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Every day in the group, I often see friends asking, “I feel like I am Yin deficient, but I am not sure?” Another friend asks, “I think I am Yang deficient?” Some friends frown, “I feel a bit Yin deficient and a bit Yang deficient, what am I? I really don’t understand.”
When I first encountered TCM, I was also confused and took a long time to understand. Now, I will thoroughly explain the concepts of Yin deficiency and Yang deficiency, so pay attention, friends.
First, it should be noted that the Yin deficiency and Yang deficiency discussed here specifically refer to the kidneys; other organs can also have Yin and Yang deficiencies.
Let’s first talk about Kidney Yin deficiency. Kidney Yin deficiency means that the Yin essence stored in the kidneys is insufficient, usually caused by staying up late or excessive indulgence, and a preference for overly salty foods can also lead to this.
What symptoms arise from Kidney Yin deficiency? The first is a fear of heat; Yin deficiency generates internal heat. In summer, while others feel fine, they feel extremely hot and thirsty, always wanting to drink water. Their palms and soles are hot, and their cheeks may flush from time to time. Some people may even experience a low fever between 5 PM and 7 PM, but when they go to the hospital, nothing is found. At night, those with Yin deficiency cannot sleep, tossing and turning; this is called the heart and kidneys not communicating, with heart fire floating above and kidney water unable to rise. Just when they feel a bit sleepy, they wake up hot, drenched in sweat, with a wet pillow; this is called Yin deficiency night sweats.
Remember a concept, friends: the liver and kidneys are interrelated; if the kidneys are not well, the liver will also suffer. The liver wood needs the nourishment of kidney water. Those with Kidney Yin deficiency will have abundant liver fire, and those with abundant liver fire will have many dreams. Just when they finally fall asleep, one dream follows another. Another annoying symptom is tinnitus, which sounds like cicadas, sharp and long. There is also a type of tinnitus that sounds like a roaring train, caused by excess liver fire.
These are the most obvious symptoms of Yin deficiency; now let’s look at other symptoms.
The kidneys govern bones and produce marrow; insufficient essence will gradually lead to problems in areas related to the bone marrow, such as the brain. You may experience poor memory, decreased thinking ability, and lack of perseverance in tasks.
Your knees may feel weak, and your lower back may ache, but not painfully. While walking, you may feel dizzy; Western medicine may say it is caused by high blood pressure, but in fact, it is due to kidney essence not nourishing the marrow sea.
Those with Yin deficiency may also experience constipation, which is dry and hard, resembling sheep droppings.
Yin deficiency individuals may also experience nocturnal emissions, often having erotic dreams that deplete their essence. A particularly embarrassing issue for those with Yin deficiency is premature ejaculation; these individuals can achieve an erection but cannot maintain it, as Yin is insufficient and cannot control Yang, leading to ejaculation. I would like to remind friends that the more insufficient the kidney essence, the stronger the desire; with insufficient essence, the virtual Yang rises, constantly thinking about sexual matters. This is a vicious cycle that requires serious attention. Do not think that the stronger your ability, the more you want to engage in such activities.
These are the issues brought about by Yin deficiency; of course, there are other problems, such as thirst, five hearts heat, and easy agitation, which I will not elaborate on.
Now let’s talk about Yang deficiency.
Do you know? I used to be a tall, rich, and handsome guy, but after Yang deficiency, I immediately became short, poor, and unattractive.
Yang, the greatest Yang in the universe is the sun; without the sun, we cannot survive, so Yang energy is very important. The first reaction to insufficient Yang energy is various cold symptoms, such as cold hands and feet, stomach cold, diarrhea, and cold uterus, etc. If you put on a big cotton coat right after the start of autumn, you can be sure you are Yang deficient.
Those with Yang deficiency will experience blocked meridians; if they are blocked, they will hurt. This is different from Yin deficiency; Yin deficiency causes soreness, while Yang deficiency causes pain, such as knee pain, lower back pain, ankle pain, and dysmenorrhea, which are not only painful but also cold, cold pain.
Another obvious characteristic of Yang deficiency individuals is that they do not drink much water, but they wake up frequently at night to urinate, again and again, making it hard to sleep through the night. Why is this? Because the water consumed needs the Yang energy of the kidneys for transformation; if the transformation function is insufficient, the water remains water. During the day, with the help of the sun, their transformation function is okay, so they do not urinate frequently, but at night, when the sun is gone, their Yang energy is insufficient, leading to frequent urination. For such individuals, I recommend gua sha (scraping therapy) on the entire back, and eating raw chestnuts can also improve nighttime urination issues.
Yang represents function, while Yin represents substance. Insufficient Yang means that function cannot operate. Therefore, for those with insufficient Yang energy, the direct manifestation in sexual activity is the inability to achieve an erection rather than premature ejaculation. If you cannot achieve an erection, do not force yourself; this is your body sending a warning that you need to rest. If you force it with aphrodisiacs, it is like draining the pond to catch fish or drinking poison to quench thirst; you understand the consequences.
Now, some friends may be anxious, asking, “What if I have symptoms of both Yin deficiency and Yang deficiency?” Sorry, I can only tell you that you have both Yin and Yang deficiency. In today’s society, the dietary environment and lifestyle habits are too poor, making it rare to find pure Yin or Yang deficiency. Usually, it starts with Yin deficiency, and after a long time, it develops into Yang deficiency.
Why does this happen? Because Yin is the material basis, while Yang is the energy function; when the material basis is lacking, the energy function will naturally weaken over time. Therefore, I remind young men that when they first experience Yin deficiency, they must treat it promptly to prevent it from developing into Yang deficiency. Both Yin and Yang deficiency are relatively difficult to regulate.
Thoughtful friend Kong Kong asks: “Is being afraid of heat in summer and cold in winter a sign of Yang deficiency?”
This is not necessarily the case. Yang deficient individuals will be more sensitive to cold than normal people throughout the year. If they are cold in winter and also feel hotter than others in summer without other Yang deficiency symptoms, it may be blood deficiency.
Friends are eager to ask: “Oh, Wen Xiaoshu, how do we regulate Yin deficiency, Yang deficiency, and both Yin and Yang deficiency?”
Well, please wait for me to explain slowly tomorrow; I have a friend waiting for me, and I need to go mushroom picking in Cangshan.
Finally, I want to say that the kidneys are the foundation of our innate essence; the original Yin and Yang stored in the kidneys cannot be replenished, as their quantity has long been determined by parental essence and blood. Therefore, we usually say to nourish Yin and strengthen Yang, rather than replenish Yin and Yang. So friends, take good care of our vital energy, and also regulate our postnatal spleen and stomach well; we can also enjoy longevity.
(Wen Xiaoshu, originally named Wen Quanjie, is a professional writer from Hunan living in Dali. He has self-studied TCM for many years and has published over ten novels, including “Female National Physician,” “Great Food Physician,” and “Love in Sad Days.” Friends who want to learn about health preservation with Wen Xiaoshu, please follow along!)