Yang and Yin

It is the central part of modern Dialectics - the soul of all knowledge which is truly scientific - as taught by Hegel Encyclopaedia of the philosophical scienceSi 1830) and Engels [Dialectics of nature, 1879). And, to go back in time even further, combined opposites - Yin and Yang - are central to old Chinese philosophy and ancient popular wisdom. 

Another way of viewing it would be as levers going off Serotonin is inhibitory, dopamine is excitatory. That is naive, but there is evidence to suggest that in the neurochemistry of those compounds there has been a kind of yin and yang. 

More than 4,000 years old, traditional Chinese medicine continues to be widely practiced in China and in western countries. Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that good health is the result of harmony and balance between five basic elements earth, water, fire, wood and metal. Also important to health are the two types of energy Yin and Yang, constituting a vital substance that circulates through the body. Drug therapy has been one of the means used in Chinese medicine to keep these elements and the flow of energy in balance. Many of the same herbs used thousands of years ago in China could be the source of new pharmaceuticals in Western medicine... 

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Hardingham GE, Bading H (2003) The Yin and Yang of NMDA receptor signalling. Trends... 

Figures 8.6 and 8.8 are both representations that suffer from the limits of our informational technique, as they show two distinct things at the bottom, implying an initial separation between living organisms and their environment. This separation is just what the notion of co-emergence negates. The complementarity between yin and yang in classic Chinese philosophy comes to mind they also cannot be separated from each other or the complementarity between wave and particle in quantum mechanics they can be distinguished from each other only when carrying out a specihc experiment.

At certain times, patients may experience extreme stress, anxiety, insomnia, tiredness and exhaustion, and at these times the body becomes very sensitive because the balance of Yin and Yang, and the normal relationship between the internal organs, are disturbed. In treatment, it is important to take into account all the relevant factors, such as how the Qi and the blood tend to move, the sensitivity of the body and the mind, and the possible coexistence of heat and cold, as well as weakness and excess. Herbal formulas should be gentle and balanced, and their administration should be carefully considered, as any strong reaction to the treatment may cause more disturbance to the patient s condition. 

For patients who take antidepressants from these last two groups, TCM treatment should be applied according to careful syndrome differentiation, to remove the obstruction, harmonize the Qi and blood, and balance the Yin and Yang in order to prevent and reduce the side effects of the drugs. 

The main substances of the body are the Qi and essence that further generate blood, body fluids, Yin and Yang. In pathological conditions, the deficiency often shows four aspects, namely deficiency of the Qi, deficiency of the blood, deficiency of the Yin and deficiency of the Yang. The deficiency can be found in specific organs, such as Kidney-Yin deficiency, Spleen-Qi deficiency or Heart-blood deficiency. A deficiency syndrome also exists in patients with a weak constitution or those in the recovery period of disease, in elderly people or in children. In those situations, it is difficult to determine which organ is weak and which part should be tonified, as the general condition of the patient is weak. 

This is a formula to treat chronic palpitations and irregular pulse. The symptoms are directly caused by deficiency of the Heart-Qi. As the Qi is supported by the blood and Yin, and stimulated by the Yang, in this syndrome there is also blood, Yin and Yang deficiency. 

This formula, devised by Dr Zhang Zhong Jing, has existed for more than 2000 years. Although the symptoms and signs are mentioned briefly, the deficiency of Qi and blood, Yin and Yang can be found in the analysis of this formula. 

This formula demonstrates the treatment strategies of relieving palpitations in a chronic case by tonifying the weakness and stabilizing the relationships of the Qi and blood, Yin and Yang. It considers the function of the... 

Along with these, it is equally important to select sweet and slightly warm herbs that can strengthen the Kidney-Yang in a small amount in the formula in order to promote Yin generation, because the Yin and Yang of the Kidney are derived from one origin and they promote each other s development. 

Herbs that reduce the empty-fire from the Kidney and descend the Liver-Yang are often used if the balance between Yin and Yang in the Lower-Jiao is severely disturbed. 

Herbs that tonify the Kidney-Yin are often selected as the Yin and Yang of the Kidney derive from one origin and they promote each other s development. 

Zuo Gui Wan (Restore the Left Kidney Pill) and You Gui Wan (Restore the Right Kidney Pill) represent the brilliant concept of the ancient physician Zhang Jin Yue in the philosophy of tonifying the Kidney-Yin and Yang. 

First, no matter whether tonifying the Yin or tonifying the Yang, the most commonly used herbs in the formula are herbs that tonify the Kidney-essence. Because essence has the material form of Yin and has the warm and burning nature of Yang, it is the root of both Yin and Yang. 

Fu Ling is sweet, bland and neutral, and enters the Heart, Spleen, Stomach, Lung and Kidney meridians. It is able to drain out dampness by promoting urination. It can also tonify the Spleen and calm the mind. Because it is sweet and bland, it drains out dampness without the side effect of injuring the Yin and Yang of the body. In the condition of Spleen-Yang deficiency, it is often used as an assistant for treating accumulation of water and dampness in the Middle-Jiao. The manifestations are heaviness of the body, distension of the abdomen and difficult urination. 

The interaction between Yin and Yang is shown in the existence of Kidney-Qi Figure 5.5 Relationship between Yin, Yang, Qi and essence of the Kidney. 

Along with these, it is equally important to select herbs that tonify and stabilize the Qi, blood, Yin and Yang in order to treat the cause of the syndrome and enhance the ability of the stabilizing and binding herbs. 

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