What are Yin & Yang and how do they relate to the body?
As one of the fundamental theories of Chinese medicine Yin yang theory was developed circa 5th century B.C. It is based on the idea of the two opposite qualities in nature that complement each other. Like day and night, male and female, heaven (sky) and earth, hot and cold, they are interdependent in so far as they give each other meaning and one cannot exist without the other.
In nature yin and yang can be seen as the shady and sunny side respectively of a slope. Beyond that we can look to the properties yin yang have in the body like coolness and warmth, movement and stillness, inside and out, up and down. They are like the opposite sides of the same coin.
The human body is made of substance and energy, form and function, yin and yang, so every part of the body can be defined in relation to any other part.
Yin and yang in balance and working together in harmony within the human body result in optimal health. Its all about balance.
