The Principle of Yin and Yang
Without suffrance we cannot feel joy, without illness we don’t understand health, without stillness there is no movement; we live in a world of Polarity. This is represented in the Daoist Philosophy by the Priniple of Yin and Yang. The polarity represented by the Taiji is not fixed but relative. Something is only yang relative to yin. Something is said to be „up“ only in relation to that which is said to be „down“. And Yin contains Yang and Yang contains Yin, represented by the black spot in the white field and vice versa.
This means that yin and yang can be transformed into each other, creating an interplay of stillness and movement; of light and dark, of inhale and exhale.
Principles of Yin and Yang – we are living in a world of Polarity
The principle of Yin and Yang, that has its background in Daoism, forms a basis of this equilibrium within the nature, the cosmos and of course the human. These two elements, completing themselves, not being separable from each other, and standing in balance to each other while constantly changing their being, are the necessary condition for all life.
Yin is feminine, black, dark, north, water (transformation), passive, moon (weakness and the goddess Changxi), earth, cold, old, even numbers, valleys, poor, soft, and provides spirit to all things. Yin reaches it’s height of influence with the winter solstice. Yin may also be represented by the tiger, the colour orange and a broken line in the trigrams of the I Ching (or Book of Changes).
Yang is masculine, white, light, south, fire (creativity), active, sun (strength and the god Xihe), heaven, warm, young, odd numbers, mountains, rich, hard, and provides form to all things. Yang reaches it’s height of influence with the summer solstice. Yang may also be represented by the dragon, the colour blue and a solid line trigram. Opposites are found in all things… together forming life Energy, the QI.
Main Goal of Daoist QI-Training is to balance the Yin and Yang QI
The main goal in Daoist QI-Training is to balance the Yin and Yang-QI in our Physical-Body, Emotional-Body and Mental-Body. That means, we can and should transform our Emotions, Thoughts, our QI-Energy in our organs to regain a Balance.
Everything can be transformed and balanced
That means also that nothing is only bad or only good; everything can be transformed and balanced. We only have to understand the Principle of Yin and Yang. Balance between these two opposites is the key to a better Life!
