang increasing and Yin diminishing’ and ‘Yin increasing and Yang diminishing’.
If this increase and decrease exceed certain limits and cannot maintain relative balance, it will lead to an excess or deficiency of Yin and Yang, resulting in pathological states such as ‘excess Yin leads to Yang disease’ and ‘excess Yang leads to Yin disease’.
So how can we regulate the balance of Yin and Yang?
Humans are closely related to the natural environment, and the changes in Yin and Yang in the external environment inevitably cause changes in the Yin and Yang within the body. To maintain the coordination of Yin and Yang within the body, one must adapt to the natural laws of Yin and Yang changes. For example, in spring and summer, it is important to preserve Yang energy by avoiding excessive cold foods and not allowing the body to remain in a cold environment for long periods. In autumn and winter, it is necessary to protect Yin essence, which can be achieved through methods such as moxibustion (ai tiao) to warm the meridians and promote circulation, balanced nutrition through herbal diets, and cupping therapy to eliminate dampness and detoxify the body, thereby regulating the Yin and Yang within the body to maintain a balanced state.
Editor: Song Ge
