The Yin and the Yang

Why it matters to become our best possible selves

I was listening to a podcast the other day about the Yin and the Yang, the brilliant Chinese philosophy whose teachings have stood the test of time. It feels like one of those sayings I have heard so many times but never really understood what it means (and why it can be a driving philosophy behind our health).

After doing a bit of research, I discovered that Yin and Yang are complementary forces that represent dualities in nature. Rather than being opposites, they are interdependent and constantly interact to maintain balance (together they form a whole).

· Yin: Associated with going inwards, the feminine, darkness

· Yang: Linked to light, masculinity and outward expression

The key is balance. Too much Yang (e.g. constant stimulation, overtraining, excessive heat) can lead to burnout, inflammation or anxiety. Too much Yin (e.g. lack of exercise, cooling foods, isolation) can result in stagnation, low energy or depression.

A life of too much Yang

If I think back to my own life and the lives of others around me, I think Yang dominates our modern culture. There is a strong emphasis on productivity, speed, stimulation and outward achievement. As long as I can remember I’ve been in this camp. High-intensity workouts, long hours, hustle mentality, continual goal-setting, constant notifications and multi-tasking were part of every working day. I didn’t do much in the way of restorative time and even when I did, I favoured higher-tempo recovery such as power yoga over slower, more meditative forms.

The impact of going ‘all-in on Yang’ meant that my body was constantly sore, I was continually in need of massage or foam rollers to ‘release stress’, I felt drained at the end of the day and often had a busy mind getting to sleep from the over-stimulation of the day. Was I still performing at a high level? Yes. Was I at my best? Absolutely not. Being ‘Yang dominate’ meant I wasn’t fully present around others, constantly chasing things and living more in the head than in the body.

Yang energy might also include:

· Constant stimulation by emails, social media and text messages

· Strength training 5-6 times a week with little recovery

· Running from one thing to the other

· Treating life as a continual competition

· Spending an hour on Tik Tok before bed

Embracing the Yin

I used to think what encompasses the Yin to be a waste of time. Rest and downtime needed to be productive. Why would I take an hour to slow down when I could go for a run instead? In fact, anytime I felt overwhelmed or had a lot on, my default was usually more Yang, particularly exercise. But in recent years, I’ve really started to appreciate the Yin and all the beauty that it brings. Things like:

· Journalling

· Slow, diaphragmatic breathing

· Gentle yoga or movement

· Sauna

· Deep sleeps, naps, meditation

· Introspection, emotional processing, solitude

Moving more into the Yin has allowed me to get more in alignment, move out of the head and into the body and the present and clarify what’s important to me in any given week. Now I crave that feeling of muscle relaxation, moments of solitude and reflection, meditations and unwinding.

The other week I had a busy weekend, an even busier Monday and a seemingly growing to-do list by the minute. My Yang default would have been going for a run to clear the mind and then get straight back into it. However, given it was still early in the week and I knew I had to be at my best to complete everything by Friday, I took the opposite approach. I spent an hour in the sauna/steam room followed by some slow, calming breathwork to bring the nervous system back to equilibrium. By the time I walked home, I’d completely recharged, processed everything I needed to process and was energised to tackle a few hours of work before bed.

Getting into balance

Think about how you are currently spending your week. How is your ratio of Yin to Yang? If you are working out every morning, working hard and eating lunch at your desk, constantly on your phone and leaving no gaps in your day, chances are you need some more Yin in your life my friend.

Conversely, if you don’t get outside for any meaningful movement, have sore joints, struggle to take full, deep breaths and lacking motivation, it might mean you are Yang deficient. Too much Yin can also be harder to change. Yin excess tends to be slow, deep and chronic unlike Yang excess which tends to be fiery and acute.

I have ‘hands-down’ noticed a difference in bringing more Yin into my life. It brings a calmness and level of clarity I can’t get from my Yang cousin. But equally, Yang is my lifeblood. I get my energy from exercise, my drive from targets and love to learn. It’s not about getting to 50/50 but more about having appropriate responses to what you need most in different situations. When I take a moment in my week to recognise what I need more of, I know I am already on the right path.