Yin and Yang

These are the two opposites of any situation, and represent the qualities with which we experience the world around us; we all know hot and cold, but only because we experience both of them.

The yin yang symbol

Shown on the top left of this page really tells the story of yin and yang and how one leads to another. Starting at the bottom of the circle the black yin area is dominant, but within it is a white dot - the seed of yang. So yang is born at the height of yin, and as you move clockwise around the circle, yang grows and grows until it can’t get any bigger; here you find the black dot - the seed of yin. After the height of yang, yin begins to take over again until the whole cycle starts again.

Example of yin and yang

If you stand at the bottom of a hill, in terms of height you are in the yin position, or down. As you climb the hill your height becomes more yang or up. When you reach the top of the hill, you can’t get any more up, whichever direction you move you can only come down again. Similarly, when you get all the way down into the valley, the only way out is back up again.

Yin and Yang in a Feng Shui consultation

Part of a Feng Shui consultation looks at the yin and yang aspects of the situation to see if there is reasonable balance between them. In a home, too much clutter can create an overly yin environment; not a great situation. If the chairs in a restaurant serving high quality meals are too hard, then this higher yang quality can prevent people’s enjoyment of the meal. See for yourself how the yin/yang balance of a shop resulted in much of its stock being unseen by customers.

Attributes of Yin and Yang

Yang Yin Up Down Bright Dark Alive Dead Hot Cold Male Female Clear Cluttered Open Closed Hard Soft Compact Loose Heaven Earth

...and so on.