Ying and Yang in Traditional Chinese Medicine

The concept of Yin and Yang is the most basic in Traditional Chinese Medicine and refers to the idea of harmony between the two parts that are always changing. The symbol of Yin-Yang represents the philosophy of Chinese medicine. This symbol is made up of a circle split into two - black and white – by a curved line in the middle, which represents the ever-changing balance between the two forces of Yin and Yang.

Everything in the Universe can be either Yin or Yang but one can never exist without the other.  Yin is the opposite of Yang and yet they complement each other. They are not separate from each other and one can transform into another.  Some examples of the Yin and Yang concept is day and night, birth and death, and female and male.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, an illness occurs when the body’s Yin and Yang are not in balance. To restore the yin-yang harmony, several approaches can be used such as acupuncture, Qigong and the use of Chinese herbs. The Yin-Yang theory guides practitioners in diagnosing and treating illnesses from simple aches and pains to arthritis, obesity and other serious conditions.