How does the yin and yang created the dao

Purification is a very important element throughout the ritual. The common space of everyday life must be transformed into sacred space to invite communion with the spirits and the gods. There are usually four assistants who attend the Grand Master in different capacities, either as musicians, sacred dancers, or readers. In the present day, the ritual may be performed on a stage or the ground, and it is understood from the text and the actions of the Grand Master that he is ascending.

The altar still plays an important part in the ritual as it is seen as the place where the earthly realm meets with the divine. Taoist households have their own private altars where people will pray and honor their ancestors, household spirits, and the spirits of their village. Taoism encourages individual worship in the home, and the rituals and festivals are community events which bring people together, but they should not be equated with worship practices of other religions such as attending church or temple.

A Taoist can worship at home without ever attending a festival, and throughout its history most people have. Festivals are very expensive to stage and are usually funded by members of the town, village, or city. They are usually seen as celebrations of community, though are sometimes performed in times of need such as an epidemic or financial struggle. The spirits and the gods are invoked during these times to drive away the dark spirits causing the problems.

Taoism significantly influenced Chinese culture from the Shang Dynasty forward. During the Tang Dynasty, Taoism became the state religion under the reign of the emperor Xuanzong because he believed it would create harmonious balance in his subjects and, for a while, he was correct. Today, Taoism is recognized as one of the great world religions and continues to be practiced by people in China and throughout the world.

Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. This mode of operation is especially visible in the time cycles of the day alternation of daytime and nighttime and of the year alternation of the four seasons. The origins of these notions are impossible to ascertain. Scholars generally deem that the terms yin and yang originally denoted the shaded and sunny sides of a hill and later began to be used in an abstract sense as cosmological categories. The earliest extant text that contains a list of items arranged according to their yin and yang qualities is a manuscript found in Mawangdui entitled Designations Cheng , likely dating from the third century B.

Examples of yang and yin items, respectively, mentioned in this text include heaven and earth; above and below; day and night; summer and winter; spring and autumn; man and woman; father and child; elder brother and younger brother; ruler and minister; soldiers and laborers; speech and silence; giving and receiving; action and nonaction. Between the third and the second centuries B. Each of these patterns represents a particular way of explicating the features and functioning of the cosmos.

The association with the five agents is likely at the origin of the view that yin and yang are further subdivided into two states each: "minor yang" Wood , "great yang" Fire , "minor yin" Metal , and "great yin" Water. The relations among the different cosmological configurations that intervene between the Dao and the "ten thousand things" are illustrated in the well-known Diagram of the Great Ultimate Taiji tu , which was discussed at length by both Daoist and Neo-Confucian authors.

This chart depicts on top the Absolute wuji as an empty circle. Below it is another circle that represents the Great Ultimate taiji as harboring the Two, or yin and yang, shown as two semicircles that mirror each other. Each of them is made of black yin and white yang lines that enclose each other to depict yin containing yang and yang containing yin.

Applied to gender equality, this means that the talk of the war between men and women would be found distasteful in the Chinese worldview. The long-term domination of men over women, or women over men, would be bad. Instead, the harmony in a household is to be achieved by the mutual respect and cooperation between the couple.

The last distinctive feature of the Chinese worldview is its focus on living a good life in the present life. The concern is not on the afterlife such as Heaven or rebirth. It does not assume the existence of an afterlife 9 and regard the present life as somehow secondary to the next life.

Rather, it accepts that this life is finite and encourages the outlook of living the present life to the fullest. These five characteristics set the Chinese worldview apart from others. They result from the conceptual framework of yinyang and dao , laid down and set forth in Yi Jing. Many schools of thoughts in the Chinese tradition aim to know dao so as to comprehend changes and promote harmony.

They differ mainly on how dao can be known and how harmony can be achieved and sustained. The proper understanding of yinyang and dao gives us a head start in studying their teachings. The prerequisite of designating something as this and something else as that is a differentiation that distinguishes this from that. If yin and yang are supposed to be equal, then what accounts for China being a male-dominant society?

The causes lie more on China being an agrarian country for thousands of years and its needs to defend itself against nomadic tribes than on philosophical or religious grounds. It would be a mistake to say that the cause of such a disruption is yang remaining at full strength for twenty four hours. I suspect that such a mistake contributes to the superstitious view that yin and yang are mysterious forces that drive changes in reality. There may be more than one path to go from one place to another.

Route A may be the fastest while Route B the most scenic. If one prefers sightseeing to saving time, then it would be more suitable to take Route B than route A.

Overall, the Chinese worldview favors dao that promotes and sustains harmony. The development of Yi Jing and the study of changes were though initially influenced by divination.

The contrast and the mutual dependency between yin and yang are sometimes mistakenly used as a response to the problem of evil: Evil exists and cannot be eliminated because just like yin cannot exist alone without yang , good cannot exist without evil. However, such a contention is a misapplication of yinyang.

It would be an error to say that good is yin and evil is yang , or good is yang and evil is yin. More seriously, such a response would not sit well with certain Christian theologies, for if good cannot exist without evil, does this mean that God cannot exist without the Devil? This framework of yinyang balance is also adopted in many other domains such as health and medicine.

In Chinese medicine, an illness is often characterized as an imbalance between yin and yang. Again, it is worth reiterating that it would be a mistake to say that the illness is caused by an imbalance between yin and yang.

After Buddhism was introduced into China, the belief in rebirth, often taken literally as the transmigration of the soul, did become popular. Sitting under a bodhi tree In this way, qi is guided through these passages and inner harmony is created, eventually reaching a healthy state characterized by strong muscles, bones, flexible joints, and smooth circulation of qi and blood [ 5 ].

Based on scientific research, Qu and Zheng believed that stretching and relaxing muscles along the regular meridians by physical exercise will clear conduit vessels in the whole body and make the circulation of qi and blood smooth.

Free circulation will dispel pains, which finally leads to improvement in movement functions [ 2 ]. Abdominal breathing with such characteristics can increase the range of contraction and relaxation of the diaphragm, bringing about benefits such as a massaging of the liver, stomach, spleen, and intestine, to increase circulation of blood and strengthen the ligaments between the smooth muscles of organs.

During this type of breathing, due to the wide range of diaphragm contraction and relaxation, the diaphragm can be exercised and strengthened, thus deepening as well as slowing down the breathing and leading to the state of breathing economy.

In this way, the lungs can get a longer rest after each breath, which not only helps to inhale more fresh air but also makes the lungs and respiratory muscles less prone to fatigue, thereby making the ventilatory function thus improved. Such movements can clear channels and collaterals, regulate as well as nourish qi and blood, improve functions of the five internal organs, eliminate food stagnation and blood stasis, and finally achieve the effects of disease treatment when one is sick as well as health preservation when one is well [ 27 ].

Though various forms and styles of Dao Yin have developed throughout the years, we believe that Dao Yin may modulate health through three key mechanisms Figure 1. The first mechanism works through the brain, i. In support of this hypothesis, studies have found a modulation effect of meditation on the structure and function of the anterior insula and ACC [ 27 — 32 ], key regions involved in interoception.

In addition, studies have shown that Tai Chi and Baduanjin, two traditional Dao Yin methods, can significantly modulate the cognitive control network in both healthy subjects [ 33 ] and chronic pain patients [ 34 ], as well as the default mode network, a network associated with self-inferencing in older adults [ 35 ]. The second mechanism is through the attenuation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal HPA axis reaction to stress.

Under stress, the amygdala is excited, which leads to the activation of the hypothalamus, which triggers the pituitary gland to secret the adrenocorticotropic hormone ACTH. The ACTH stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce cortisol, which increases blood pressure and blood sugar levels, turns fatty acids into energy, and suppresses the immune system.

At the same time, stress triggers the sympathetic nervous system to stimulate the adrenal medulla to produce catecholamine hormones, such as adrenaline epinephrine or noradrenaline norepinephrine. This pathway prepares the body for fight or flight actions. The sympathetic nervous system leads to pupillary dilation, increased heart rate and blood pressure, bronchial dilatation, and decreased movement of the large intestine.

Thirdly, Dao Yin may also modulate the immune system, enhancing anti-inflammation. Recent studies have suggested that traditional Dao Yin methods such as Tai Chi may reduce stress and modulate the inflammatory process [ 37 , 38 ]. For instance, Jin [ 39 ] found that the practice of Tai Chi can decrease salivary cortisol concentrations. Compared to baseline levels, subjects reported less tension, depression, anger, fatigue, confusion, and state anxiety and had also felt more vigorous.

Irwin and Olmstead [ 40 ] evaluated the effects of Tai Chi on circulating markers of inflammation in older adults and found that, among those with high IL-6 levels at entry, Tai Chi produced a drop in IL-6 levels to levels comparable to those found in Tai Chi and health education subgroups with low IL-6 levels at entry. Decreases in depressive symptoms in the two treatment groups correlated with decreases in IL It is worth noting that the three mechanisms may not function independently but rather interact with each other.

Specifically, neuroinflammatory sensitization provoked by stress elicits profound changes in human body [ 41 , 42 ]. As mentioned above, Dao Yin may reduce stress by focusing on the internal status of the human body interoception and enhancing well-being.

The hypothalamus, anterior insula, and ACC may be involved in this process [ 41 ]. Thus, the three mechanisms may work together to improve and maintain health. Dao Yin exercise is a series of exercises that are very suitable for the health preservation of middle-aged and elderly people. It is not only an aerobic exercise but also a treatment method for a variety of diseases. According to the categorization of experts in this field [ 1 ], the practice of Dao Yin exercise mainly falls into four forms: mental activities, breathing regulation, limb movements, and self-massage.

As a traditional exercise therapy, Dao Yin exercise integrates the above four exercises into a whole. The medical value and therapeutic effects of Dao Yin exercise on various diseases have been fully recognized by doctors for many generations. With constant enrichment, development, and improvement, the combination of Dao Yin and modern exercise therapies has been explored in clinical research and applied to the prevention and intervention of physical and mental illnesses.

Existing research into the therapeutic effects of Dao Yin exercise on physical illnesses mainly focus on lumbar spondylosis, limb diseases, cervical diseases, heart disease, central nervous disorders, immune dysfunction, and so on [ 7 ].

As for its intervention as treatment of limb joints, lumbar vertebrae, cervical vertebrae, mental illness, and the physique, the research subjects tend to be middle-aged and elderly people, while the research results are quite fruitive. Lumbar spondylosis is mostly caused by acute or chronic injuries of the spinal column or its surrounding soft tissues, the degeneration of the lumbar intervertebral disc, lumbar hyperosteogeny, etc.

Clinically, it is mainly manifested by low back pain, lumbar motor disturbance, and pain in waist and lower extremities. Excessive sitting causes the imbalanced strength of the lumbar joints and muscles; that is, the tense muscles are always tense, while the relaxed muscles are always relaxed, resulting in poor blood circulation and decreased metabolic function. Dao Yin exercise generally involves wide stretches to exercise and relax muscles. As proved by a wealth of research results, practicing Dao Yin exercise does have therapeutic effects on the rehabilitation of lumbar spondylosis and the enhancement of lumbar and abdominal strength.

According to Qu and Zheng [ 2 ], practicing Dao Yin exercise, through its strengthening of muscles of the back, enhances muscle strength and endurance, provides stable support for the lumbar vertebrae, stimulates the nerves, and thereby maintains the stability of the spinal column and prevents low back pain. Bai et al. This is done so that the multifidus muscle can be effectively exercised, thereby strengthening the function of the multifidus muscle, increasing the stability of the spinal column and alleviating low back pain.

The research conducted by Ding and Wang [ 45 ] shows that practicing Ba Duan Jin, or eight silken movements, enhances the strength of the back and abdominal muscles, thereby significantly improving lumbar lordosis and sacral inclination.

In other words, practicing Ba Duan Jin effectively controls the movement of the spinal column and pelvis and maintains their stability, thereby relieving low back pain and promoting lumbar activity. Li et al. The experimental group was treated by letting them practice standing-position Ba Duan Jin for 12 weeks, while the control group was treated with painkillers. Visual analogue scale VAS , Oswestry dysfunction index, lumbar lordosis, sacral inclination, and lumbar activity of the patients in the two groups before and after the treatment were compared.

The results showed that, before the treatment, there was no difference between the two groups in all the indicators, and that after the treatment, all the indicators of the two groups were improved, with more significant improvement found in the experimental group or.

Therefore, it is concluded that standing-position Ba Duan Jin exercise can improve lumbar lordosis and sacral inclination, thereby significantly relieving chronic low back pain and improving lumbar activity.

Chen et al. After assessing the spinal cord function of the patients, it was found that practicing lumbar Dao Yin exercise had let the back muscles fully relax and stretch, which helped eliminate the fatigue of the back muscles and trained the muscles with load.

This effect contributed to the enhancement of muscle strength and endurance as well as the improvement of lumbar function. People with musculoskeletal diseases often do not want to move the area where pain is located. The lack of limb motions leads to decreased activity and flexibility of the joints and even the possibility of inflammation [ 48 ]. Dao Yin exercise is practiced slowly at a constant speed, mainly involving the movements of the limbs and requiring a certain amount of exercise.

Due to its benefits in physical coordination improvement [ 49 ] and the balance between the limb muscles and muscle groups [ 49 ], Dao Yin exercise can be well applied to the treatment of peripheral musculoskeletal diseases with therapeutic effects. According to Ru [ 5 ], a Dao Yin exerciser stretches the body under the guidance of his or her active consciousness.

Such activity stretching the body not only balances the muscle contraction force around the joints of the limbs but also increases the volume of the limb tissue fluid, thus forming a stretch-fluid loop.

It is thus concluded that the addition of Dao Yin exercise to conventional basic treatment has significant therapeutic effects on knee arthritis. In two more recent studies [ 52 , 53 ], Liu and colleagues compared the effect of Tai Chi, Baduanjin, and cycling in patients with knee OA and found 1 all three exercises can relieve pain symptoms and increase serum programmed cell death protein 1 PD-1 levels and 2 different exercises can modulate both common and unique brain pathways.

There is evidence that cervical spondylosis is becoming an increasingly common disease among more and more young people, and that, in the next 50 years, it will be become a clinically important disease similar to low back pain.

People who work at the desk for long hours have their neck muscles in a long-term state of tension without enough relaxation, resulting in decreased elasticity of the muscles and thereby leading to adhesion. Tissue adhesion irritates and oppresses the nerves of the spot, which causes pain.

The slow-paced stretching of Dao Yin exercise promotes blood circulation, increases blood supply to the neck, and brings about benefits to nutrition and recovery. There are certain research results, indicating the clinical efficacy of Dao Yin exercise on cervical spondylosis. In the controlled trials conducted by Jing et al.

Both groups were treated with spinal manipulation in a lying position, while the experimental group additionally received Dao Yin therapy. The results showed that there was significant statistical difference before and after the treatment of each group and between the two groups after the treatment; compared with pure spinal manipulation, its combination with Dao Yin exercise yielded more significant clinical therapeutic effects on cervical spondylosis.

By conducting a prospective cohort study, Zhu et al. The so-called cervical-vertebra Dao Yin exercise refers to the movements of leftward-rightward and forward-backward stretching of the cervical vertebra, chest expanding, and body stretching against the cervical vertebra.

Healthy software professionals were selected as the research subjects. Those in the intervention group practiced cervical-vertebra Dao Yin exercise and received health education, while the control group received no intervention. Over the course of 3 years, the incidence rates were observed in both groups, with a statistically significant difference in the incidence rates between the two groups ; the risk of cervical spondylosis in the control group was significantly higher than that in the intervention group.

By using the random number table, Wang et al. Those in the control group were treated with manipulation therapy once every other day, that is, 3 times a week, for three consecutive weeks. In addition to the treatment in the control group, those in the treatment group were further treated with cervical-vertebra Dao Yin exercise twice every day once in the morning and once in the evening , 5 days a week for three consecutive weeks.