Yin–Yang in Practice: a Symbol with Origin and Meaning

Yin–Yang, Yin & Yang, Jin–Jang… call it whatever you like; the point is that all of us have come across this symbol somewhere in our lives. We see it on jewelry and tattoos, in books, films, TV series, and in articles about home living, philosophy, and health. And this is exactly where chaos often begins. Depending on whom we ask, we get a different interpretation. Is it a battle between good and evil? Does it mean there is a piece of “evil” in every “good,” and vice versa? Is it woman and man, light and darkness? Does it represent eternal opposites and a kind of never-ending fight between good and evil?
We’ll try to bring order to the most important questions so that they make sense and have a place in our everyday lives. 

Yin–Yang symbol - Taijitu

The idea of two mutually complementary sides of reality (light/darkness, day/night, heat/cold) appears in the earliest Chinese texts. Over time it became a cosmological “map,” and later also a graphic sign – the taijitu. It has been drawn in various ways throughout history, but the black-and-white pair in a circle known today became settled later and was made famous worldwide by martial arts, popular culture, and design in the 20th century.

The taijitu shows two halves separated by a smooth S-curve. In each half there is a dot of the opposite color. The shape is deliberately “alive,” because the S-shaped curve instead of a straight dividing line evokes constant movement. When the day grows, the night recedes; when the body increases performance, it immediately needs rest, etc.

The dots also have their meaning. We can see them as:

• triggers of change (the dot lies where one force/pole is at its peak and begins to tip into the other pole/force)
• the eye of the storm (a bit of silence in the middle of action, a conscious breath amid the rush…)
• a corrector of extremes (intense performance such as exercise carries within it a micro-moment of rest like the pause between sets)
• a mutual relationship (in every role there is a piece of its opposite; e.g., the one who often listens should sometimes find the courage to speak. And the one who often talks should also have the strength to just listen.)

So what does the taijitu represent?

• Cyclicality: nothing remains forever in one extreme; day turns into night, summer into winter.
• Mutual dependence: rest gives strength for performance, and performance creates the need for rest.
• Dynamics: balance isn’t about getting stuck at 50/50, but about tuning the ratio according to the situation. 

Why we say “Yin & Yang,” not “Yin vs. Yang”

In the taijitu symbol, the black side represents yin (night, quiet, inwardness), the white side yang (day, light, activity). However, this is not a moral map. Black is not “bad,” and white is not the “better” option. 
Yin and Yang do not stand against each other; they arise together, change together, and need one another.
If we push only yang (performance), our body becomes exhausted. But if we remain only in yin (passivity without direction), we get stuck. The philosophy therefore doesn’t solve “who wins,” but how to blend these two sides so that they strengthen one another. If we make black “evil” and white “good,” we completely lose the point. It’s not a fight, but a living balance that changes over the day, the year, and life. It’s about partnership, not a duel. 

How to recognize excess/deficiency of Yin/Yang?

These tips are of course only supportive and quite general. If some states limit you in the long term, it’s better to consult a professional.

YIN

• Signs that there is too little: we can hardly make ourselves slow down, we struggle with shallow sleep, dryness/overheating of the body, nervousness, and the state of “I have to do something, I can’t stop.”
• How to replenish: warm cooked food/tea, regular breaks, dimmed light after 8:00 p.m., a short quiet walk.
• Signs that there is too much: heaviness, daytime sleepiness, a “foggy” head, feeling cold, low motivation, withdrawal.
• How to balance (a drop of yang): morning sun + a brisk 10–15 min walk/run, a few squats/warm-up, a lighter lunch with mild spice.

YANG

• Signs that there is too little: a hard start in the morning, cold extremities, hesitation and procrastination, energy runs out quickly.
• How to replenish: light + 5 minutes of dynamics after waking, warm/protein breakfast, work with breaks, set and complete a specific task.
• Signs that there is too much: tense shoulders/jaw, an overfilled head, insomnia, “overcooked” multitasking.
• How to balance (a drop of yin): slow belly breathing (6–8 cycles), a short walk without phone and notifications, a warm foot bath.

Yin–Yang in everyday life

Many of us get stuck in the belief that the other pole (whether we are more Yin or more Yang) is “worse.”
Some people are afraid of rest because they feel they must constantly “produce value.” Others struggle to get going because the scope of changes or duties involved paralyzes them.
Yin–Yang allows us to stop fearing the opposite. Performance and rest are not enemies. Good performance can be “insured” by good rest, and rest gains meaning if at least a small action precedes it. It’s a lifelong project, an everyday decision, but the result is practical: more energy, less guilt, better self-knowledge, clearer boundaries, and warmer relationships.

Staying long-term at one or the other end of the spectrum drains the good that each pole brings us. We should approach every situation individually and adjust the level of one or the other energy accordingly.  

Yin–Yang in free time

When free time is filled with a packed calendar, with things we “have to get done,” and with the feeling that without results the day has no value, yang usually prevails. We recognize it by the fact that even during a walk we have a podcast/meeting/training in our ears, a constant checklist runs in our head, and when we get home we don’t find relief but a strange restlessness. 
Conversely, when free days dissolve on the couch, time disappears into scrolling, and in the evening we feel dullness rather than calm, yin has taken over the baton. Typical sentences are “I somehow don’t feel like anything” or “just a little longer.”

In both cases it’s enough to notice what thoughts and tempo dominate. Is it more accelerated and incomplete planning and quick yet shallow stimulation, or a gradual slowing down all the way to stillness? Simply becoming aware of this rhythm is the first good sign that we perceive yin–yang and have the possibility to step in and change direction.

Yin–Yang at work

Excessive yang at work looks like this: shoulders up by the ears, furrowed brow, hopping between windows on the screen, the feeling that a break is a waste of time, a disrupted rhythm or flow. The head is flooded by micro-decisions, and in the evening nervousness or difficulty falling asleep catches up with you. Inside you hear, “this too, and that as well.”
When you are instead “flooded” by yin, days begin with an endless wind-up, important tasks wait for a “better moment,” the second coffee substitutes for a spark, and a quiet tension grows in you from what hasn’t been done. At such times thoughts appear like “I’ll tidy up first,” “I’ll go to the bathroom first,” or “I still need a plan,” which take the place of an actual start. 

Yin–Yang in relationships

Too much yang in relationships shows up as a constant need to organize, manage, lead. Between your partner’s sentences it’s as if you’re waiting for a gap to grab the helm and “move things forward.” Silence is uncomfortable, and we rarely ask what the other person actually feels or wants.
Too much yin, on the other hand, manifests as yielding, postponing your own needs, and sentences begin with “I don’t want to burden you” or “whatever you want.” Later comes the feeling that others don’t see you or take you for granted. In more serious cases a person feels they are no longer themselves and don’t recognize who they’ve become, because they have adapted so much to others’ needs that they have completely suppressed themselves.

If we notice these patterns, we already hold them in the light of our awareness, and this is exactly where Yin–Yang begins to make sense in practice. Then we can decide whether we will make a change or let ourselves continue to be carried along by the current. Again, it’s not about instantly flipping the polarity in a single moment, because that would be like shifting into reverse at full speed. Rather, our task is to recognize what is happening and try to make at least a small step toward change. 

Yin–Yang diet

Is there an official Yin–Yang diet? No. 
What does exist is traditional Chinese dietetics (shíliáo), which uses the principles of yin and yang and the five phases to describe foods, preparation methods, and their effects on the body. It is part of the broader philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), not a single universal meal plan.
Alongside this, macrobiotics (Japan/USA) also spread in the 20th century, which does use the “yin–yang” vocabulary, but it’s a different line with its own rules. So there is no single “official” diet for the whole world; rather, there are different schools that work with the concept of yin and yang in their own way.

Yin–yang, taiji, wuxing, qi: how do they relate?

So we don’t get lost in the terms, let’s untangle them from the ground up and show where they complement each other and where they shouldn’t be confused.

Taiji (太極) – the “Great Principle”

Taiji is a philosophical term for the primordial principle of order from which the movement of the yin–yang pair arises. When you see the well-known sign of the taijitu, it is actually a visual map of this principle, not the practice or the martial art itself.
Taijiquan / tai chi is a movement and martial art that uses the principle of taiji in practice (soft–firm, slow–fast), but it is not the same thing.

Wuxing (五行) – the five “phases”

Literally “five manifestations/movements”: wood, fire, earth, metal, water. These are not chemical elements but cycles and relationships (e.g., wood “feeds” fire, fire “gives birth” to earth…). In traditional Chinese medicine, the calendar, and the arts, they serve to map change, i.e., what strengthens what, and conversely what restrains what.
Don’t confuse this with the European four elements, the zodiac, or the periodic table of elements.

Qi (氣) – “breath/life energy”

The term qi names the flow and vitality in the body. In TCM one speaks of the movement of qi in the meridians; in qigong/tai chi of the cultivation of qi through posture, breath, and attention. In modern scientific language, qi has no direct physical equivalent because it is more of a conceptual map, not something that could be measured by a voltmeter.

So how does it all fit together?

Taiji is the principle that births yin and yang → their movement is “carried” by qi (energy/change) → qi manifests in the cycles of wuxing (the five phases that give birth to and regulate each other).

Yin–Yang tattoos and jewelry

Why is it a popular motif even today? Because it speaks in simple language about a complex thing. Two shapes in one circle explain what we experience every day. Sometimes we’re in action, sometimes we need to grow quiet; sometimes we push, sometimes we let go. Yin–Yang is universal and not tied to any single faith or culture; it can be perceived in a purely practical, relational, and personal way. And it is extremely timeless, minimalist, understandable, without seasonal fashion layers.

Yin–Yang tattoo

For many it’s a small but lasting promise to themselves. For someone who has gone through burnout, it is a quiet reminder of the need for rest. For another who has been afraid for years to step out of their comfort zone, it is a reminder that rest also includes the courage to act. The Yin–Yang tattoo thus becomes a personal compass that constantly reminds us of what we promised. 

Yin–Yang jewelry

It’s a gift that says, “I wish you balance.” It’s not trend-chasing nor an annoying “motivational quote.” Rather, it’s a kind wish: “may your days not pull you only to one side.” It’s unisex, suits both minimalists and bohemians, and pairs with steel, silver, and wood alike. And what’s important, although it carries deep meaning, it remains discreet, so it can be worn daily without feeling like we’re making a declaration. 

Yin–Yang (Taijitu) is timeless. It concerns us even today, since we live fast, in extremes, and under pressure. Yin–Yang does not impose any dogma. On the contrary, it simply reminds us that performance should stand on rest and rest should point toward life. In every situation it asks a simple question: will we remain in the extreme we’re currently in, or will we find the courage to notice our behavior patterns and gently retune them? Choosing the second option doesn’t mean turning your whole life upside down at once; a small step toward balance today is enough, because today is all we truly have. And this is precisely the strength of this symbol: it doesn’t force, it just reminds us that the choice is always ours.
This way we finally have a symbol that can be lived, not just read.

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