The Key To a Balanced Home: Yin and Yang

The philosophy of Yin and Yang is one of the main theories of all ancient Chinese schools of thought. It is a central principle in Chinese martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, the Taoism cosmology and also in Feng Shui. The theory and philosophy of Yin and Yang is one of the ways you can draw inspiration from Feng Shui to balance the energy of your interiors and your surroundings. Whether it is a townhouse in hougang, or whether it is an apartment in Marina Bay, the principles of Yin and Yang can aid you greatly in creating harmony and balance in your space.

Read on for an in-depth understanding of the principle of Yin and Yang in order to understand its application on a practical yet simple level.


The principle of Yin and Yang is that all things exist as a duality: everything in the Universe is composed of two inseparable and complementary forces that interact to form a dynamic system where the whole is greater than the sum total of its constituent parts. In other words, opposite forces are in actuality complementary, interconnected and interdependent: one cannot exist without the other. Rather, the opposing forces of Yin and Yang deeply support and nourish each other to create the essence of life around us.

Yin, the feminine energy, is represented by the color black. Yin represents passive energy and in terms of energy is soft, slow, relaxed, nurturing, receptive and silent. The essence of the feminine energy is signified by the softness of water, the mystery of the Moon, the blackness of rich soil and the deep silence of dusk and night.

Yan, the masculine energy, is represented by the color white. Yang is the energy of activeness and is hard, fast, active, aggressive, bright and loud energy-wise. The essence of Yang is encapsulated by the aggressiveness of race cars, the solidness of rock on a mountain, the focused energy of a laser beam, the brightness of the dawn and the fiery essence of the Sun.

Neither energy can exist in isolation. They define and complement each other’s existence. A home with good Feng Shui should have a harmonious expression of both active and passive energies. However, in today’s world, we tend to constantly experience imbalances of feng shui energies. We live our lives in a constant and hectic flow of active energy. In these instances, we might be lacking, or even missing, passive energy, which provides relaxation and nourishment.

All homes need a balanced energy in order to support your physical and mental well-being. The principle of Yin and Yang enforces that balance in the Feng Shui of your space. Creating a home that reflects balance is important. Yin and yang are often balanced instinctively and intuitively in your home. For example, you add soft cushions to hard chairs; you turn on more cold water if the bathwater gets too hot; you include darker accent colors in an all-white room to keep it from looking too bland. These are instances where the two equal yet opposite forces of yin and yang bring balance into your surroundings. Thus, making sure that each aspect of your space has balanced yin and yang attributes is important to create sensual harmony around you.

The overall goal in any space is to use items and colors appropriately that represent a balanced (or sometimes even skewed) combination of both Yin and Yang. Décor with curving, fluid lines evoke the energy of Yin, while sharp angles and straight lines evoke the energy of Yang.

Depending on the overall feel that you want your space to exude, you can incorporate elements that are more towards either energy. For example, the energy of Yin is needed more in spaces such as the bedroom or the bathroom, where relaxation and serenity are important. The energy of Yin is evident through calm colors, soft music, the soothing sounds of flowing water and the relaxing calmness of still water. On the other hand, the energy of Yang is expressed in bold, strong and vibrant sounds and colors, as well as bright lights and moving energy. In contrast, other spaces such as the living room, family room, kitchen and dining room are spaces that will benefit more from the strong presence of active Yang energy, and ensure that there will always be a good gathering of energy and crowd of warm relationships.

Although sometimes, depending on the use of the space, one quality or energy will be stronger than the other, both feng shui energies are needed to maintain harmony. Consider taking a look at your space and try to sense where strong imbalances of these energies exist. Perhaps your bedroom is missing Yin energy, or perhaps your kitchen has too much Yin and not enough Yang. In these cases, it can help if you pull the balance back by adding a bit of décor that evokes the missing energy.

For example, if your bedroom lacks relaxing energy, you can remove more dominant Yang elements such as the TV or exercise equipment. However, this doesn’t mean that all Yang elements should be removed completely. While the Yin energy should be predominant in your bedroom, Yang energy still needs to be present. Think about lighter and brighter accent colors to balance the deeper sensual colors. On the other hand, if your Yang spaces lack Yang energy, you can add it back by choosing vibrant colors and lively décor. However, do also remember to incorporate the Yin element. Although it will not be the dominant element, you still need it for balance.

All in all, a harmonious balance of both Yin and Yang energy in your home will create the positive energy that you need in your life.

Till then.

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18 Comments

Qeela said…
Good and details info about yin and yang. Indeed it’s interesting and we basically need balance in everything, as much as in interior design as well to have our desired outcome.
Sembang Kopi said…
Apa benda ni sis, macam lada hitam, lada putih n garam kasar aje ni...pernah dengar pasal sis cerita ni..tapi dh lupa siapa yg bgtau....
Luqman Zakaria said…
Sebelum ini tak pernah pon amek tahu pasal yin and yang. Sekarang ini baru tahu pasal combination of yin and yang. haha
Ibu Pantang said…
yin and yang.konsep yang sangat bagus utk chinese kan.ilmu baru lepas baca artikel yani ni hehe.sebelum ni tahu dengar je yinyang ni
cre8tone said…
i read about yin and yang balancing also.. very interesting idea, isn't it... nice for u to share about it..
Qaseh Dalia said…
Oooo itu maksud ying and yang , btw tahu psl ying yang sebab ttkgk kartun hehe xtau pun apa maksud di sebalik
Cik Min said…
Hehe dulu pernah gak belajar pasal ying yang ni tapi dah lupa..bila baca semula ni teringat balik hehe kalo chinese memang pentingkan ni kan..
Ibu Syurga said…
Hai sekalian manusia, bertakwalah kepada Tuhan-mu yang telah menciptakan kamu dari seorang diri, dan dari padanya Allah menciptakan isterinya; dan dari pada keduanya Allah memperkembang biakkan laki-laki dan perempuan yang banyak. Dan bertakwalah kepada Allah yang dengan (mempergunakan) nama-Nya kamu saling meminta satu sama lain, dan (peliharalah) hubungan silaturrahim. Sesungguhnya Allah selalu menjaga dan mengawasi kamu.

Surah An Nisa ayat 1.

Rawlins GLAM said…
I agrees with the Yin Yang in the life and in our homes too. Sebenarnya kena balance kan semua elemen untuk keselesaan dan kebahagiaan semua kan.
Saya kdg percaya juga tentang semua rumah kena ada balance energy. Sebabnya mempengaruhi emosi org yg tinggal dlm runah. Pernah baca psl ying yang ni..
Hanny Abdullh said…
Macam pernah dgr gak pasal ying n yang ni..tp dengar mcm dengr angin lalu je. La ni dah lupa dah apa..baca entry ni baru teringat balik..hehehe
Alia Farhan said…
Yin yang.. ni semua chinese kata nak bagi balance la kan...betui la..idup ni apa2 pun kena balance...lagi2 kalau nak detailing in home decor
Syamimi Saad said…
Yang and ying ehhh.. Pernah dengat gitu gitu je la. Tapi tak tahu sangat dengan lebih mendalam.
Lia Hasty said…
Pernah dengan pasal yin & yang dalam chinese fengsui. Tapi xtau lah pulak details pasal ni. Kalau tengok cerita cina xpun movie mesti akan tnjuk yin and yang ni kan.
Nadia Johari said…
Baru tau serba sedikit pasl ying yang..nad cuma tau ying ni baik yang jahat..hahha..eh yeke..tu pun masa kerja bos cerit pasal ni..hehhew
oo baru tau yin dan yang ni secara detail. secara generalnya memang penting keseimbangan tu dalam banyak aspek kehidupan. thank you for sharing ;)
Pernah jugak dengar pasal yin & yang tapi x pernah ikut cara yin & yang ni. Ada cara, lebih kurang macam pantang larang nak atur barang
JMR said…
Yes, ini kepercayaan mereka. Ada betul nyer tapi takde la sampai yakin..sekadar nak follow, ok je kan

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