Body Basics Part 4: Yin and Yang, Labor and Rest, Shadow and Light
Yin and Yang are probably the most well known Chinese medicine terms in the West, today. Their literal translations are “shady side of the hill” and “sunny side of the hill.” So we can say they are opposites.
But they are so much more than opposites. Yin and Yang are about the intermingling of opposites that is fundamental to life (egg and sperm, anyone?), and the balancing of opposites that is fundamental to an integrated, well functioning whole — think dark’s relationship to light (yin/yang), winter’s relationship to summer (yin/yang), or cold’s relationship to heat (yin/yang). Each is important in its own right, and each also needs the other to keep it in check.
In the study of health, we are always looking at the relationship between Yin and Yang within the ecosystem of the human body-mind-spirit — ie how is the balance of down and up (yin/yang), cold and hot (yin/yang), wet and dry (yin/yang), rest and activity (yin/yang), inward and outward movement (yin/yang)?
The balance of these energies plays an important role in our health in general, and therefore of course an important role in women’s health and fertility. Seeing the body through this yin/yang lens is one of the reasons Chinese medicine is often so helpful where Western medicine is unable to identify the problem, let alone find a solution.
YIN YANG AND YOUR PERIOD
The first half of the menstrual cycle is a Yin phase. Energies are building up — an egg is ripening, a fresh endometrial lining is growing and thickening into a cozy nesting area. If we don’t have enough Yin energy in the body (in this case we can use “Yin” and “estrogen” somewhat interchangeably), we may not have enough of the actual substances required for conception: good quality eggs, fertile egg-white cervical mucous, a healthy uterine lining.
Ovulation is Yang; the release of an egg requires a quick burst of outward, active energy.
Then the second half of the cycle continues in that Yang vein, with an increase in heat and movement. The egg is released and cruises down the fallopian tubes, the sperm swim up toward the egg then actively burrow into the egg itself, and the hormonal environment is warmer for the second half of the cycle thanks to the more “Yang” hormone progesterone.
Down/up, cold/hot, wet/dry, rest/activity, inward/outward — for health to reign, these energies all need be in the right balance at the right time.
When you come to us with symptoms, we look at these relationships. For example:
Where is there too much movement where there should be stillness? E.g. early ovulation
Where is there too much dryness where there should be wetness? E.g. a lack of fertile cervical mucous
Where is there too much cold where there should be warm? E.g. low progesterone in the luteal phase of your cycle
Where is there too much warm where there should be cool? E.g. hot flashes or night sweats
Then we put together a plan of care with acupuncture, herbs, lifestyle, diet, supplements, and mindset support that will begin to bring your yin/yang back into the balance that best supports health, hormones, and fertility.
Even with just this cursory introduction, do you see a place in your life where your Yin and Yang may be out of right relationship with one another? Most commonly we see women burning through their Yin in an effort to match the heavily Yang ambition of the modern Western career landscape. Are you sleeping enough? (This replenishes Yin.) Are you resting enough? (This replenishes Yin.) Or is the issue that you’re actually not active enough and you need more Yang somewhere?
Health and fertility is such a gorgeous tapestry, woven of so many intermingling threads. We love nothing more than to help you identify and tease out the threads most relevant to you, and to give you tools to move forward toward your health goals.
In need of some assistance sorting out your Yin / Yang balance?
Your initial consultation is always free — come meet us in person and learn more.