Yin Yang Medicine

The arts and the sciences—they’re seemingly different worlds that don’t typically come together in the same breath.

When looking at people’s strengths and interests, I find they generally lean towards one side or the other. You’re generally a logical, science person or a creative, arts person. And in the field of healthcare, they don’t generally mix at all!

Science is usually associated with the analytical left-brain and arts are commonly associated with the imaginative right-brain. Much like the yin-yang energies.

YIN energy is more creative, sensitive, and energy-focused.

YANG energy is more scientific, methodical, and data-driven.

My background, interests, and training balancing these two polar approaches:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. The YIN: creative and sensitive – I’m classically trained as an artist and designer. My whole life has been marked by strong intuition and deep emotions. Professional skills include energy medicine and applied kinesiology. My sensitive, empathic nature keeps me attuned to other people and the world around me.
            2. The YANG: scientific and methodical – I’ve always had a knack for systematically organizing and analyzing information. Add in my doctorate degree in chiropractic bodywork, neurology, immunology, and functional medicine to round out the sciences.

While most people don’t typically think of these two modalities integrating into one practice, the combination of my creative yin and analytical yang has allowed me to help people in a completely unique way.

I am The Sensitive Doctor. Sounds like a paradox, right?

In my practice, I find that I tend to attract, like myself, two very different groups of people: The Yin and the Yang. Let’s explore these concepts.

Yin and Yang medicine

Most people exhibit qualities of both yang and yin energy but are typically more dominant in one. Some people, however, can easily integrate both.

Yin energy tends to be more of what is traditionally viewed as the “feminine.” That is, people with yin energy are very in tune with their thoughts and emotions. When it comes to health, a person with a yin mindset is open to shifting their perspective to restore balance and health; they believe in the power of energy to heal; they are spiritual, energetic, and hands-on bodywork and experiential modalities are a must—especially for healing.

Yang energy, on the other hand, falls under the more “scientific” realm. People with yang energy are logical, analytical, data-driven people who like to see concrete evidence. They believe that exercise, action, diet, and nutrition are key to unlocking health; they use supplements to fill in the gaps and stick to strict regimes; and they wholeheartedly believe in the power of protocols and plans to achieve health and balance. The yang people are firm believers in the power of functional medicine.

Both of these perspectives are great and they work. My patients do see results if they follow yin medicine or yang medicine, but I find that a lot of times they haven’t completed the whole picture; there are still certain aspects that are unresolved.

A lot of people I see are frustrated with trying different healing modalities and report to me that the methods are not working. They’ve been given specific instructions by their doctor and are following them but still not seeing results. Other people may be at the point where what they are doing was working, but they’ve hit a plateau and need a new approach. 

That ‘”new approach” is the yang to their yin, or the yin to their yang; the missing piece of the puzzle that will truly allow them to heal, and fully heal.

This is precisely what I do as The Sensitive Doctor. I incorporate both yin and yang medicine to balance energies and restore healing.

The concept 

The traditional concept of yin and yang is represented in Chinese medicine as the black and white circle with a white dot in the black and a black dot in the white. It symbolizes the presence of yang in yin, and yin in yang; the idea that all things possess an inseparable bit of contradictory forces.

Someone’s dominant approach may be that of yin or yang, there is always a small part represented by the counter perspective.

It is a beautiful metaphor for the opposing forces or polar energies that balance our life and our mindbodyspirit.

But yin and yang are not static or mutually exclusive. These opposing and contracting energies can coexist and even complement each other. The nature of yin-yang lies in the interplay between the two. Think of it in the example of night and day; there cannot be shadows without light.

The balance between yin and yang is important in nature, but also critical where health and healing are concerned. If yin is stronger, yang will be weaker, and vice versa. Yin elements can contain certain parts of yang, and yang can have some part of yin. This balance is what promotes complete and dynamic healing.

Here is a more concise view of what I mean by yin and yang energy:

YIN: Yin energy is the dark, feminine side of healing. It is the energy that focuses on receptivity, restoration, intuition, and creativity. Yin energy looks a lot like surrendering the mind and body, letting go of control, accepting influence and help from others, and being open to receive love and care. Yin treatments typically include practices like: 

• • • • • Chiropractic
        • Massage
        • Acupuncture
        • Chakra work
        • Reiki
        • Spirtual rituals
        • Meditation
        • Other forms of bodywork, hands-on healing or mindfulness

YANG: Yang energy is the strong, masculine approach to healing. It is about investigation and knowledge; taking the logical and actionable approach that attacks the problem head on. Yang treatments typically include:

• • • • • Lab testing
        • Objective information
        • Setting goals
        • Action plans
        • Dietary and lifestyle programs
        • Physical activity and movement
        • Structured and regimented protocols

Any imbalance in this duality or extreme polarity can manifest as symptoms or disease. When you’re at either end of the spectrum, it can be hard to achieve complete, holistic healing. I tend to find that a lot of my clients who come from the yang perspective require more integration of yin practices, and vice versa. They are both critical pieces of the puzzle and required to heal, but it’s hard to get full healing from one without the other.

When you allow yourself to be open to both yin and yang perspectives, you open up your energy field to trust and accept influence from others. This openness and vulnerability is what allows you to explore yourself on a deeper level; to tune into your mindbodyspirit and connect to your inner world, experiences, feelings and interpretations. For other people, they may already fall towards the yin side and they need to integrate more concrete practices like dietary changes, exercise, lab testing, supplement regimes, and other protocols.

It’s this interplay between the two opposing forces that can really work magic for people who are struggling to move forward in their healing journey.

How to start the healing journey 

When you come from a place of familiarity, doing a massive change can be really overwhelming, daunting, and not to mention scary. It’s the unknown. It’s the unfamiliar. And most people aren’t the best with change!

But in order to start, you have to figure out where you’re at. Do you think you’re more yin energy or more yang energy? Are you big into concrete numbers and strict protocols or do you love to follow your heart and explore bodywork and see your chiropractor or energy healer when you’re feeling off? 

Once you have a baseline, you can start to explore treatment methods and modalities to balance your energies. If you’re dominant in yang energy, incorporate more yin activities into your lifestyle; if you’re more yang, incorporate more yin activities.

The number of choices you have may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but it doesn’t have to be 0 to 100 right away. You want your healing journey to be at your pace and within your reach. Make your progress realistic for you.

Here are some ideas that support yin or yang energy:

YIN: Yin activities are calming, relaxing, and slower-paced to support the healing energies. They are more restorative and gentler compared to yang activities. 

• • • • • Yoga
        • Tai chi or qi gong
        • Stretching
        • Weight lifting
        • Slow walks
        • Fishing
        • Forest bathing
        • Grounding
        • Meditation

YANG: Yang activities are typically those that boost heart rate or shift our internal chemistry. They instill a sense of excitement and adventure to carve out that bold and forthright yang energy.

• • • • • Cardio (running, biking, swimming, skipping)
        • Hiking
        • Wrestling
        • Martial arts
        • High-intensity activities
        • Dietary changes
        • Intermittent fasting
        • Detox programs

Yin and yang activities don’t always have to be about doing physical and mental activity, though. Other forms of yin healing include just being still, sleeping or resting, retreating and recuperating. It’s about giving yourself time for you. Learning to say no. Setting boundaries. Cultivating your inner voice. Trusting your intuition. Taking your time.

A big part of what I love to bring to the healing process is allowing the YIN sense of letting go, trusting your intuition, connecting with yourself, and empowering your own body to know that it has all the answers and all the resources within itself that it needs to heal. 

Why work with me  

Healing is overwhelming, plain and simple. And when you try to do it alone, it can often make things worse. This is especially true when you’re integrating practices that are unfamiliar to you. You may feel overwhelmed, confused, or just plain stuck.

Most practitioners have their specific approach—be it conventional medicine, lab testing, exercises, bodywork, herbs, homeopathy, or energy medicine. When you focus on one aspect too much, you miss everything else that is required to see the full picture and balance your whole MindBodySpirit.

That is where my superpower lies. I integrate yang medicine with yin medicine to achieve overall balance. I meet you where you are and guide you through the rest!

When working together one-on-one, we start our journey with a deep dive into your history and perform a full MindBody assessment to determine your YinYang balance. From there, I craft a personalized care plan and guide you through every step of the way. As your friend and ally in healing, I provide you with the tools and knowledge to reach your goals and teach you to balance out your YinYang energies.

If you’re a bit hesitant to jump right in with me, I invite you to try these Yin/Yang practices and see where your energies fall. If you’re curious to dive in deeper, join Club Sensitive or apply to work with me! I offer one-on-one in-person or online appointments and group coaching to help support you in whatever way you need.