Yin and yang

In TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) philosophy balance is defined as a balance of yin and yang energy.

All aspects of life can be defined as yin or yang energy. Yin is the night, the darkness, the cold, rest and sleep. Yang is the opposite. The sun, the day, light, heat, activity. Yin is feminine, yang masculine. Yin is the earth and yang the sky. Both need each other and work in interdependence. They are never equal but cycle together in harmony. Yin and yang cannot exists independently. There is no day without the night.

In a healthy body yin and yang energy are in balance. In TCM all sicknesses are described as an excess or shortage of one of the energies.


Imagine a person that is very active (yang) and working very long hours (yang). This person cannot sleep (yin) well at night and has difficulties switching of their busy brain. This person performs a lot of yang activities and experiences a shortage of yin energy is his body. He needs to change his lifestyle to do less and rest more and remove blockages in his yin energy meridians in his body with special exercises, shiatsu or acupuncture.
People can also be described as a yin or yang person. You can have a yin body but a yang character. People who love activity and interaction with others, who are restless, have a loud voice and constantly talk are more yang. They are more in danger to have a shortage of yin energy. They need to make sure to rest sufficiently and sleep enough hours at night. If they keep on working/partying hard and not giving their body any rest their yin shortage will turn around one day into a yang shortage and they will lack any energy to get out of bed and do something.
People who love to lie alone on the couch and do nothing, need to make sure that they also feed their yang energy and go out sometimes or interact with others.
Do you recognize if you are more yin or yang?


There is one yoga pose that brings your yin and yang energy in balance. My yoga teacher once said to me "If you do only one pose a day, do this one." and I agree with her.
This pose strengthens two very important extraordinary meridians, the conception and governing vessel. They control and feed all yin and yang meridians in your body and will bring the yin and yang energy in balance.


This is the pose. It is called cat-cow pose.

1. On all fours, your knees should be hip width distance and your hands should be directly below your shoulders. Your spine is neutral here.
2. Inhale as you drop your belly and lift your gaze and your tail bone towards the sky. (Cow Pose)
3. Exhale as you slowly tuck your chin towards your chest, lift your mid-back towards the sky and scoop your tailbone under. Like you’re imitating a scary Halloween cat. (Cat Pose)
4. Do at least four rounds of these then return to a neutral spine.

Have fun practicing.