Herbal Healing Theory: Polarity of Yin and Yang Symbolism

The creation of the universe, as it originates in classical Chinese thinking, is initially divided into two opposing energetic polarities of Yin and Yang. The subsequent interplay of these two polarities drives the motions of life, the universal cosmos, and everything.

Yin and Yang are always taken into the account of working on health and healing with diet, exercise, supplements, and especially herbs, and their stronger actions within herbalism, because all of these things affect and benefit a part of the holistic system in the body which will always correlate to another part of the holistic system in the body. One must take everything into accordance to follow the way of life, even that which cannot be readily perceived.

Qi, also spelled chi, is the basic energy that is inherent within everything in the cosmos. Qi connects everything physical and metaphysical. Using nearly infinite qualities of qi, something is always able to be viewed by their influence within duality in relation to another thing as a polarity of opposites (ie. dark is the opposite of light). But nothing is purely opposite another. There is always a darker darkness and lighter light.

Although someone cannot sense something metaphysical, someone may be able to perceive a metaphysical thing's influence upon that which is able to be sensed and perceived. For example, we see the reflective effects of light upon that we look at, such as a wall, tree, water, or the sky, but we do not see the light since light in-and-of-itself is metaphysical and must act upon or within something to be seen.

The greater the opposition of polarity, the greater the interplay of qi between the polar opposite. This activity of interplay is what causes qi to move around and between things in the universe. One polar extreme is termed Yin and the other polar extreme is Yang. 

Yin is the negative polarity of qi within the universe.

Yang is the positive polarity of qi within the universe.

Any harmony or disharmony is the balancing actions of Yin and Yang. And although Yin and Yang naturally oppose each other, each polarity has the force to create their polar opposite, as seen in the Yin-Yang symbol, a.k.a. the tai-chi symbol; within Yin is found the essence of Yang and within Yang is found the essence of Yin. Because everything relates to each other and the things all-around, Yin can become Yang and Yang can become Yin. If coolness is Yin to the hotness of Yang, than coolness can become Yang to the coldness of Yin.

The polar opposites within the theory of Yin-Yang are found within everything and are understood through by the existence of the other. To know Yin is to know Yang and to know Yang is to know Yin. The cold of Yin cannot be known as Yin unless the hot of Yang is known in their polarized relationship.

The relational interplay is critical to understanding the respective polarity and universal positioning of Yin as to Yang. Compare Earth in two examples. The Yin of physical matter dominated existence downwards towards Earth as related to the Yang of spiritual energy dominated existence upward towards Heaven. But the Earth will be a Yang force of movement and generating life as related to the Yin force of stasis and death of Space.