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yin/yang principle
the Chinese philosophy that there are two energy flows within everything in the universe. Yang, the so-called “positive” principle, tends to stimulate and contract, and is linked to maleness, the sun, and heat. Yin, the so-called “negative” principle, tends to sedate and expand, and is linked to femaleness, darkness, and cold. Health depends
upon the equilibrium of these two forces, first in the body and then in the universe. Each entity is a balance between the
two forces. The principle is used in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as macrobiotic diets. Many alternative medicine practices include the belief that there must be a balance between yin and yang forces for health and that illness is the
result of imbalance.
Copyright 2007. An Elsevier publication. All rights reserved.
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