yin and yang balance for health

As I mentioned in a previous article, Yin and Yang are the two forces or types of energy that cannot exist without each other, the two opposites that attract: day and night, black and white, sound and silence, movement and stillness, male and female.

Everything that exist can be interpreted under the theory of Yin and Yang, which also applies to the human body, food items and the study of BaZi.

In terms of the human body, the upper half is considered Yang while the lower half is considered Yin. The external parts are considered Yang while the internal parts are considered Yin. The entrails (gallbladder, small intestine, stomach, colon, bladder) are considered Yang, while the viscera (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys) are considered Yin. Among the viscera, the heart and the lungs are considered Yang while the liver, spleen and kidneys are considered Yin. Within the Yang organs there are Yin components and within the Yin organs there are Yang components.

In terms of food, Yin food is cool and expanding while Yang food is warm and contracting. Most animal proteins are considered Yang, especially red meat; white meat is also considered Yang but at a lower scale. Most vegetables are considered Yin but there are different levels of Yin and all root vegetables are considered Yang. Whole grains are moderately Yang and beans and lentils are moderately Yin. Ideally we should eat more Yin foods in summer to cool down and more Yang foods in winter to warm up, but eating too much Yin or Yang upsets the body balance.

In terms of your BaZi chart, if you plot the chart through my BaZi calculator at www.vivianaestrada.com you will notice that you have some pillars that are Yin and some pillars that are Yang. Focusing on the four basic pillars (year, month, day and hour) if you have more Yin pillars you tend to be an idea person, if you have more Yang pillars you tend to be an execution person. If the luck pillar that you are going through is Yang, the universe is promoting your execution skills at this time. If the luck pillar is Yin, the universe is promoting your thinking skills.

There are endless applications of the theory of Yin and Yang but probably the most important is health.

Traditional Chinese medicine uses the theory of Yin and Yang because health is only obtained when Yin and Yang interact and complement each other harmoniously obtaining balance. When Yin and Yang stop interacting with each other, the flow of energy stops and life ceases. Any form of disease, no matter how complex it is, can be identified and treated in accordance with the concept of Yin and Yang and the most basic but powerful ways to treat or avoid disease are:

  1. Triggering the movement of Qi within the body through practices like Qigong and Yoga

  1. Eating a nourishing diet with Yin and Yang food items.

What if you don’t like animal protein in your diet? Cooking Yin foods increases their Yang energy so sautéing some vegetables and tossing them into your raw salad makes the trick for a more Yin and Yang balanced meal. Roasting is the top Yang cooking method so eating roasted root vegetables instead of boiled root vegetables is an additional alternative to balance your energy intake. The possibilities are endless.

 

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