“Yin and Yang are one vital force – the primordial aura.” – Wang Yangming
Yin and Yang are opposites, and yet part of a complete whole. You cannot have one without the other. There is no day without the night, there is no heat without the cold, there is no male without female. Nothing can exist as one, without the two.
The first reference to Yin and Yang was in the book, I Ching (Book of Changes), around 700 BC, where all phenomena can be reduced to Yin-Yang. Traditional Chinese Medicine uses this concept as the foundation of diagnosis and treatment.
They are opposites on a continuum of energy or matter, but for this post we will be focusing on them being opposite ends of a cycle, or the seasons of the year.
When we look at the basic symbol, it shows a black dot inside a white side, and a white dot inside a black side. The white side embraces the black dot, and the black side embraces the white dot, showing us that you can’t have light without dark, or dark without light. “Yin creates Yang and Yang activates Yin.” It’s all a cycle.
Yin is associated with the feminine energies, while yang is associated with the masculine energies.
| YIN | YANG |
| female | male |
| moon | sun |
| dark | light |
| night | day |
| cold | heat |
| intuitive | analytical |
| passive | active |
| emotions | thoughts |
| soft | hard |
All four seasons of fall, winter, spring and summer can be assigned an energy of yin, yin-yang, yang, yang-yin. Winter is considered all yin, or upmost yin (yin within yin), while summer is considered all yang, or upmost yang (yang within yang). Fall is the yang within yin, and spring is the yin within yang.
| Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer |
| Yang within Yin | Yin | Yin within Yang | Yang |
| Warm going to cool | Cold | Cool going into warm | Hot |
| Dry going into damp | Wet | Damp going into dry | Heat |
| Autumn Equinox | Winter Solstice | Spring Equinox | Summer Solstice |
Humans are very susceptible to the changing of the seasons, and our bodies and mind shift, accordingly, as each season progresses.
In the fall (autumn), we start to wind down after the active summer, planning and preparing for the cold, dark winter. We slow down with the shortening of the days, but there is still a fair amount of sunlight, keeping us somewhat active. At the Autumn Equinox, we have an equal amount of day to night hours and once we pass this, we start to take on more winter qualities. This is the Yang within Yin energy.
In the winter, we are in full quiet mode, going to bed earlier and requiring more rest. Our activity level is at the utmost low, where we drawn inward, reflect, and we often have low energy. This peaks during the Winter Solstice, when there is more night time hours than there is daylight. Once the solstice passes, we start to look forward to the spring. This is the utmost Yin energy.
In the spring, our energy increases, we become more mentally alert, and we start planning and preparing for the upcoming summer. The days become warmer, and daylight hours increase. At the Spring Equinox, we have an equal amount of day to night hours and once we pass this, we start to take on more summer qualities. This is the Yin within Yang energy.
In the summer, we are at our most active, staying up later, and not having as much need for rest. We move outward, become more social, and engage in more physical activities. This peaks at the Summer Solstice, when there is more day time hours than there is night. Once the solstice passes, we move back to the cycle of winding down after an active summer. This is the utmost Yang energy.
Personally, I am very intrigued and in tune with each of the seasons, and the qualities of the Yin Yang energy. As the days grow shorter in the fall, I tend to start decreasing my activity and social level, mainly saving it for the holiday season. I look at comfort food recipes, and start to incorporate them into my diet. I enjoy the warm days, cool nights, and add clothing items with long sleeves or multiple layers. The smell of the earth is cool and dry. The equinox becomes a perfect balance of night and day.
Come winter, I am in full-fledged inner retreat, spending most of my evenings with the fireplace going, and activities that surround around rest and relaxation. I pull out my boots, sweaters, scarves and fleece-lined leggings. Most of my diet consists of higher caloric comfort foods, with a lot of soups, and denser-type meals, where I always put on a few pounds, which my body seem to naturally like during the colder months. The smell if the earth is wet. The moon rules over my day.
When spring hits, I am ready to get the activities started, and I socialize more. As the days grow longer, I spend more time outside in the early evening. I start to incorporate tank tops and flip flops into my clothing. I include light foods into my diet with fresh veggies and fruits becoming more prevalent. I enjoy the warmer weather, and the budding of plants and flowers. The smell of the earth is warm and damp. Once again, the equinox becomes a perfect balance of night and day.
With summer, the peak of my activity level occurs. Most of my day is spent outside, and I am a social butterfly. Pool side, or the beach, becomes a favorite location. My clothing is almost entirely of shorts, tank tops, sarongs, bathing suits and flip flops. I usually only wear shoes if I am going dancing or to a more formal-like venue. My diet is almost entirely protein, veggies and fruits, and my weight naturally adjusts back down with more activity and diet change. The smell of the earth is hot. The sun rules over my day.
Learning to live in the Yin Yang energies has been very beneficial to my mental, emotional and physical health. Instead of resisting the seasons, I have become part of them. We are all connected to the earth and her rotating seasons. We are all one with her, and once I started incorporating my lifestyle changes accordingly, I became more at peace in the cycles.
You can’t have spring without the fall, and you can’t have the summer without the winter. You can’t have the yang without the yin. Opposites complete us and the world we live in.
Thank you for reading. xoxo
