yin and yang part one - dawn aarons
TRANSCRIPT
ChineseMedicineTheory–Unit1–copyrightDawnAarons2008 1
YinandYangPartOneUnity–WuChi
Non‐differentiation,Bigbang,everythingisone
DifferentiationintoYin/Yang
‐fromEnergeticTaiChiChuan,LarryJohnson
Exercise1:IntrotoHorseStance.Suspendingbetweenheavenandearth.Mindfulnessofbreath.(Breathethiswayfor5minuteseachday)
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FromTheFoundationsofChineseMedicine,GiovanniMaciocia,2005
Yang=sunnysideofthehill
Yin=shadedsideofthehill
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“One?Notwo!
Two?Noone!” Dr.Yang,JwingMing
“TheconceptofYin‐Yang,togetherwiththatofQi,haspermeatedChinesephilosophyoverthecenturiesandisradicallydifferentfromanyWesternphilosophicalidea.Ingeneral,Westernlogicisbasedupontheoppositionofcontraries,whichisthefundamentalpremiseofAristotelianlogic.Accordingtothislogic,apairofcontraries(suchas“Thetableissquare”and“Thetableisnotsquare”)cannotbothbetrue.ThishasdominatedWesternthoughtforover2000years.TheChineseconceptofyin‐Yangisreadicallydifferentformthissystemofthought:YinandYangrepresentoppositebutcomplementaryqualities.Eachthingorphenomenoncouldbeitselfanditscontrary.Moreover,YincontainstheseedofYangsothatYincantransformintoYangandviceversa.”
FromTheFoundationsofChineseMedicine,GiovanniMaciocia,2005
Yin/Yangwasanancientphilosophicaltheoryincorporatedintomedicalpractice.
Onevisualrepresentation(usedintheIChing):
AbrokenlinerepresentsYinandanunbrokenlinerepresentsYang.Inpairsandtrigrams:
Thevariouscombinationsofthetrigramsgivesrisetothe64hexagrams(beyondthescopeofthiscourse;however,manybooksontheIChingarewidelyavailable).
Exercise2:_________________________________________________________________________________
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Yang YinFire Water
Heaven Earth
Sun Moon
Light Dark
Up Down
Hot Cold
Moving Still
Lateral Medial
Outside Inside
Bright Dim
Excitation Inhibition
Non‐substantial Substantial
Hollow Solid
East(sunise) West
Spring/Summer Fall/Winter
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INHUMANBEINGS
Yang YinMasculinity Femininity
Active Passive
Splendour Plainness
Hardness Softness
Left Right
Odd Even
Exterior Interior
UpperPart LowerPart
Back Front
Skinandhair Tendonsandbones
Energy Blood
DefensiveEnergy NutrientEnergy
ORGANS********
LargeIntestines Lungs
Stomach Spleen(Pancreas)
SmallIntestines Heart
Bladder Kidneys
TripleWarmer(Heater,SanJiao) Pericardium
GallBladder Liver
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5PrinciplesofYin/Yang•AdaptedfromChineseMedicineandMoxibustion
Thetheoryofyin‐yangisaconceptualframeworkwhichwasusedforobservingandanalyzingthematerialworldinancientChina.TheearlytheoryofyinyangwasformedintheYinandZhoudynasties(sixteenthcentury221B.C.).Thetermyin‐yangfirstappearedinTheBookofChanges,“YinandYangreflectalltheformsandcharacteristicsexistingintheuniverse”.
•1TheOppositionofYinandYangThetheoryofyin‐yangholdsthateverythinginnaturehastwooppositeaspects,namelyyinandyang.Theoppositionofyinandyangismainlyreflectedintheirabilitytostrugglewith,andthuscontroleachother.Forinstancewarmthandheat(yang)maydispelcold,whilecoldnessandcold(yin)maylowerahightemperature.Undernormalconditionsinthehumanbody,arelativephysiologicalbalance(homeostasis)ismaintainedthroughthemutualoppositionofyinandyang.
Exercise3:RelativityofYinandYang‐(chosetopicoutofahat)___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
•2TheInterdependenceofYinandYangNeithercanexistinisolation‐withoutyintherecanbenoyang,withoutyangnoyin.ThefifthchapterofPlainQuestionssays,“Yinremainsinsidetoactasaguardforyang,andyangstaysoutsidetoatasaservantforyin”.Whenthisisappliedtothephysiologyofthehumanbody,yincorrespondstonutrientsubstances,andyangtofunctionalactivitiesmanifestontheexterior.
Exercise4‐___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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•3TheinterconsumingsupportingrelationshipofYinandYangThetwoaspectsofyinandyangwithinanyphenomenonareconsumptionandsupport.Forinstance,thevariousfunctionalactivities(yang)ofthebodywillnecessarilyconsumeacertainamountofnutrientsubstance(yin).Ontheotherhand,theproductionofvariousnutrientsubstanceswillnecessarilyconsumeacertainamountofenergy(yang).Normally,thisisinastateofrelativebalance.Ifthisrelationshipgoesbeyondnormalphysiologicallimits,however,therelativebalanceofyinandyangwillnotbemaintained,resultinginexcessordeficiencyofeitheryinoryangandtheoccurrenceofdisease.
Yin=Substance(structureoforganandsubstancesofblood,fludsandessence)
Yang=FunctionoforgansandQi
i.Whenoneisoutofbalancetheyaffecttheother
ii.Substancedependsonfunctionandviceversa
iii.Qi(Yang)isthecommanderofBlood.********
iv.Blood(Yin)isthemotherofQi.**********
v.Yinorgansdependonyangorganstoproduceqiandblood
vi.YangorgansdependonYinorgansfortheirnourishmentfrombloodandbodyfluids.
•4TheintertransformingrelationshipofYinandYangExtremeyinwillnecessarilyproduceyang,andextremeyangwillnecessarilyproduceyin.
Yinatit’sextremeturnsintoYangandviceversa
i. internalconditionsleadtoexternalchange
ii. dependsonthetimefactor–caonlychangeintoeachotheratacertainstageofdevelopmentandwhentheconditionsareripeforchange
iii. someexamples–dayturnsintonight,inhalationbecomesexhalation,windcoldturnsintofever,feverbreakswithchills.
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•5TheinfinitedivisibilityofYinandYang.Yinandyangaspectscanbefoundinonethingandbefurtherdivided.Chapter66ofthebookThePlainQuestionssays“Theqiofyinoryangmaybelesserorgreater.Thatiswhythereare3yinand3yang.
Night(midnightto6:00am)–YangwithinYin Spring
Morning(6am‐noon)–YangwithinYang Summer
Afternoon(noon‐6pm)YinwithinYang Fall
Evening(6pm‐12midnight)YinwithinYin Winter
Indiagramform:
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YIN AND YANG When we begin the study of the theory of Yin and Yang, we tend to think of them as “opposites”, which is how almost all textbooks will define them. This makes more sense to us in categorizing the differences. For example, black is Yin and white is Yang. All things in Nature, including man, consist of things that are either “yin” or “yang”. We can say, that as a woman, I am “Yin”. Male is “Yang”. Fire is “Yang”. Water is “yin”…or is it? How would ice be classified? We would assume Yang, correct? And Yang would be correct. The important thing to remember is that Yin and Yang are always changing, always present and interdependent on each other, therefore never entirely either Yin, or Yang. I believe that if you think about this relationship that exists between Yin and Yang and never see them “separately”, but mingling and constantly changing, although perhaps at some points in time, “more Yin” and at other times, “more Yang”. My personal relationship with Yin and Yang and Acupuncture and TCM is that is allows me to be “open-minded”. For me and in my practice, there is rarely ever “one way” to see a patient, or to treat a patient. Think about your view of yourself and the world. Do you adhere to an either “Yin or Yang” viewpoint, or do you see things as constant change and evolution? -Noel Wright, Acupuncturist, 2006 The initial challenge in studying Chinese Medicine is not one of memorization or content. It requires a new way of experiencing the world around us- a new way of thinking. As we begin to contemplate yin and yang, we can see their interplay everywhere we look. The goal of this course is to not only introduce these concepts, but to help the student find ways to incorporate their new understandings into their daily lives- both professionally and personally. What does yin and yang mean to you? Are you open to watching how this meaning develops and changes over time?
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ExercisesforUnit1
1) DailyQiGongPractice‐developingawarenessofbreath,connectiontoheavenandearth,interpayofyin/yangallaround,legstrengthandsensitivitytoenergyinandaroundthebody.
2) ThrowanIChing‐visitwww.ichingonline.nettodoitvirtually(andtolearnmoreaboutthetrigramsandhexagrams)unlessyouknowhowtodoityourself.Writeaboutyourexperience.Wasitusefultoyou?
3) RelativityofYinandYang–
a)Listtheyinandyangofanorange(minimumof20relationships.Ie.“AisyininrelationtoB”eg.Theinsideoftheseedisyincomparedtotheoutsideoftheseed,theskinoftheorangeisyangcomparedtothepith.Thepithisyangcomparedtothejuiceintermsoflocationbutyincomparedtothejuiceintermsofitsheaviness/thickness,etc)
b)Chooseanotherobjectofyourchoice.Findatleast5instancesinwhichapartcanbeseenasbothyinandyangdependingonwhatyouarecomparingwith(eg.awoman5’5”istallcomparedtoawoman5’0”andshortcomparedtoawoman5’10”)Challengeyourself.
4)Interdependence
a)sitdowninacomfortablepositionpreparedtobreathfor2minutes.Onlybreathin.Writeaboutyourexperience.Haveyouhadtimesorsituationsinyourlifeinwhichyouhavetriedto“onlybreathin”(or“onlybreathout”).Howdidtheygo?Doeslifeallowonly“oneway”?