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A Symbol of Peace & Harmony - A Complete Guide to Yin Yang

By Madeline Miller

The chances are you’ve seen the iconic Taoism symbol of the Yin Yang, and it’s renowned for being perhaps one of the most renowned and even most documented of all symbols. Unlike a lot of religious symbols, the Yin Yang seems to be an incredibly entwined symbol that’s reflected in everything from cultural sayings to pop culture.

If you’ve ever wondered what this symbol actually comes from, what it means and what purpose it has, you’ve come to the right place, and we’re going to explore everything you need to know.

What Does Yin Yang Mean?

Yin / Yang, as the legendary image suggests, is the symbolism of two halves coming together to create wholeness, or one. This is typically used to suggests equality between two parties or balance to life in general.

The Yin Yang is also used to represent change or pending change. This is because when you have one whole or something that’s complete, there’s a perfect balance and equilibrium. However, once you split something in two, you’ve created an imbalance.

The symbolism can represent the two halves of the whole chasing each other while trying to find completeness and balance once again.

In terms of the word itself, Yin comes from meaning ‘Shady Side,’ whereas Yang comes from the meaning ‘Sunny Side’; hence the contrast in the colors.

Learning the Concepts of Yin Yang

There are many interesting concepts we can learn from the Yin Yang symbolism and apply to our own lives. Let’s explore some of them now.

Yin Yang is Not Stationary

One of the most important concepts of Yin Yang is the fact it’s not a stationary or static concept. It’s not one thing that stays the same forever. Instead, Yin Yang is a flowing entity that shifts and changes over time.

“A good way to think of this is how time moves and day becomes night and back to day and so on. What’s more, the length of the days and nights change depending on the seasons and the time of year. Change like this can takes years to occur, or it can happen in an instant” shares Michelle Arnold, a lifestyle blogger for Subjecto and Best Essay Writing Services.

It’s All About Balance

The concept of Yin Yang is relevant when it comes to referring to balance in all aspects of life. If you have too much Yang, this means it’s not balanced with Yin with will have a consequential side effect. The same applies if you have too much Yin and not enough Yang.

This can also work the other way in the sense that you could have a decrease of Yin or Yang, which further causes the imbalance. Being mindful of this state of flow and balance means you have the opportunity to make adjustments to seek out and confirm balance.

You Can Go Deeper

While Yin and Yang refer to opposite and opposing yet connected themes, such as love and hate, light and dark, etc. these concepts can be broken down to deeper and deeper levels. For example, if you’re talking about coldness and heat, you can further break the concept of heat down into warm and burning hot.

Everything is Connected

If you look at genuine Yin Yang symbolism, you’ll notice in both the white and black areas; there are opposite white and dark circles in the middle. For example, the white area has a black circle in the middle.

“This is to indicate that everything is connected and even in the coldest times, there is still warmth, or still the opportunity for warmth. In the darkness of night, there can still be light. This again enforces the concept that Yin and Yang are balanced but each form has no absolute or is truly one or the other” explains Nick Berry, a spiritual writer for My Writing Way and Let's Go And Learn.

Using Yin Yang

Using this symbolism might seem like a confusing and complex idea, but even being mindful of it in your life can bring about great and positive change. For example, if you’re facing a situation where you’re arguing with a loved one, being mindful of Yin Yang symbolism can be a great reminder that there are two sides to a story and that progress cannot be made without acceptance of the other.

It’s also worth thinking about how this symbolism can be applied to your own life because, of course, each situation is individual and has an infinite number of outcomes. It’s up to you to be mindful and decide which direction it’s going to go.


About the Author

Madeline Miller is a lifestyle blogger and writer at Best Essay Services. She has been involved in spirituality projects, where her main aim is to define project problems and propose solutions, as well as exploring new concepts and ways of living. Also, she writes for Dissertation Writing Services and Resume Service



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