“Compare birth with death, compare death with life; compare what is possible with what is not possible and compare what is not possible with what is possible; because there is, there is not, and because there is not, there is.” ~Chuang Tzu
The beauty and grace of nature, the seasons, and elements are always around us, graciously offering all the resources we need to learn to be balanced and live a fulfilling life. Thousands of years ago, scholars in China committed their life to having a deep understanding of the correlation between nature and the human body. They interpreted natural phenomena and observed how these are reflected in the human body in health and disease. This is when the theory of Yin and Yang became an integral part of Chinese philosophy.
It is said that all phenomena in life can be reduced to Yin and Yang. Essentially, they are opposite ends of a spectrum that cannot exist without each other. In a state of harmony, Yin and Yang will continue to balance one another out. For example, a shadow (yin) cannot exist without light (yang). Playing all day (yang) necessitates some rest, relaxation and reflection (yin) to recharge. To reproduce life, male energy (yang) must be combined with female energy (yin). Day light (yang) is as equally important as night (yin). Too much on one end of the spectrum will lead to a disharmony that if gone too long without change, can lead to a dis-ease. Think of a time where you had to stay awake all night, or a time when there was a drought that jeopardized food crops, or how you feel when you skip eating a meal; what we are experiencing is a tip in the balance scale of life that sends a message to us saying that change (like sleep, rain water, or food intake) is needed. Sometimes these messages are loud and clear, but other times we need gentle reminders to look inside, take inventory and listen to what our bodies or the world around us is asking of us.
Balance is a state of being that we all strive to be in whether we’re conscious of it or not. We as Chinese Medicine Practitioners aim our treatments to guide the body towards a state of balance and harmony. Over time (which varies), the body is exposed to the proper amount of needle stimulation, herbs, energetic movement, bodywork, nutrition, and/or lifestyle coaching to see positive, harmonious changes in all of the realms of health. It may be a complicated system that takes years and years to start to really understand, but ultimately it always goes back to the same principle: balance. Is the body, mind, and spirit in balance?
Start to take inventory of your life, relationships, and wellbeing and see if you’re able to break it down in terms of yin and yang. For every yin is there a yang? If not, can there be? Any “aha!” thoughts coming to you? Some relationships to consider with this: Give and take, work and play, awake and sleep, social and alone, energy input and output (food and exercise), listening and speaking… if you go out for a walk outside, are you noticing the yin and yang of nature?
A chart that breaks down some key relationships in Yin Yang Theory:
Enjoy thinking of this new way of looking at relationships in life and happy Sunday! Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions that may come up! 
