Yin & Yang
I-Ching holds that all energy in the Universe comes in two forms… yin and yang. These energies are neither positive nor negative, rather they represent eternal balance… one cannot be without the other… just like there is no day without night. Yin and yang are never static, and the balance is constantly shifting as energy continually transforms.
The yin / yang symbol is called TAIJITA and represents eternal balance, the supreme ultimate. The outer circle represents “everything” while the shapes inside show the interaction of the two energies. Each has aspects of the other… neither is completely black or white… they cannot exist without each other. The Toa (The Way) indicates that opposite contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent (complementary) and that these opposites exist in harmony.
Yin and yang represent the masculine and feminine principles working together to create harmony and order. If they are out of balance, the result is dis-ease! Yin is dark & mysterious and contains the power of unity, connection and relationship. Yang is light & obvious and contains the power of difference, opposition and separation. Each of these are required for balance which supports the principles of Natural Law. The table below outlines the opposite energies & attributes of both.
Essentially, the Universe accommodates a balance of these energies… a sunset will always lead to another sunrise… it is the natural order of things.
Yin (Ida) | Yang (Pingala) |
Feminine | Masculine |
Black | White |
Sunset | Sunrise |
Dark | Light |
Night | Day |
Passive | Active |
Gentle | Power |
Reflective | Creative |
Earth | Heaven / Sky |
Intuition | Logic |
Calm | Energise |
Cooling / Cold | Warming / Hot |
Moist | Dry |
Nourishing | Expanding |
Contracting | Raising (transforming) |
Soft | Solid (Hard) |
Yielding | Focused |
Moon | Sun |
Receptive | Directive |
Shadow | Transcend |
Flexible | Rigid |
Feeling (feelings) | Thinking (thoughts) |
Attraction | Assertion |
Water | Fire |
Winter | Summer |
Downward | Upward |
Internal | External |
Nature | Culture |
Collective | Individual |
Process | Outcome |
Left nostril | Right nostril |
Mother Earth | Father (Spirit) |
Flow | Go |
Sustainability | Peak Experience |
Slower | Faster |
Heart / Body | Mind |
Energetic Sensitivity | Logic & Strategy |
Being | Doing |