Yin and Yang are the simplest foundation of Chinese medicine and understanding this concept is also the easiest way to understand how acupuncture can bring the body back into balance.
Every part of life and health is some unique ratio of Yin and Yang. As Giovanni Maciocia beautifully explains, “Yin contains the seed of Yang so that Yin may transform into Yang and vice versa.”
Think of it like this: nighttime, cold, and substance are Yin; daytime, warmth, and energy are Yang.
But nothing is ever just one or the other!
There’s always a spark of Yang in the deepest Yin, and a touch of Yin in the brightest Yang. Imagine the early morning sky: still dark, yet glowing with daylight to come. That glow is the Yang within the Yin, and also the softest Yin moment of the Yang daytime.
In balance acupuncture diagnosis, I look at your symptoms through this lens. Are you running too cold (Yang weakness)? Too overheated (excess Yang)? Feeling stuck or depleted? Yin and Yang aren’t “good or bad”, they’re simply partners in constant transformation.
For example: if you’re always freezing, your hands and feet never warm up, and you can’t shake the chill, this points toward Yang deficiency or excess Yin. Through acupuncture, I can use techniques to reduce what’s overflowing, strengthen what’s weak, or simply encourage your Qi (energy) to flow freely so your natural balance is restored.
The best part? We all hold our own seeds of transformation and with the right support, Yin and Yang can realign to bring us back to feeling so good we can be fully present in our lives.
