Showing posts with label yin and yang energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yin and yang energy. Show all posts

Monday, September 29, 2014

" Yin Yang ... "

“ … All Evergreen
No Histamine
All I, all I, all I
Really, really, really
Wanna do, is zag along with you


I got infinite ammunition
Coming out the Yin Yang
I got limitless stealth positions
Extract the champion
Extract the Champion

Coming out the Yin Yang … “

***
~ USS ~ Yin Yang ~ 


Thanks to a hot yoga practice, my affinity towards the idea of yin and yang and strengthened.  Generally speaking, Yin is defined by passiveness, reflectiveness, internally and softness while Yang is an expression, passion and energy.






Recognizing the symbol, Yin (mostly black) and Yang (mostly white) are two opposites.  When combined, their strengths and weaknesses balance each other.  And balance between Yin and Yang is how we create balance and harmony between ourselves and our surroundings … allowing us to co-exist. 

And I think it is safe to say that most people live a Yang lifestyle … personalities, philosophies, elemental preferences and aesthetic tastes.  However, there is a Yin side that exists in all of us, a form of our tendency towards personal reflection and introspective thought … a gentler side.  It is also important to note that yang and yin are not necessarily exclusively male or female.  We all have Yin or Yang “ish” at differing levels within us.  

According to TCM, each food has an energetic property of Yin or Yang.  Therefore, foods are thought of as complimentary pairs that are constantly shifting in relationship to one another.  Hence we absorb cold and hot energy from the foods we eat and medical conditions are manifestations of these Yin-Yang imbalances.  It is believed that we can heal ourselves by correcting our imbalances with the appropriate Yin-Yang foods.


Yin is to Yang 
Night is to Day
Quiet is to Busy
Cold is to Hot



***

The below is for information purposes ONLY … 
ALWAYS consult your health practitioner directly for Medical Advice.

Common health conditions and their imbalances include…

Conditions affected by too much heat (yang) in the body:
High blood pressure, skin rash, hot flashes.
Consume: Cool or cold foods that promote yin energy.

Conditions arising from too much cold (yin) in the body: 
Fatigue, depression, muscle ache, stuffy nose, cough with clear white phlegm, fluid retention.
Consume: Warm or hot foods that promote yang energy.

Conditions that alternatively arise from too much cold or heat in the body: 
Constipation, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, headache.
Consume: Some conditions are helped by either hot or cold foods. 


The treatment for the conditions mentioned here depends on your own symptoms. A holistic doctor can help you determine whether you will be helped by yin or yang foods.


Yang foods include … (hot) Cayenne pepper, dried ginger, soybean oil, cinnamon, black pepper, chili powder, horseradish, lamb, trout and whole green or red peppers … (warming) Cherries, coconut, lemons, raspberries, cauliflower, mustard greens, onion, coffee, garlic, fresh ginger, chestnuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, chicken, shrimp, mussels, lobster, turkey, yogurt, butter.

Yin foods include … (cooling) Apples, bananas, pears, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, spinach, Swiss chard, celery, soybeans, buckwheat, sesame oil … (cold) Papaya, watermelon, grapefruit, tomatoes, asparagus, cucumbers, summer squash, romaine lettuce, seaweed, barley, tofu.

Neutral foods are believed to be nourishing to everyone—and don’t increase the yin or yang balance in the body. Neutral foods include apricots, figs, pineapple, beets, cabbage, carrots, olives, pumpkin, string beans, yams, eggs, oats, almonds, peas, peanuts, rice, beef, oysters, pork, whitefish, salmon, sardines, herring and saffron.

***


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Monday, June 9, 2014

" Yin &Yang … "


It's got some words and a beat to it
Don't you ask me to stop wanting it
Don't ask me to stop needing it
It's just the Yin & the Yang

Call it Zen or call it Buddha
Inner peace ...
That's just the Yin & the Yang of it

In from the cold, show me ecstasy
Just let the tears roll on out of me
Know what it's like to love
And like to be loved

~ Adam Ant ~ Yin & Yang ~ 
*** 


The concept of Yin and Yang recently came up with my doc.  We discussed how important it was for me to balance my yin energy with my yang energy ... via physical activity.  This lead me to look into what each provides and what exercise can support this middle way.

Yin and Yang represents all forms of polarity ... Originally, Yang was simply whatever was clearly visible, illuminated by the sun and Yin was whatever was hard to see, in the shade.  Yang/Yin is the foundation for ancient Asian concepts of body/spirit, a physical, observable, “material world” and an unseen “spiritual” dimension.

And polarity comes from change.  The recognition of change, as a concept related to polarity, leads to the concept of a cycle of becoming with the two polar forces never quite coming together.  Hence, the circular form of the primal beginning t'ai chi t'u (the famous yin-yang symbol).  The yin-yang symbol represents dark and light, cold and hot, soft and hard, feminine and masculine.  

Simply speaking, in regards to working your body, yoga, stretching and sun-saluting to your heart charkra’s are yin activities ... running and lifting weights are yang activities.  Isolation in either groups of activity has their limitations.  The body responds best to a balance between yin and yang activities. 


Think of it this way ... the yin-style exerciser prefers a cup of chamomile tea whereas the yang-style exerciser prefers a triple espresso.  And each has their purpose ... stimulation or relaxations ... winding up or calming down. 


YIN TRAINING

Internal focus

Mind-body consciousness
Calming, focusing, relaxing
Often slow and methodical
Builds coordination, balance, precision of movement
Broad focus on sensation and awareness of body in space
Focus on respect for the body, healing, injury prevention and recovery
Meditative, goal-less practice

YANG TRAINING

External focus

Physically intense
Exciting, energizing
Often fast and forceful
Builds muscle mass, strength, stamina, endurance, power
Narrow focus on activity and individual muscle groups
Focus on effort; acceptance of pain and some risk
Goal-oriented, concentrated task

Too much yang involves extreme bodybuilding, fad diets and some high intensity time training.  Too much yin involves lack of outward intensity and can leave you ill prepared for certain athletic demands.  Again, this can happen … so the blending of the two worlds is always ideal and some integrative exercise programs combine the mind-body awareness ... serenity, resilience and strength.


… often a shift in perception is all that it takes … 

Whether you are drawn to the intensity of yang or the calm and focus of yin, satisfaction can result from combining both.  The physical skill and control developed through yin training is enhanced by the force and power of yang training, and vice versa.  All forms of activity can provide a blend of athleticism, flexibility and isometric strength.  And the activity you choose may matter less than the way you practice it.  Mindful practices are classically a yin practice but can be infused with more intensity and force to support your yang practice.  

Personally speaking, weight lifting can induce a meditative state of clarity similar to my yoga practice ... only if I ask myself ... “are you present in it?”



www.walkstrong.ca