Yin/Yang Theory and Medical Qigong
(Bin Hui He, August 2003 )

Medical Qigong therapy has had some amazing results in the treatment of countless "incurable" diseases: tumors have either shrunk or entirely disappeared, paralytics have once again walked, the blind have recovered their sight and the deaf have regained their hearing. Although these accounts may sound too good to be true, participants in Medical Qigong classes can witness these seemingly miraculous healings. Well-documented records of these cases exist in the files of numerous medical establishments in China.

One of the key ingredients of Medical Qigong therapy is the application of yin yang theory. Following is an excerpt from Master Binhui He's writing on the subject.

Yin Yang Theory

The theory of yin and yang is the core of traditional Chinese culture. There are many ways to define yin and yang. The most familiar explanation is that yin and yang are two complementary or opposing forces, such as: black and white, hot and cold, dry and wet, high and low, soft and hard.

In the human body, major organs are paired according to yin and yang. Yang has to do with function and movement. Yin provides the structure. Hence, the six fu  (hollow) organs, responsible for moving and transforming substances, are considered yang. The five zang (solid) organs, used for collecting and storing, are classified as yin. Qi is yang; blood is yin.

For human beings, the physical body is yang and the soul is yin. The soul is beyond the three-dimensional world. In this context, soul is regarded as mind, spirit, thought and consciousness.

Beyond the human body, we can extend the theory of yin and yang to everything. What we can see is yang and what we cannot see is yin. The material world is yang and the intangible world is yin. The yin world is a relatively new field in modern science that calls for greater exploration.

Causes of Human Disease, According to the Theory of Yin/Yang

1. Yang (external) causes
• Acute physical traumas such as cuts, burns and fractures, involve some form of localized damage. The causes are evident and they are clearly not the result of a yin disturbance. Western medicine is therefore the most effective treatment for this type of injury. Obviously, if an artery is cut it is not the time for Qigong, which would only intensify the bleeding. Common sense tells us that we would want to stop the bleeding immediately with emergency medical intervention.
• Organic factors, such as viruses or bacteria, fall under the category of yang causes of illness, because they are external pathogens that disturb yang functions. Modem medicine would also be the recommended treatment for these types of disease, especially in epidemic situations.
2. Yin (internal) causes
• Emotional factors, such as sadness and depression, can disturb the yin aspects of a person and bring about disease. According to Western medicine, these kinds of illnesses would be considered psychosomatic.
• There is no doubt that prolonged bouts of depression and other types of intense emotion can make one more susceptible to illness. Some diseases are caused by stress. Even the fear of illness itself can initiate disease. This kind of phenomenon is referred to as a yin disturbance. Diseases brought on by yin causes can be complicated and modern medicine has not proven to be consistently effective in treating them.
3. Transformation of Yin to Yang and Yang to Yin Disease
• The Yin/Yang theory also states that everything is constantly changing. This includes diseases. A disease can change for the better or for the worse and can transform from a yin condition to yang condition or vice versa. An example of this transformation is the change from a long-term condition of high blood pressure, which was originally caused by yin factors, to cerebral hemorrhaging or heart attack, which are acute or yang diseases.