What is Yin?

What is Yin? 

Yin is a key principle of Traditional Chinese medicine associated with the more substantial parts of our being and of nature. Yin is feminine, solid, heavy, nourishing, dark, moist, slow, cooling, descending, receptive, and grounded. Yin is calm. Yin is present. 

Yin provides foundation and structure to support activity. It cools the body and is the basis of fluids in the body—counter-balancing the body’s heat. Yin provides rest and recovery and supports the body’s ability to be productively inactive. It provides nourishment to all levels of the body. 

When Yin is deficient in the body, we can experience flushed cheeks, night sweats, hot palms and feet, restlessness (especially at night), dizziness and dryness. 

If you experience the symptoms above, try adding more of these foods into your diet: squash, sweet potatoes, yams, kelp, seaweed, adzuki beans, black beans, kidney beans, black sesame seeds, walnuts, duck, pork, chicken, eggs, avocado, banana, clams, fish, oysters, and sardines.