{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-blog-post-mdx-js","path":"/blog/yin-yang-theory","result":{"data":{"blogPost":{"title":"Yin Yang Theory","content":"function _extends() { _extends = Object.assign || function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n\n/* @jsx mdx */\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"Yin Yang Theory\",\n  \"date\": \"2020-03-26T00:00:00.000Z\",\n  \"tags\": [\"theory\", \"taiji\", \"yinyang\"],\n  \"keywords\": [\"blog\"],\n  \"slug\": \"yin-yang-theory\",\n  \"author\": \"Cat\"\n};\n\nvar makeShortcode = function makeShortcode(name) {\n  return function MDXDefaultShortcode(props) {\n    console.warn(\"Component \" + name + \" was not imported, exported, or provided by MDXProvider as global scope\");\n    return mdx(\"div\", props);\n  };\n};\n\nvar Link = makeShortcode(\"Link\");\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n      props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, [\"components\"]);\n\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"p\", null, \"One of the core philosophies underlying Taijiquan is Yin Yang Theory, so it can be helpful to understand a bit about this theory as you study the art. Often a student\\u2019s misunderstanding of Taijiquan can be traced to a misunderstanding of yin yang theory.\"), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"taiji\"\n  }, \"Taiji\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"You may be familiar with the \\u201CYin Yang Symbol\\u201D, also known as the taijitu:\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"img\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"src\": \"/d8f41b65f316881e946818f25c87d924/yinyang.svg\",\n    \"alt\": \"Taijitu\",\n    \"title\": \"Yin Yang\"\n  }))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The white area represents Yang, the black area represents Yin. The combination of yin and yang together make up what is called a \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"taiji\"), \". This is the same \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"taiji\"), \" in the name \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"Taijiquan\"), \" (aka Tai Chi Chuan).\"), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"negative-and-positive\"\n  }, \"Negative and Positive\"), mdx(\"table\", null, mdx(\"thead\", {\n    parentName: \"table\"\n  }, mdx(\"tr\", {\n    parentName: \"thead\"\n  }, mdx(\"th\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Taiji\"), mdx(\"th\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Yin\"), mdx(\"th\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Yang\"))), mdx(\"tbody\", {\n    parentName: \"table\"\n  }, mdx(\"tr\", {\n    parentName: \"tbody\"\n  }, mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Polarity\"), mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Negative\"), mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Positive\")), mdx(\"tr\", {\n    parentName: \"tbody\"\n  }, mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Size\"), mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Smaller\"), mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Larger\")), mdx(\"tr\", {\n    parentName: \"tbody\"\n  }, mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Firmness\"), mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Softer\"), mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Harder\")), mdx(\"tr\", {\n    parentName: \"tbody\"\n  }, mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Temperature\"), mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Colder\"), mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Hotter\")), mdx(\"tr\", {\n    parentName: \"tbody\"\n  }, mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Brightness\"), mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Darker\"), mdx(\"td\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"tr\"\n  }, {\n    \"align\": null\n  }), \"Lighter\")))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Each row in this table describes a single \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"taiji\"), \". Yin and Yang are the negative and positive aspects of that taiji.\"), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"relationship-of-yin-and-yang\"\n  }, \"Relationship of Yin and Yang\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Yin and Yang represent opposing tendencies, but they describe a relationship, not a binary.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The properties of Yin and Yang are:\"), mdx(\"ul\", null, mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"They depend on each other.\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"They oppose each other.\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"They become each other.\")), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"not-binary\"\n  }, \"Not Binary\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"In a binary way of thinking:\"), mdx(\"ul\", null, mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"if you are \", mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, \"X\"), \", you can\\u2019t be \", mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, \"Y\")), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"if you\\u2019re not \", mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, \"X\"), \" you must be \", mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, \"Y\"))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"In Yin Yang Theory, there is always X \", mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"and\"), \" Y.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Yin and Yang depend on each other, or create each other. As soon as you define \\u201Ccold\\u201D, you also define \\u201Chot\\u201D. They are two sides of the same coin. You can\\u2019t have one without the other.\"), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"relative-not-absolute\"\n  }, \"Relative, not Absolute\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"When we call something yin or yang we mean it relative to something else. A room is \\u201Csmall\\u201D only relative to another room. And the same room can be both \\u201Csmall\\u201D and \\u201Clarge\\u201D depending on what you\\u2019re comparing it to.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"So it\\u2019s better to think in relative terms - \\u201Csmaller\\u201D or \\u201Clarger\\u201D - because the context is always important.\"), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"cycles\"\n  }, \"Cycles\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Yin becomes Yang, Yang becomes Yin. That\\u2019s why the symbol has a curvy line: the two sides are not static states.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Think of a tree blowing in a strong wind. It\\u2019s softness (yin) makes it flexible, and it can bend to withstand the wind. When it gets too \\u201Cstrong\\u201D (yang) and can no longer bend, it eventually breaks becoming yin again.\"), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"empty-and-full\"\n  }, \"Empty and Full\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"How many of the \", mdx(Link, {\n    to: \"/essential-principles\",\n    mdxType: \"Link\"\n  }, \"Ten Essential Principles\"), \" refer to a Yin/Yang pair?\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"Try clicking the taijitu symbol in the navigation menu at the top. :)\")));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;","date":"March 26th 2020","author":"Cat","excerpt":"One of the core philosophies underlying Taijiquan is Yin Yang Theory, so it can be helpful to understand a bit about this theory as you…"}},"pageContext":{"id":"3d831cfe-a0d5-5dd2-8bb5-94a36d0212da","slug":"yin-yang-theory","prev":null,"next":{"link":"blog/spirit-of-exploration","title":"Spirit of Exploration"}}}}