Principles of Yin and Yang


Yin within Yang, Yang within Yin.

In nature:
The moon in relation to the sun is Yin. But if the moon is viewed in relation to the night, than it is Yang. Thus, the moon, which is Yin in relation to the sun, contains Yang if viewed in relation to the night.
A cold winter day is Yin in relation to a warm summer day, but this cold winter day is Yang in relation to an even colder winter day.
Whether something is Yin or Yang always depends on the relation in which it is viewed.

In human beings:
A Yang disease, that can be characterized by Heat, can be accompanied by frequent urination, which pertains to Yin.
A Yin disease that is characterized by Cold, can be accompanied by hyperactivity which pertains to Yang.
In everyday clinic we can observe, that patients with Cold-symptoms (Yin) also show Heat-symptoms (Yang) and patients with Heat-symptoms (Yang) also show Cold-symptoms (Yin). Sometimes this process can be very complex and we have to pay close attention to a correct differentiation. For example:
Dampness can originate from Dryness. Because the Dampness can be very obvious, the underlying Dryness can be overlooked.
Recognizing the Yin within Yang or the Yang within Yin is fundamental for the success of the treatment.