The Yin and Yang symbol is a real help to a person. What is yin-yang

There is probably not a single person who has not heard about the Chinese symbols Ying Yang: the feminine and masculine principles, the light and dark side of life. But the deep concept of Yin Yang has never been assigned to pairs of opposites; it is far beyond the simplified idea of ​​binomials of hot-cold, day-night. This is a whole philosophy.

But we are interested in the practical side of the concept. Why can't we be only good or only bad? How to reconcile opposites in yourself? How to find long-awaited harmony? In the magical space of yin yang, not a single phenomenon is permanent. Everything changes, flows, gives rise to new forms. This is the condition that you should learn to catch.

What are yin and yang

Yin Yang is the concept of two diametrically opposed and complementary principles, an ideal tool that generates everything in our world (phenomenon, matter, force). These principles or energies exist within each of us, in life, family, world, cosmos. Extreme states are states of limitation, a kind of “final stop”. True development occurs only through constant interaction opposing forces, their harmonious interaction.

The most figurative description of yin-yang energies is a comparison with alternating current. Yang energy is a positive charge. It is full of unbridled energy, which can lead to an explosion at any moment. Yin energy– a cold negative charge that can freeze everything around. As long as the force of the charges is the same, the system is governed by the spirit of balance. But achieved balance– is by no means a static quantity. Having reached a peak, one of the energies declines, the other increases. Like alternating current, the yin-yang movement does not occur simultaneously, but in waves. At some moments one of the forces exceeds the other, but in the end they are balanced again.

It is important for a person to learn to accept this in himself, not to fight internal energies, but to follow them. So, with the onset of broad daylight ebullient Yang energy intensifies: digestion, brain and physical activity improves. When energy overflows, you can safely go into battle and solve problems. As night falls Yin energy of calm comes first. Body temperature drops slightly, digestion practically slows down, and the brain falls asleep from fatigue. There is no need to resist, it is better to calm down and give yourself a rest. But this applies to early risers. Owls have energy peaks at other times. And here again the opposites appear.

The unproven history of the concept of yin and yang

Although researchers claim that the concept was borrowed from Buddhism, the description of the concept of yin and yang was one of the oldest cosmological symbols in Chinese culture. The concept was primarily described as periodic change of chaos and order. But the phenomenon cannot be considered exclusively Chinese. In the religions of many countries, at the stage of their inception, a dual system of struggle between good and evil was described. The graphic image familiar to us appeared much later.

What yin yang is was first described in the traditional Chinese teachings of Taoism, which includes elements of religion and philosophy. As a religious and philosophical movement, Taoism arose somewhere in the 6th-5th centuries BC. The founder of the teaching is considered to be the philosopher Lao Tzu, who wrote the book “Tao Te Ching”. But nothing is known for certain about the life of this thinker. There is an opinion that the authorship of the book belongs not to one person, but to a whole group of philosophers.

In Taoist theory, yin and yang are described as follows:: the central place is occupied by Tao as the essence of being. The concept of Tao itself is considered as a dual and contradictory entity (solitary and all-encompassing, inactive and active). Tao is the spirit that generates the substance Qi. It is from Qi that two opposing energies are released: yin and yang. These two energies give rise to the five elements, from which everything that exists on Earth is born. Everything that exists goes through a circle of development and returns to the non-existence of Qi, and life is an endless cycle of elements and energies. Unlike other religious teachings, where the Higher powers are the forces of good fighting evil, Taoism calls for knowing both sides in order to find oneself. “A wise man is flexible,” say followers of Taoism.

Yin and Yang: the meaning is much deeper than it seems at first glance

Of the modern authors and researchers of the teachings of Tao, the most often cited is the orientalist, doctor of historical sciences A. A. Maslov. In his books, he talks about “YinYang” as a complex Chinese concept of perceiving the world outside and inside oneself. At the same time, the author believes that in most publications the concept is too simplistic.

For example, the description of energy is most often divided into:

The author calls this division nothing more than a myth, although a similar interpretation can be found even in popular Chinese literature. Deep understanding lies far beyond such a simplistic description. It is at the level of a philosophical worldview about spiritual-material, good-evil. The mystical ring in the image of Yin and Yang symbolizes constant generation of opposing forces, which cannot exist separately.

So the mention of yin and yang as feminine and masculine principles does not mean separately man and separately woman. Masculine and feminine are present within every person: in character, emotions, body, actions, personal relationships, career. These concepts are not mutually exclusive, but complementary. When we learn to recognize two yin-yang energies in ourselves at the same time, the meaning of this symbol becomes voluminous and holistic.

Today there are many trainings, books and materials that exaggerate one of the sides. At women’s trainings, for example, they don’t tell you what yin-yang means in full. Participants are taught to look for and develop the feminine in themselves, but are not told what to do with the masculine. Seminars teach positive thinking, but fail to teach the benefits of negative thoughts or emotions. But it is the golden mean that allows you to find the inner harmony that the tired inhabitants of the planet dream of.

How to find harmony with your own soul

It is believed that most illnesses will go away once mental balance is restored. This is true. But how to find peace of mind is a mystery. How many people, so many ways. If for an extrovert it’s enough to “go out in public” and chat on the phone, then an introvert needs a good book with complete privacy. But you need to get to this point on your own. After all, harmony with the world begins with harmony in your own soul.

Find the real “I”

Since childhood, we have been building up layers of ideas about ourselves, so that at a conscious age we sincerely consider them ours. But do the qualities we call personal truly reflect our inner aspirations? Psychologists answer “no”. A person is the sum of the behavior patterns and character traits of the people who have surrounded him since childhood. You get used to them.

But their own “I” is so complex, multifaceted and multi-layered that adults prefer to hide it from themselves and from others. This works up to a certain point. But long-term ignoring of one’s spiritual impulses deprives one of sleep, health, and interest in life, happiness.

How do you understand that a meeting with yourself has taken place? When we act in accordance with inner impulses, the soul begins to ring and resonate. Psychologists call this a state of flow. In this state, a person constantly feels satisfied with his work, development, achievements, and results. He enjoys life, he is happy.

The external world is a reflection of the internal state

It turns out that we ourselves invite resentment into our lives. This happens unconsciously, but regularly. Psychologists compare a newborn baby to a perfect ball. Under the influence of different people, upbringing, failures, the ball begins to bend, receives strong dents from a lack of love or, conversely, growths from its excess.

But the Universe strives for harmony, so it sends people or events that help us pay attention to ourselves and again take on an ideal form. For example, a hyper-responsible person has to work with irresponsible people, an impatient person always gets stuck in traffic jams or queues, a touchy person is constantly offended.

And stress continues until a person realizes a simple but understandable principle: he himself is the cause of all life’s dissatisfactions. And the Universe in this way indicates that the harmony of life is disrupted. Therefore, it is useless to be offended by others. All troubles are the requests of a “deformed” soul.

The "other" is within us

Internal imbalance is not as harmless as it seems. It can be compared to having the headlights on in a parked car. It would seem like such a small thing, but after a while the driver gets into the car, but cannot start it. Because the small bulbs drained all the battery power.

Our unconscious is the “other” inside us, which we constantly repress and spend a lot of energy on. We hate cooking, but we are learning how to cook borscht. We dream of a trip to the mountains, but we go with friends to the sea. But our real “I” and those qualities that we recognize in ourselves are constantly in conflict. Such conflicts are destructive and extremely painful for the soul.

The “other” within us is our unconscious. It manifests itself in dreams, slips of the tongue, unplanned actions, and sometimes frightens or even infuriates. But this is not so scary, because we do not have to behave well all the time. Even negative things need to be experienced completely. and negative thoughts can be learned to work for good.

The Power of Negative Thinking

The propaganda of positive thinking continues to march victoriously around the world, sometimes reaching the point of absurdity. But those who truly strive to find inner balance are forced to learn to think negatively. Don’t whine or complain about unforeseen circumstances, but learn to see dangers in advance and meet them prepared.

For example, don't trust everyone, learn to see the dark sides relationships, other people and your own, anticipate possible mistakes or stop saving others without their desire. Yes, we learn when we are hurt. But negative thinking will allow us to painlessly accept our true self.

But don't confuse negative thinking with negative, repetitive thoughts. Negative thinking is, rather, common sense, the ability to critically assess the situation. But negative thoughts depress us. Several effective exercises for the soul will help you refocus your brain on finding harmony. It's worth trying several to find the one:

• Practice meditation or relaxation: makes it possible to focus not on bad or good, but on useful thoughts.
• Play your favorite sport: it helps to throw off accumulated negative energy and learn to listen to body language.
• Find a hobby: it will allow you to make your dreams come true and focus on the process, not the result.
• Getting a pet: caring for a friend will help stop the endless dialogues in your head.
• Don’t forget to read: this is a great way to distract yourself, develop your imagination, and expand your vocabulary.

Conclusions

• Yin Yang is not a popular theory about masculinity and femininity, but a whole worldview, a system of concepts about good and evil.
• The ability to identify and prevent imbalances in any area of ​​life is the highest human skill.
• Life has many layers, and layers are added early in life. The search for inner harmony will have to begin with an analysis of childhood.
• By balancing ourselves, we add balance to the world around us.
• The world is fair and harmonious. If it sends us stress, it means it helps us find inner balance.
• Negative thinking is not as useless as it seems.

In China, this symbol is called Tai Ji, or “great limit.” Graphically, it is depicted as a circle in which two embryos are inscribed, similar to large commas of black and white. Black represents yin, and white represents yang. There is a black dot in the center of the white comma, and a white dot in the center of the black one. This image is a symbol of the unity of all living things. Until now, there is no clear definition of what yin (or yang) is. Even the ancient Chinese philosophers did not make such attempts; they only compiled long lists of opposites.

Yin and yang are two cosmic forces that are opposite to each other, which are constantly transformed into one another and together form a harmonious whole. They constantly interact to create all things, coming into being when the invisible life force first split into two. Yin and Yang are unthinkable without each other.

Yin is darkness, night, silence, stillness, smooth lines, dampness, cold and soft, night, moon, usually acts as the feminine principle. It is always directed north. Every home has elements that belong to yin (upholstered furniture, carpets, built-in wardrobes, unpleasant smell, musty air). With an excess of Yin, people become too quiet, calm, and slow. They are not eager to do something, run somewhere, strive for something. It is difficult for such a person to gain authority in the eyes of others and to defend his rights.

Yang is light, hot and hard, loud sound, movement, straight lines, dryness, pleasant aroma, acts as the masculine principle. Yang in the house includes tall, easily movable furniture and bright lighting. An excess of Yang manifests itself through hypertrophied activity, constant busyness and fussiness.

The character of each person can also be dominated by the qualities of yin (isolation, composure) or yang (sociability, thirst for activity). To feel comfortable, calm and safe in your apartment or anywhere, you need to maintain a balance of yin and yang in it. To do this, it is not necessary to rebuild the house or redesign the apartment - Feng Shui has many recipes that will help you do this with a minimum of effort and money.

The human body and its internal organs are also under the influence of yin or yang, so a lack of one or another element in the diet or environment will inevitably lead to physical illness and the development of diseases. For this reason, the Chinese carefully monitor the balance of yin and yang in places where a person spends a long time (kitchen, dining room, bedroom, office).

In ancient Chinese books, a symbolic image of yin and yang is often found not in the form of black and white commas inscribed in a circle, but in the form of a white (or red) tiger and a green dragon fighting or copulating. The tiger symbolizes yin, the West, the feminine principle, and the dragon symbolizes yang, the East, the masculine principle. The ancients believed that it was necessary to build in the place where the union of these animals occurred, since this gave birth to the life-giving energy of qi.

Tai Chi "Great Limit" Diagram

Yang Yang

———— == == ==

Sky Earth

Sun Moon

Summer, spring Winter, autumn

Day (from 24 hours to 12 hours) Night (from 12 hours to 24 12 hours)

Warm Cold

Father Mother

Energy (qi) Mass

Movement Peace

Man Woman

External Spirit (something Internal (material

intangible) substance)

High body temperature Low body temperature

Foods rich in sodium Foods rich in potassium

Animal food Vegetable food

Origin of origin

Rapid development Slow development

Left Right

Rear Front

East West

Dragon Tiger

Trigram Trigram

Qian Kun

The Yin-Yang symbol depicts a universe consisting of two opposites, Yin and Yang, which form a whole only in a single combination. Two dots in the symbol mean that each of the two energies, at the highest level of its realization, already contains the grain of its opposite and is ready to transform into it.

A healthy body is based on a state of perfect balance between Yin and Yang and the Five Basic Elements.

Eastern medicine– Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, etc., based, among other things, on the philosophy of balance of Yin and Yang, helps restore the harmony created by nature in the body. When the harmony between Yin and Yang is disturbed, a state of balance can be restored through meditation, acupuncture, corrective dieting, qigong, tai chi, shiatsu, or various combinations of these methods. Eastern doctors strive to treat not the external symptoms of diseases, but their root causes, which consist in an imbalance in the internal balance, while demonstrating such “clairvoyance” that to a person with a Western mentality may seem like magic.

Yin and Yang principle- Eastern perception of reality, implying both the material and spiritual world as the unity of two opposing and at the same time interdependent forces.

Yin and Yang are opposites that form a whole; they depend on each other because they exist only in relationship with their opposite.

Basic properties of Yin and Yang

YIN	YANG
Feminine	Masculinity
Matter	Energy
Passivity	Activity
End	Start
Earth	Sky
Bottom	Top
Night	Day
Winter	Summer
Humidity	Dryness
Softness	Hardness
Horizontal	Vertical
Compression	Extension
Attraction	Repulsion

The Yin-Yang sign symbolizes the universal law of change. He shows us that one thing, reaching its greatest significance, invariably passes into another. Winter gives way to summer, and summer to winter. Movement gives way to rest, and rest to movement.

Tears turn into laughter and laughter turns into tears. Life leads to death, and death revives life again.

The Yin-Yang sign, each part of which has a point of the opposite color in the center, represents two poles containing the essence of opposites in the inner core.

In other words, there is no absolutely pure Yin or Yang, white or black, female or male, dark or light, good or evil.

A woman necessarily has masculine qualities, and a man has feminine qualities. Both white and black always have gray tones.

A bad deed is never only bad, and a good deed can have bad consequences.

Manifestations of Yin and Yang in the human body

YIN YANG

Front side Back side

Left side Right side

Lower body Upper body

Legs Hands

Solid organs Hollow organs

Flexion Extension

Rest Movement

Inhale Exhale

Yin and Yang are not absolute concepts. They are relative, like everything in the world. Therefore, they can be used to describe the relationship between various phenomena of the material and spiritual world.

For example, the chest is considered Yin in relation to the back, but in relation to the pelvis, the chest is Yang.

Or winter is considered Yin in relation to summer, but in comparison with cosmic cold it is Yang.

Manifestations of Yin and Yang in human psychological characteristics

YIN Yang

Intuition Intelligence

Contemplation Reaction

Calm Excitement

Introversion Extroversion

Pessimism Optimism

Conservative Progressive

Silence Talkativeness

The Yin-Yang sign shows the change in phenomena. This is a description of changes in phenomena, and not a judgment about them.

The sign reflects how opposites depend on each other, how they influence EACH OTHER and how they ultimately transform into each other.

To understand the nature of the two fundamental principles and their impact on human health, you need to remember what diseases and ailments Chinese medicine classifies as Yin and Yang.

Diseases characteristic of Yin and Yang

YIN YANG

Chronic diseases Acute diseases

Internal diseases Diseases of the skin and sensory organs

Degenerative diseases Infectious diseases

Edema Inflammation, fever

Paralysis Seizures

Diarrhea Constipation

Constant deep pain Attacks of superficial pain

Widespread pain Localized pain

Dull and pressing pain Sharp and throbbing pain

Nocturnal attacks of pain, at rest Daytime attacks of pain, with movement

Life energy Qi

Qi is the Chinese name for vital energy, or life force. The Japanese call it Ki, and in Yoga it is called Prana.

The concept of life force circulating in the air, plants, animals and in the human body already existed in the most ancient cultures. This is the energy that is found in all forms of matter and is concentrated in living organisms, “life beyond the atom.”

More than three thousand years ago, systems of treatment and meditation were developed in India and China aimed at enhancing vital energy in people for the purpose of preventing and treating diseases. The Chinese identified different types of vital force Qi.

For a deeper understanding, we will need two more important concepts related to Qi energy - Shi and Xiu. Shi means fullness or excess energy, which in most cases causes yang symptoms such as inflammation, acute pain and fever.

Xiu means exhaustion or lack of energy and manifests itself in Yin symptoms: chills, chronic pain and swelling.

With the help of the meridian exercises described in this book, excess or deficiency of Qi energy can be eliminated and it can be brought into balance in the various meridians and their corresponding organs. Thanks to this, health is strengthened, well-being improves and old age is postponed.

Meridians and Organs of Chinese Medicine

Meridians are channels through which life energy, Qi, flows. Those places where you can feel this flow of energy are called acupuncture points.

Traditional Chinese medicine views meridians as a network connecting the internal and external: internal organs and the surface of the body, tissue and spirit, Yin and Yang, earth and sky. This system consists of energy channels located primarily along the vertical axis of the body, the Liu vessels and a special Dai Mai channel, which surrounds the waist like a belt.

Western doctors compare the Chinese system of meridians of the human body with the system of meridians of the Earth: the meridians of the body correspond to the meridians of the Earth, the Liu vessels correspond to parallels, and Dai Mai corresponds to the equator.

Already in "Huangdi Nei Jing", a treatise on internal diseases of the Yellow Emperor Huangd? dating back to around the 3rd century BC, the location of the meridians and the effects on acupuncture points were accurately described. In this treatise, the meridians are compared to the great rivers of China that wash the earth.

The concept of meridian is expressed by the Chinese character "jing", meaning "river, road, path" and "blood vessel". The meridian system includes the meridians of the twelve Organs, called the twelve permanent channels.

Each of the twelve meridians is associated with a specific Organ and connects it with other Organs.

Twelve meridians form pairs. Each Yin meridian is connected to a Yang meridian of the same element.

These pairs are called Twin Meridians because the flow of Qi in the meridians is balanced by two “gates.” These “gates” are Liu's vessels. Their main task is to ensure the same level of energy flow in the Twin Meridians. This reduces the risk of the formation of excess or deficiency of Qi in one of the meridians, and therefore in the corresponding Organ.

Good functioning of the meridians and Liu vessels ensures complete circulation of Qi energy in the body and, therefore, sufficient nutrition and safety of all Organs and the consistency of their work. It is necessary to mention that Chinese ideas about internal organs and human tissues differ from those accepted in the West. This difference is primarily due to the fact that the Chinese tradition does not separate body and soul.

Chinese medicine says that in addition to purely physical functions, each organ has an emotional, mental and spiritual function. That is, the soul and mind exist in every cell of the body and in its energy field. Therefore, the internal organs are viewed more as a unity of body, mind and spirit, rather than as anatomical structures with specific physiological functions. Each organ influences the personality as a whole, and the interaction of all organs determines the thinking and feeling processes.

Because the internal organs are not viewed from a physiological point of view, but from the unity of body, mind and spirit, anatomical definitions in Chinese medicine differ from those adopted in Western medicine.

To avoid confusion, all names of organs in their Chinese sense are written with a capital letter. For example, the organs that in Western medicine are called the stomach, duodenum and the initial part of the small intestine are simply called the Stomach in Chinese medicine, since the process of digestion and transport of nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood is considered the main task of the Stomach. And what is called the Spleen in Chinese medicine includes not only the spleen, but also the pancreas and the entire lymphatic system, that is, the organs that form the human immune system. The physiological purpose of the Spleen is to provide general protection to the body.

Chinese medicine distinguishes six Yin and six Yang organs.

The Yin organs are called Zhang, which means solid, dense. Another name for Zhang organs is storage organs, since, in addition to performing their physiological functions, they also produce, accumulate and transform various forms of Qi energy. Zhang's organs are the Heart, Pericardium, Liver, Kidneys, Lungs and Spleen.

The Yang organs are called Fu, which means hollow. The main tasks of the Fu organs are to receive and digest food, assimilate nutrients and excrete waste products. Fu's organs include the Stomach, Small Intestine, Large Intestine, Gall Bladder, Urinary Bladder, and Triple Warmer.

The function of the Triple Warmer is to regulate body temperature, coordinate the activities of the respiratory and circulatory systems, the digestive and genitourinary systems.

For the first time, two principles called “yin” and “yang” were mentioned in the famous ancient Chinese treatise “The Book of Changes”. Yin, according to this book, symbolizes a dark and soft substance, yang - light and hard. In this work, the idea of ​​their interaction has not yet been expressed; it begins to develop a little later, as Chinese philosophy improves. Both principles acquire more and more pronounced and detailed features: yin becomes a symbol of darkness, night, moon, earth, cold, odd numbers, negative phenomena, yang is the complete opposite. Philosophers are beginning to think about how these concepts influence each other.

The ancient Chinese sages concluded that the polar forces must constantly interact with each other to produce changes in nature that give rise to life. Yin and yang, they are closely related to each other and represent a single phenomenon. As a result of the development of this idea, a new teaching called Taoism appeared: two opposite sides of existence reveal the concept of Tao, explain the changing nature of the world and the complementarity of all existing phenomena. There cannot be light without darkness, good without evil, white without black - both ideas have equal rights. Moreover, for harmonious development they must balance each other, otherwise violations are possible. So, according to this teaching, an imbalance of yin and yang can be the cause of diseases developing in the human body.

The meaning of yin and yang

The interaction of both principles is well represented in the famous Taoist symbol - a circle divided into two halves, black and white, with dots of opposite colors on each of them. These points mean that each force carries within itself the grain of another principle. Symmetry symbolizes the stability and balance of two forces, and - variability, lack of staticity, constant movement in a circle.

Each of the concepts corresponds to a whole set of opposite meanings. Yang is the masculine principle, it symbolizes activity, life, the fire element, dryness and warmth. Yang is an outward movement, it is space and expansion. The colors red and white are associated with this beginning, and sour and bitter tastes correspond to it. Summer is a manifestation of yang, all animals and grains are a product of this force.

Yin is the feminine principle, corresponding to coldness, passivity, softness and heaviness. Yin symbolizes compression, positioning within, focusing on one’s own state rather than on the environment. Therefore, introverts have a strong yin side, and extroverts have a strong yang side. Yin is described by the colors purple and black, it corresponds to sweet, spicy and salty tastes, as well as all