Duality and balance
Yin and Yang is a Chinese concept of duality and balance. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), health is all about finding balance between two opposite energies: Yin and Yang.
It describes how opposite forces are distinct, yet inseparable and interdependent. Even the familiar Yin-Yang symbol illustrates this balance – each half of the black-and-white circle holds a tiny dot of the other, showing that there’s a little Yin in every Yang and a little Yang in every Yin.
Yin–Yang theory offers a simple language to describe:
• The qualities of living beings and their environments
• Patterns of health and disease
• The energetic properties of foods and remedies
Broader qualities
Alongside hot, cold, dry and moist, Yin and Yang express broader qualities:
YIN 💧
Cold · Moist · Matter
Contraction · Descending
Nourishing · Water
YANG 🔥
Hot · Dry · Energy
Expansion · Rising
Moving · Fire
Good health is an expression of harmony between Yin and Yang. When one energy dominates, you can often feel it. Listening to these cues can help nurture your healthy balance each day.
Imbalance
When balance is lost, the body expresses dis-ease.
• If Yin is insufficient (not enough cooling, hydrating, nourishing input)
Yang may rise → heat signs such as headaches, red face, irritability or dryness.
• If Yang is insufficient (not enough warming, activating input)
cold signs may appear → fatigue, poor circulation, lethargy or fluid retention.
Food to restore balance
Food plays a central role in restoring balance.
• Yin foods cool, hydrate and nourish
→ leafy greens, watery fruit and veg, soups, broths, dark greens, nut milks, fermented foods. See Core Body Temperature Cooling Foods
• Yang foods warm, dry and activate
→ stews, dahls, porridges, onion, garlic, spices, warming herbs and warm drinks.
Yin and Yang aren’t about rules or restriction.
They are about responding to what the body needs, in this moment.
Balance is dynamic. Nutrition helps guide it.
Fuel your body with nature’s goodness!
And awaken your 5 senses.
Emilie Ayton – Conscious Marketer & Future Naturopathic Nutritionist | Reclaiming health through plants & awakening your 5 senses | Founder Plant Power 🌱
Emilie is from London, England
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