how to rebalance your yin + yang energy

summary

In this interview for Natural Health Magazine, David James Lees shares his traditional Chinese medicine wisdom to help you balance your yin and yang qi (chi) energy for greater health and vitality.

“…When your qi energy is appropriately balanced between yin and yang and is flowing smoothly this leads to good physical and emotional health. However, if your qi moves out of balance to either the yin or yang extremes this leads to ill-health…”

what is yin and yang qi energy?

Qi (chi) is a Chinese word that describes the concept of a powerful healing life-force or energy. The ancient Chinese believed that everything in the Universe is made up of qi energy, including you.

Qi flows like a stream of energy around your body, through the important energy channels or ‘meridians’ that connect all your vital organs. Fine tuning and balancing the quality and flow of your qi energy is the basis of all Chinese medicine practices.

If your qi energy moves out of balance it can be to either of two extremes: yin or yang. Yin and yang are opposite but complementary ‘qualities’ or ‘characteristics’ of the same energy. The healthy balance of qi energy between yin and yang is known as wu wei.

why is it important to balance yin and yang energy?

What is good for the body is good for the mind, and vice versa. In Chinese medicine, the mind and body are seen as entirely interrelated and so cannot be treated separately.

When your qi energy is appropriately balanced between yin and yang and is flowing smoothly this leads to good physical and emotional health. However, if your qi moves out of balance to either the yin or yang extremes this leads to ill-health.

A balanced diet, mindset and lifestyle regime are all vital in helping maintain a healthy and harmonious qi energy flow. Traditional Chinese medicine practices, such as acupuncture, acupressure, Chinese herbs and Qigong meditation, also work to correct and maintain a balanced flow of qi the body.

what does it mean if you are deficient in yin or yang qi?

This is a complicated topic but, broadly speaking, if you are ‘yin deficient’ this means the yang qualities of your qi energy are overpowering the yin qualities. If you are ‘yang deficient’ it means the yin qualities are overpowering yang.

The yang qualities of qi energy are responsible for stimulating and warming the body and manifest as stamina and physical strength. When your body is yang deficient your bodily functions will begin to slow down and you’ll show signs of ‘coldness’.

The yin qualities of qi energy are responsible for moistening and cooling the bodily functions, and help the body and mind to settle and rest. If yin is deficient the body will lose its ability to maintain these vital functions and will ‘overheat’.

what are the symptoms of a yin qi deficiency and yang qi deficiency?

As part of any client diagnosis, I will be looking for a range of physical and emotional health issues or symptoms that may indicate a qi energy imbalance.

Yin deficiency PHYSICAL health symptoms include:

• Dry skin, hair, throat and eyes
• Night sweats and difficulty sleeping
• Tight and aching muscles

Yin deficiency EMOTIONAL health symptoms include:

• Irritable, unsettled and unable to relax
• Feelings of frustration and anger

Yang deficiency PHYSICAL health symptoms include:

• Lethargy and excessive tiredness
• Low sexual libido
• Coldness in the body, especially feet and hands

Yang deficiency EMOTIONAL health symptoms include:

• Demotivated and a sense of hopelessness
• Fearful and unable to cope

what nutritional and diet advice can you offer for a yin deficiency and a yang deficiency?

The basis of all Chinese medicine philosophy and practice is about achieving an appropriate, and often subtle, balance. This means that extreme elimination or excess of any particular type of food or drink is discouraged as this will swing a qi energy imbalance to the opposite extreme.

Yin deficiency foods that will help strengthen Yin

• Dairy products such as eggs, cheese and milk.
• Beans such as kidney bean, black bean and mung bean, and bean products such as tofu.
• Vegetables such as potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, sprouts and string beans.

Yin deficiency – foods to avoid

• Stimulating food and drinks that contain sugar, alcohol, or caffeine.
• Heating and pungent foods such as curries or spices such as chilli or ginger (these will create even more ‘heat’ in your body).
• Avoid eating large Yin strengthening foods tend to block the digestive system if eaten in excess. Eat smaller meals more often.

Yang deficiency foods that will help strengthen Yang

• Grains and seeds such as oats, sweet glutinous rice, quinoa, sunflower seed and walnut.
• Vegetables such as parsnip, turnip, kale, onion and leek.
• Warming teas such as chai, ginger tea and jasmine tea.

Yang deficiency – foods to avoid

• Excessive amounts of cold or raw food (e.g raw salads or vegetables) and cold drinks.
• Switch to lightly cooked/steamed foods and warming drinks.

what lifestyle advice and tips can you offer for a yin deficiency and a yang deficiency?

In my experience, correct nutrition alone will not correct a qi imbalance, so it’s important that a holistic approach is taken.

Emotional health issues, such as stress and anxiety, are very often a contributing factor to a qi energy imbalance. It’s not uncommon that when we are stressed our diet and eating regime suffers too, and this will compound any qi imbalance.

In addition to eating well, there are a number of simple lifestyle tweaks that will help correct a qi imbalance, particularly if emotional issues are also involved. All are helpful for bringing both yin and yang qi deficiencies back into a harmonious balance.

SLEEP:

Getting a good nights’ sleep is essential for rest, repair and revitalisation of your mind and body. Create a calming, well-ventilated bedroom environment and a pre-bedtime regime that is conducive to relaxation. This includes avoiding heavy foods or drinks or any activity that will overly-stimulate your mind a few hours before bedtime.

GENTLE MINDFUL EXERCISE:

Excessive or strenuous exercise is not recommended for either a yin or yang qi deficiency. Gentle forms of exercise that also combine an element of mindfulness are great for rebalancing the qi energy of your body and mind. Qigong meditation, tai chi, yoga and mindful walking are just a few examples. Just 10-15 minutes of practice a day will help rebalance your qi energy.

EMOTIONAL SELF-HELP:

If everyday pressures leave you stressed or anxious this will affect your qi energy balance. In addition to activities that calm and relax your mind (see above) it’s vital that you also explore and resolve the underlying causes of any reoccurring emotional upsets to help you build emotional resilience. Set aside time every day to do some self-enquiry work and dig deeper into the thoughts and beliefs that lie beneath any uncomfortable emotions.

want more support

Discover how we can help you rebalance your health and wellbeing with our one-to-one sessions and live events.

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If you have any questions or would like more information on our work please contact us – we’re always happy to help.

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