What is Yin and Why is it Important to Your health?

Most people are familiar with the Yin Yang symbol but do you really know what it stands for?

The symbol is really beautiful. It represents the idea that two opposite characteristics can exist in harmony and even complement one another. 

There is a little bit of darkness in light and vice versa. We have a little masculine energy in the feminine and a little feminine in the masculine.

There are so many ways to look at Yin and Yang when we look outside of our window and inside of ourselves. When we look at biology, men are more Yang and women are more Yin. 

While both genders need both Yin and Yang within themselves (energetically and physiologically) for the purposes of this discussion, Yin is critically important to women’s reproductive health.

What is Yin?

Yin is a substance. It is moist, supple, dark and cold. It creates balance against hot, hard, Yang energy. Yin is the body (substance) and Yang is the life in it (warming energy).

Yin is something that is moved or heated. This is our body fluids including blood. 

When women don’t have enough yin, or another way of saying it is they are Yin deficient, they often have 

• Low back weakness 

• Sore knees

• Ringing in ears

• Dry mouth and throat

• Struggle with infections of various types

• See some irregularity in frequency or flow of their period

• Spontaneous sweating

• Constipation 

• Feel fatigued

• Feel warm/hot when trying to sleep at night

• Dream disturbed sleep

• Sweaty hands and feet

…and so much more. 

How does Yin play a role in your health?

Yin helps to provide the “coolant in our car” keeping our bodies from overheating. When we don’t have enough substance helping to regulate our temperature, we can get deficient heat which shows up as emotional symptoms like irritability, physical symptoms like UTIs and vaginal atrophy making intimacy painful/uncomfortable.

Women can be Yin deficient in any phase of life, but the symptoms we attach to menopause are the result of naturally declining yin that happens as our estrogen levels drop.

Managing the symptoms of menopause (and yes, menopause really can be a smooth transition contrary to what our culture tells us) is a supporting of the yin in our bodies.

What do I eat for Yin?

I am always saying “food is medicine” to my clients, but this is a case where “you are what you eat” couldn’t be any truer.

Eating 50% fruits and vegetables in your diet makes a significant difference in your yin and maintaining your body as we age and yin declines.

Whether you are yin deficient in perimenopause/menopause or you haven’t reached that stage yet, incorporating these foods regularly into your diet will make a significant difference in how you feel:

• Dark leafy greens

• 3oz of liver once a week

• Artichokes

• Black beans

• Eggs

• Kidney beans

• Pork

• Watermelon 

• Zucchini

• Bone broth