Entire libraries have been written about the two principles.
The reference to the two principles is not one of attribution, of 'equal to', but of comparison: '...is more Yin than...' or '...is more Yang than...'
The beauty is that if you mainly respect elements of one principle (from one of the 'columns'), the rest will follow.
More technically: exposed predominantly to one of the two principles, the body will take on qualities specific to that principle and manifest qualities specific to that principle.
For example: the alkaline diet induces a 'thinning' of the body and an increase in the ability to concentrate.
Here are some such pairings of Yin and Yang:
| Yin | Yang | |
| Yin energy is correlated with: | Yang energy is correlated with: | |
| Trend | expansion | condensation / contraction |
| gender / sex | female | male |
| elements | water | fire |
| Chemical species | acid | alkaline |
| Form | long (oval, rectangle) | round, square |
| Temperature | cold | warm |
| Realm | plant kingdom | animal kingdom |
| NUMBERS | even numbers | odd numbers |
| Force | centrifugal force | centripetal force |
| Orientation | exterior | interior |
| Direction | ascending | descendent |
| Taste | hot, sour, sweet | salty, bitter, alkaline |
| Color | black | white |
| Table | easy | hard |
| Food | salad | cereals |
| tropical products | cold climate products | |
| divergent | convergent, focused | |
| Chemical Elements | K, O, Ca, N, S, P, Si, Fe, Gu, Mn, Zn, F, SrPb | Na, H, C, Mg, As, Li, Hg, Ur |
| Vitamins | C, B2, B12, Pp, B1, B6 | D, K, E, A |
| darkness | light | |
| deep | superficial | |
| diffuse | dense | |
| night | day | |
| vertical | horizontally | |
| receptivity | emissivity | |
| passivity | activity | |
| left | right | |
| material | immaterial | |
| Moon | Sun | |
| Atom | electron | proton |
| Zones (as geography) | cold | tropical |
| Season | winter | summer |
| spread | consolidation | |
| waste | assimilation | |
| separate | gathering | |
| decomposition | organization | |
| idle, slow | active, fast | |
| superficial, peripheral | interior, central | |
| wet | dry | |
| subtle | dense / gros | |
| large / wide | small | |
| fragile | robust | |
| long | short | |
| death | life | |
| solid / full organs | hollow organs | |
| gentle / fine | aggressive | |
| intellectual, mental activities | physical activities | |
| universal | specific | |
| matter | spirit |
And, especially important in the kitchen, but also in clothing, design, etc., colors, tone and corresponding chakra:
| Color | Tone | Chackra | |
| Max. yang |
Red | Do = C | Base Chakra |
| Orange | Re = D | Sacral chakra |
|
| Yellow | Mi = E | Solar plexus chakra |
|
| Green | Fa = F | Heart chakra | |
| Blue | Sol = G | Throat chakra |
|
| Indigo | La = A | Forehead chakra – Third Eye |
|
| Max. Yin |
Violet | Si (or Ti) = B | Crown chakra |
Regarding SHAPES , the more concentrated, closer to the spherical shape, the more YANG an object is.
Longer or more 'scattered', the more YIN.
And, for the intuitive ordering of food, and not only, from the perspective of the two principles, here is an indicative guide:
- holographically, in each group a Yin / Yang arrangement can be made
- a dimension of the Yin / Yang energy evaluation is also given by the nature of the substance considered
- !!! The relationship to Yin / Yang is also determined by the way food is prepared - how we cook
- in the same food group they can be ordered by density, color, shape
- there is a rich literature regarding the yin/yang ordering
- yin extremes can pass, under certain conditions, into yang and vice versa
* Drugs - includes medicines, cigarettes, coffee, alcohol, drugs
** Fish includes, here, also seafood
This subject is intensively approached in Oshawa's Macrobiotics theory and documentation.
Colors - features and associations
Yang (Active, Bright, Expansive)
1. Red (Yang)
Characteristics: Active, dynamic, warm
Association: Energy, passion, excitement, stimulation, and power.
2. Orange (Yang)
Characteristics: Warm, creative, stimulating
Association: Enthusiasm, creativity, vitality, and social interaction.
3. Yellow (Yang)
Characteristics: Bright, cheerful, stimulating
Association: Happiness, intellect, optimism, and energy.
Balance (Harmony, Equilibrium)
4. Green (Balanced)
Characteristics: Growth, renewal, balance
Association: Harmony, balance, nature, healing, and equilibrium between yin and yang.
Yin (Receptive, Cool, Contracting)
5. Blue (Yin)
Characteristics: Calm, cool, serene
Association: Tranquility, stability, depth, trust, and peace.
6. Indigo (Yin)
Characteristics: Deep, introspective, cool
Association: Intuition, perception, wisdom, and inner knowledge.
7. Violet (Yin)
Characteristics: Spiritual, mystical, introspective
Association: Imagination, spirituality, inspiration, and higher consciousness.
