In this post we continue what we started in What is macrobiotics? I, looking into the energetics of food, classification and types of food according to the Yin / Yang.
Macro-bio-tics combines two old Greek roots “big” μακρος and βιος “life”.
We assume that the world is a single global system composed of millions of tiny interconnected systems. Humanity is no exception to this and we adapt to our environment through the food it provides us with. The more we manipulate, refine, process, adulterate and modify our food, the more we separate ourselves from the environment that gives us life, and thus we lose our health, our strength and vitality.
YIN Y YANG
In macrobiotics (and in many other traditions) the notion of bipolarity is a very important part of its philosophy. Macrobiotics, through George Ohsawa, has used the Chinese expressions yin and yang to define these two constantly changing poles. Yin and yang govern the world and are always changing and these two opposing but complementary poles are what makes all creation possible: male-female, positive-negative, night-day, the animal-kingdom vegetable kingdom, etc. Complementarity and opposition are important concepts to describe these poles, because opposing tendencies cannot exist without each other: no day without night, beauty without ugliness, man without woman, health without illness, etc.
So, macrobiotics is the art of making balance with our environment, understanding that this balance is dynamic and that everything alternates between two opposites in whose interaction life thrives.
We define YIN as the energy of EXPANSION, and it is responsible for the plants to grow toward the sunlight, it is the energy behind the diastole, the energy of expulsion during childbirth, which is behind inflammatory processes, swelling, irritation, etc.
YANG is defined as the energy of CONTRACTION, it pushes plant roots downward, it is the energy behind the systole, contractions in childbirth, and it is responsible for the accumulation of toxins and the formation of cysts, tumors, etc.
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YIN characteristics
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YANG characteristics
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Therefore YIN foods will be…
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Therefore YANG foods will be…
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So, with this understanding that food is also VITAL ENERGY, we can apply the YIN / YANG principle in the kitchen, which is an alchemy, food changing laboratory.
If we want to cook more YIN, we will cook…
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If we want to cook more YANG, we will cook…
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… And how does all this translate into FOOD? What products should we eat and what foods we should be avoided or reduced their consumption?
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Extreme YANG
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Balanding Foods
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Extreme YIN
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… to be continued in post Adequate proportions according to macrobiotics.
