I see a lot of women in the clinic who have neglected their Yin. In Chinese medicine Yin and Yang must be in balance for optimal wellness and a state of homeostasis in the body (that’s just fancy talk for feeling bloody gooooood). We are all amazing at spending a lot of time in our Yang energy, Yang is vibrant, loud, light, warm, daytime, energetic and expanded. Think running around doing everything for everyone, rushing from one activity to the other, going to the gym for a HIIT session, attending a social event, being a champion at work, being out in the world in general. Yin, on the other hand, is dark, night time, cold, consolidated, heavy, fluid, restful and quiet. Think quiet contemplation, clearing the mind of the loud chatter, creativity, hot baths, rest, strolling in nature or stretching. More importantly Yang is masculine, and Yin is feminine.

So, for women when we live a lifestyle that is predominantly tipped in Yang’s favour and we forget to nourish our Yin energy, over a long period of time, we can start to see an array of health issues.  Due to Yin’s female nature many of these can affect our reproductive organs and hormonal balance.  This can be anything from painful or heavy periods, to autoimmune diseases like Hashimotos (hyperthyroidism). An example of a hormonal imbalance of Yin and Yang is PCOS (poly cysts ovary syndrome) it occurs when the ovaries secrete larger volumes of male hormones (androgens) particularly testosterone (hello Yang) and the disease can cause insulin resistance, lack of ovulation, irregular periods, infertility, obesity, acne, pelvic pain, thinning hair and facial hair. Another example is menopause, this is a time when naturally a woman’s Yin starts to deplete and with it lowers oestrogen (a Yin hormone) and while this is a natural process the transition shouldn’t be uncomfortable or unmanageable for women, if their Yin and Yang is already out of balance this additional depletion of Yin can throw the delicate balance out of whack further, resulting in hot flushes, night sweats, migraines and irritability.  

What I’ve noticed is that a lot of women simply can’t get their heads around HOW to nourish their Yin. They have spent so long living in their Yang world that they just don’t know any other way of doing things. And we can’t blame them as this is how the world works these days, we push ourselves to the limits, achieving more and more and getting a massive metaphorical pat on the back for it when we do so. I remember getting employee of the month many years ago because we had a big project on at work, one staff member down and it was left up to me to do the work. I was at work at 7am and leaving at 7pm, eating lunch at my desk while sifting through emails, rushing from one task to the next to get the job done. This went on for a while and I was stressed, not sleeping, worried sick that I would miss a deadline or drop a ball. In hindsight I can see now that it made me sick which lasted long after the project had ended.  But that’s how chronic illness happens, normally it rears its ugly head after a stressful event and you don’t connect the dots. But at the time I was so proud of myself and rewarded with a shiny certificate, congratulated and given two movie passes for my effort. Well done me and straight onto the next project

People talk about self-care a lot and this is for a very good reason. Self-care is absolutely essential to nourishing Yin. Self-care can be different for everyone; the trick is to find things that you enjoy doing and schedule them in.  While it would be amazing (and change the world!) if everyone practiced 20 minutes of mediation daily, its simply not an option or enjoyable for some people, so they won’t do it. I find it helps to write down a list of things you really love to do for yourself, make sure there are at least 10 things on the list and then start scheduling them into your week. You are more likely to actually commit to something that is written down, so this is an important step.  Here’s the catch, they need to be JUST for you, this is not the time to multitask or start killing two birds with one stone. A few ideas to inspire you are ….a Yin yoga session, 5 deep belly breathes when you wake in the morning, taking yourself out on a date, getting creative with arts and crafts i.e. learning a new skill like knitting, a life drawing class, creative writing (just for the hell of it), a midday nap, a cup of tea sitting in the back yard, getting your nails done, having a massage, a beautiful nature walk, starting a journal, practicing gratitude.

So what if you just don’t have the time? I can literally hear you thinking this! This is a massive theme in the clinic by the way and something I totally get. It’s something I’ve been personally working on for a very long time and continue to do so, I’m certainly not saying I’m a total Yin ninja and have everything perfectly balanced, BUT it is all about priorities. We are all busy, we all only have 24 hours in a day, make yours count by giving yourself the biggest gift you can, and that’s self-care and nourishment of you, and you only, because you deserve it. And also, because if you fill up your Yin cup first then you are always going to be better equipped at the Yang life stuff, and THAT gorgeous one, is my promise to you!