Yin is impossible without Yang, Yang is impossible without Yin. This is a connection between body and mind, a union of complementary forces and energies, feminine and masculine. It is a balance between good and evil. This is the understanding that in everything good there is something bad, and in everything bad there is something good. This is the ideology of life, culture and religion.
Heaven and earth, day and night, ebb and flow... Have you noticed that there are many things that depend on each other for their existence? This is the Yin-Yang principle. Chinese philosophy says exactly this: there are always two opposing forces that are in harmony with each other.
The principle of Yin and Yang is found in the Chinese “Book of Changes” (I Ching). The main religious or philosophical context is Taoism, and although this may all seem a little strange, the basic idea is very simple: all things have a necessary polar opposite.
According to Chinese philosophy, these two opposing forces always alternate: a high phase is followed by a low phase, movement is followed by rest, and so on. You've probably already experienced this in your daily life. After all, some days you feel better, and other days you have little energy and are in a bad mood.
What do these opposite symbols mean?
What are Yin and Yang? These are two opposite principles in nature, Yin阴means feminine and negative, Yang阳means masculine and positive.
Yin and Yang theory holds that everything in the universe has opposite and united aspects, constantly moving and interacting. This type of movement and interaction is the root of all movement and change.
The most primitive point of the Yin and Yang theory is to find the laws of nature in the world and make people obey these laws. The simplest way to reflect the change of Yin and Yang in nature is day and night. The change of day and night is regular, every day is the same. The Chinese call the place where there is sun exposure - Yang, and the place not exposed to the sun (there was shadow) - Yin.
The ancients classified everything according to Yin and Yang, for example:
Yang : sun, light, sky, activity, time, east, south, left, ...
Yin : moon, shadow, earth, peace, space, west, north, right, ...
From the above words, we can see that there are more positive words that belong to Yang, and more negative words that belong to Yin, although this is a natural phenomenon. The Chinese worship Yang more and oppose Yin, as people who adore the sky and the sun more than the earth and the moon.
Symbolism:
There is a basic relationship between Yin and Yang. And they consist of 4 main aspects:
- The principle of opposites.
Yin and Yang are essentially opposites and contradict each other. Things have Yin and Yang attributes, so things with different Yin and Yang attributes are also opposite.
- Principle of interaction.
There is interdependence and interaction between Yin and Yang.
- The principle of balance.
Everything is in absolute motion. Yin and Yang in the Universe are constantly changing.
- There is a mutual transformation between these two symbols.
Under certain conditions, Yin and Yang transform into each other.
Acceptance is a necessary condition for harmonious relationships
Since Yin is the receiving principle, its energy is directed inward.
And this prevailing energy in a woman determines the task entrusted to her by the Creator:
to create harmony in the internal space of the family and maintain peace and harmony in it.
And the Yin power helps her with this. Based on this, first of all, a woman, entering into an alliance with a man, should think about whether she is ready to accept the chosen one with all his pros and cons - not only with the qualities that delight her, but also with the things that stress her out. Will she be able, without losing or suppressing herself (!), to let his interests, hobbies, habits, his family and the burden of his past into her life?
As for a man, when he does not pay due attention to the desires and aspirations of his beloved, even if through her efforts this does not disturb the atmosphere in the house, he stops in his development: his Yin does not awaken. And it’s not hard to guess what happens when in a pair one moves forward and the other gets stuck in place.
And in awareness, Acceptance becomes effortless and natural. To do this, you simply need to remove “I” from any process, that is, thoughts and ideas about yourself.
Along with them, the assessments of others go away. What we call personality disappears with its labels “right-wrong”, “good-bad”, “like-dislike”, with its ideas of how everything should be. And there is no subpersonality that is dissatisfied with something, there is no mental character that must accept something, or wants to change something in another (we are not talking about drunkenness, drug addiction, gambling and other painful addictions).
And if a disagreement arises in everyday life, it does not flare up without a “second one.” And in awareness, since there are no thoughts, there are no emotions, and inner peace is not disturbed. There is no “I’m offended/I’m suffering” character. And in the pure space of consciousness, clarity appears, which “I” forced a dear person to say so, or how hurt self-esteem, in defense, forced me to react this way. And compassion is born for the pain that he/she experiences, and respect for those strengths that balance weaknesses.
Basic concepts defining the nature of Yin and Yang
The two halves (male and female) form a single whole - this is the sign of Yin and Yang, therefore it is a circle divided into two tear shapes of opposite colors: black and white. The right side, black, goes down and the left, white, goes up, creating a clockwise movement pattern. Since the circle is a whole, the two halves cannot be complete without each other.
Colors:
- White - symbolizes enlightenment.
- Black - symbolizes its direct opposite or deception.
Ancient Chinese philosophers and scientists understood that the world is in a constant state of change, but that it moves through different frames of cycles, each of which has opposite and equal value:
- day and night;
- cold and warmth;
- birth and death;
- Sun and moon.
By exploring this world of constant cycles, the rules of life became apparent and confirmed the theory that opposites must exist to create a whole. Yin (black) is considered the essence of feminine energy, and Yang (white) is considered masculine.
The Yin-Yang of life becomes the last divine circle:
- Night becomes day and day becomes night again.
- Birth ends in death and death ends in rebirth.
Both halves of the symbol are curved and this creates a sense of movement as the halves taper into a tail effect. Yang, the left side, is white, and Yin, the right side, is black. This represents the opposing qualities of the two energies.
It's important to note that inside each curved half there is another very small circle. This small inner circle is the opposite color and corresponds to the opposite half. The small dot symbolizes how each side depends on the other for its existence.
The smaller circle also represents the transformation brought about by coexistence and dependence on each other. This is a wonderful sign to show how everything is connected and nothing in life is lonely. Every person, animal, plant, element, etc. depends on others for their existence. Nothing can exist on its own.
The Yin-Yang sign is a symbol of integrity. This unity and union is created by the other half of matter, which is the opposite half. This is the law of nature and the only way that any individual being or element can achieve wholeness.
Unity is the promise of the circle. Yin must have Yang, and Yang must have Yin, otherwise there can be no life. There can be no balance.
In Taoism, this circle represents the most basic elemental energies of women and men, which are the energies of all creation.
It is easy to get confused as to which of the two symbols is Yin and which is Yang. Equally difficult is remembering the elements that accompany each one.
It's easy to remember that Yin means the dark side. The shaded side of the mountain always faces north. The shaded side is dark and corresponds to the black side of the Yin-Yang symbol.
Origin of China's Ancient Opposite Symbols
Yin and Yang are an ancient philosophy of China and the central element of logical thinking in Chinese civilization. This is a description of the fundamental factors underlying the laws of nature that contributed to its development and changes in ancient China.
Ancient Chinese thinkers believed that everything in the universe consists of two mutually opposing and interdependent aspects. These two aspects are called Yin and Yang. Today, the theory of these symbols continues to influence the current life of the Chinese in many aspects, such as the use of colors, love, medicine, architecture, etc.
The Yin-Yang symbol is called a Taijitu or Tai Chi diagram. It represents the philosophy and principles of positive and negative or opposing energies such as masculine and feminine. The word taijitu means diagram of the highest limit.
The origin of this symbol is controversial, but many believe that it comes from the second “phrase” (calligraphy) of the I Ching called “Book of Changes.” The book places the sun at the top and the moon at the bottom. The modern symbol is a stylized interpretation of this character.
It is interesting to note that this symbol appears on Roman shields. The badge was used to indicate which region the army was assigned to, so it became a regional badge.
There is no historical evidence to indicate any connection between the Romans' use of this symbol and the Chinese use of the Yin-Yang symbol.
Another stylized symbol on the Roman shield was three circles, one inside the other and cut in half. The outer circle on one side was a dark shade, and its opposite side was a lighter shade. The next half of the circle was light, the opposite half was dark, and so on.
- 3rd century Celtic art depicts a similar symbol, which is not always shown in opposing colors.
- The South Korean flag has a two-color Yin-Yang symbol and is depicted with halves on top of each other rather than side by side.
First impulse
Yang is the essence, the core, the idea, the first expressed impulse. But only if Yin accepts and supports it, development will begin: the content will be embodied in form; original strategy will be combined with daring tactics; in a creative takeoff, the Mind will unite with the Heart, and the new creation will delight the Souls; The sperm will penetrate the egg, and the miracle of creation will happen...
What if it doesn’t affect his feelings or emotions? Will he develop a desire to give back? No, because his Masculine Principle is not stimulated.
So from whom does the first impulse come?
In the subtle World, in the Divine game of Yin-Yang, everything is initiated by the active Female Hypostasis of the Spirit, the Will of God the Mother. In Indian philosophy she is called Shakti.
This She, and not the mind that ascribes authorship to itself, accomplishes everything. Without realizing it, it is to Her that we call when we pray or ask Heaven for help. It fills with energy, corrects, guides, transforms, inspires. The refined awakened consciousness, vibrating at a frequency where there is no mental “I,” feels Her messages and follows them.
In the physical world, everything happens by analogy - the implicit first aspiring stimulus comes from the woman.
Symbol of spirit and soul
In Taoist philosophy, it is a symbol of the connection between body and mind and, on the other hand, a symbol that connects man with the entire universe.
These two concepts also communicate that we are energy with two forces, one physical and the other spiritual, but both united in one body.
The symbol fully represents the force that pushes all phenomena from maximum points to minimum points and vice versa, and is the impetus for change and evolution.
The most important thing to remember, and the hardest thing to understand, is that everything, every phenomenon, contains both aspects of this duality, just in different degrees of manifestation.
These concepts have been revealed to be very useful for better explaining and understanding how certain phenomena work, but they are also widely used in many disciplines to study the functioning of our body.
Just as Yin and Yang are inseparable, so are the soul and body. When we talk about Yin-Yang and the body, it is important to distinguish between two types of holistic approach: one refers to position, and the second refers to type and function.
In the first case we find:
- Yang : back, outer limbs, supra-umbilical, posterolateral, organ functions, protective energy.
- Yin : chest, inner limbs, subsections, inner medial part, organ structure, nutritional energy.
Thus, the position can already indicate the relationship of one part of our body with another in a fairly simple and intuitive way.
Another method used relates to the organs and viscera: the former are considered Yin and the latter Yang.
Organs and internal organs differ from each other in the functions they perform (Yang), which, as such, ultimately influence the structure itself (Yin).
- Yin: liver, heart, pericardium, spleen-pancreas, lungs, kidneys.
- Yang: Gall Bladder, Small Intestine, Triple Warmer, Stomach, Large Intestine, Bladder.
The forces of Yin and Yang in everyday life
The relationship between the two forces is also practiced in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Here organs are divided into active and passive functions. Yin, for example, corresponds to the heart, liver and lungs, while Yang is found in the stomach, intestines and bladder. Therefore, in traditional Chinese medicine, the activities of individual organs are coordinated in the best possible way.
Therefore, Yin and Yang are much more than a small symbolic sign and can be found around us every day. After all, contrasts are everywhere.
And a few words about flowers.
The symbol that immediately comes to mind when we think of Yin-Yang is made up of white and black parts. The black zone (Yin) represents darkness, calm, passive perception, feminine and soft. On the other hand, the color white (Yang) symbolizes the sun or radiance and warmth, active dedication and masculinity.
Moreover, you will also find this difference in yoga: Yin yoga consists mainly of rest and breaks. Therefore, all movement-oriented variations such as Hatha Yoga or Bikram Yoga are considered a type of Yang Yoga.
Talismans Yin, Yang
In the Western world, Yin and Yang have become popular in Feng Shui, which means wind and water in Chinese. In its original sense, Feng Shui is an idea of Taoism and refers to the harmony that should exist in space.
This Taoist philosophical principle has been adapted by Western mentality to seek balance in the distribution of the home (furniture distributed in a certain way and according to the orientation of the cardinal directions).
The Yin, Yang symbol also has a decorative dimension and application, as it is a very common design in the world of tattoos, jewelry and decorative elements.
Finally, it must be remembered that these symbols have certain similarities with some Western philosophical approaches (the struggle of opposites of Heraclitus or the concept of dialectics of philosophers such as Plato or Marx).
These symbols indicate the balance of power. Simply put, we can say that in everything good there is something bad, and in everything bad there is some good. In this sense, Yin-Yang resembles the idea of balance between opposites, since for one thing (for example, light) to exist, there must be an opposite (darkness).
The energies of the symbols show that life is an illusion because things are often not what they seem. In fact, situations and people are often the opposite of what we believe or assume.
Natalia Shakhova
How mindfulness helps a woman fulfill her destiny
One of the reasons why there are more women on the spiritual path is their disappointment, suffering due to destroyed love, unfulfilling relationships, and dissatisfaction with themselves. But if you go not FROM, but TO, a woman, revealing her Essence, builds relationships not on a personal, but on an essential basis and realizes her sacred task.
Share your feelings!
Spiritual transformation begins not with an interest in esotericism, not with the accumulation of knowledge, or even with a meeting with a guru, but with a restructuring of attention deeper into oneself. And for a woman, due to the inward direction of the dominant Yin energy in her, this process is easier. And if she practices this vigilantly and with determination, her Feminine Principle comes to life.
And miracles begin: a special, indescribable charm appears in any ugly girl, and she becomes attractive. Yin stimulates the higher sphere of the emotional body - sublime feelings, and it becomes interesting to itself. And when she shares them (and not emotions) with her chosen one, she is always interesting to him. And her feelings are expressed on the outward-directed force of Yang. According to the Law of Correspondence, his Masculine Principle responds to this. And, as if by magic, confidence, goal orientation, and faith in one’s capabilities intensify. Feeling grateful to his inspiration for this, he strives to become a support, a protector for her, and also to be interesting, diverse, and creative. And this is expressed... in the Yin energy that develops it.
Without the participation of a woman, Yang in a man is not activated!
This means that the relationship is not developing. And without development, love fades.
A man subconsciously always looks for someone with whom his Masculine Principle will reveal itself, and this is one of the reasons for cheating and searching for new partners. This explains why in one marriage he was an infantile loser, and in another he came to life, soared, realized his potential and achieved success.
Feelings are as deep as they are realized
Therefore, when expressing, for example, tenderness, attentiveness, care, do not forget to note three magical moments:
- from which image of “I” does my feeling come, is there any self-affirmation or desire to receive something in return,
- how the mind declares this state to be its own and
- who understands all this.
With practice this happens very quickly. And immediately the mental “I” disappears, consciousness moves to another frequency, and feelings are emitted from the Essence. They become pure, enlightened, expecting nothing. And this filling with the Light of the Creator creates a miracle: two become one. Nothing brings people closer together like unity in feeling.
When a woman is aware of her inner states, she is also sensitive to the experiences of a man.
And from the same inner Source flow either the words he needs, or the silence he needs. This feeling of her, sympathy, co-experience, and his gratitude for this, makes their connection more and more strong, and their love more and more deep - essential.
Confidant, inspiration and comrade-in-arms
Psychological knowledge helps to adjust relationships. But in self-knowledge, when mental images are tracked (for example, “I am a good wife/lover/housewife”), in the awareness that beliefs (such as “if he loves me, he should do this”) are just thoughts and concepts , claims and demands on yourself and on the man, irritation and dissatisfaction, disappear on their own.
And in recognizing oneself as the present moment, as Presence, another vision arises - not from within the situation, but outside it, that is, outside the filters and limitations of the mind. And when, in response to a woman’s openness, a man tells her about his affairs and problems, he knows that he will find in her not only support, but also extraordinary advice. And even though their professions are different and she is far from what he does, it is clear in awareness why his relationships with employees are the way they are, how to establish contact with management, how to interest a talented but passive subordinate.
And she becomes for him not just his wife and confidante, not only his inspiration, but also his most valuable ally.
In response, whatever he does, whatever he is passionate about, he does it with the name of his Muse, with love filling him. And it is to her that he proudly brings the fruits of his achievements. And she accepts them with joy and gratitude.
Behind such relationships is the Universal principle of harmonious interaction in a couple: she sensitively initiates the Masculine Principle in him and creates conditions for its development. And his love and gratitude put her on a pedestal, where she is a prize that must be won constantly.
