See Yin Yang in Classical Texts by Elisabeth Rochat De La Vallee
" Our study of the philosophical texts has shown the yin yang represent opposite and complementary qualities of qi. They are the rhythm and harmony within the qi, the condensation and the development, the withdrawing into the depths or the surging to the exterior. We saw that this is seen most clearly in the great rhythms and movements of the qi through the four seasons of the year, with the heat of yang rising up and diffusing from the beginning of the springtime, culminating during the summer and the cold yin descending, concentrating within from the beginning of autumn and culminating is the winter.
Qi is nothing other than yin yang and it is through yin yang that we are able to see the manifestations of qi everywhere.
The manifestation of qi in the form of space and time is made through the yin yang. We find yin and yang at each level of life, in the body and the mind, in space and time. The yin yang actions of the qi complete each other, through a kind of mutual penetration and harmonious succession. Pathology is nothing other that the weakness of one and the prevalence of the other, and as a result there is a lack of one thing and an excess of something else, of heat or cold, of agitation or inertia, or irregularity in the movement of ascending and descending, or the centrifugal or centripetal movement of the essences and qi." p. 68
. . . it is never a classification as such that is made by yin and yang, but a way to describe the modality of the relationship between two realities, two things, or two being; so we are looking athte movement which unites them, and creates a kind of rhytm between them.
Yin and yang describe the kind of qi operating behind phenomena. They are properites of the qi which manifest themselves in concrete beings and things having a form.They always imply change and mutation - there is not substance suggested by yin and yang but a movement of qi.There is never a permanent state of yin or yang. pp.38 - 39
A Study of Qi in Classical Texts
Elisabeth Rochat De La Vallee
The Origins of QiWind
In order to understand the origin of qi , we must first look at the concept of wind. A character for qi itself does not appear in the early oracular and bronze inscriptions, or in the most ancient Chinese texts such as The Book of Documents, Shujing or the Book of Odes, Shijing. What we do find in the very ancient oracular inscriptions of the 12th, 13th and even 14th centuries BC is the character for wind, and these early descriptions of wind have some of the qualities which will be later attributed to qi.
Yin and Yang
Late qi will be understood as what is behind yin yang and this is a very important shit. We cannot speak of qi without speaking of yin yang, and we cannot speak of yin yang without speaking of qi. For instance, yin and yang appear in early texts as two of the six qi of heaven. They are like cold and heat, which is to say they are not on the right, sunny side of a hill, but also the shady side. More that than they are the cold and heat which are the result of being in the sun or shade. Yin and yang will become a kind of differentiation of qi, as qi will become the influence behind any kind o manifestation. pp. 2 - 3
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Generally I do not think this has a strong relationship to prana or the practice of yoga. These ideas are unique to Chinese culture and part of their world view found in correlative cosmology and the yi-jing
Good place to start:
https://www.amazon.com/Brief-History-Qi ... tory+of+qiA Brief History of Qi Paperback – December, 2001by Yu Huan Zhang (Author), Ken Rose (Author)
A Brief History of Qi", takes the reader through the mysterious terrain of Chinese Medicine, Chinese language, Chinese martial arts, and 'Qi Gong' - a truly evocative guide to virtually all the traditional Chinese arts and sciences. This book is devoted to a topic represented by a single Chinese character, Qi. When presented with the concept of Qi, students of Chinese culture, Chinese medicine, Chinese martial arts and a wide range of Chinese traditional arts and sciences, face one of the most perplexing challenges of their tenure. The book begins with an examination of Qi's linguistic and literary roots, stretching back through the shadowy mists of Chinese pre-civilisation. The authors then trace the development of the concept of Qi through a number of related traditional Chinese disciplines including painting, poetry, medicine and martial arts. The book concludes with an examination of the depth and breadth of Qi as manifested in life's cycles.
Yinyang: The Way of Heaven and Earth in Chinese Thought and Culture (New Approaches to Asian History) Paperback – November 15, 2012
by Robin R. Wang (Author)
The concept of yinyang lies at the heart of Chinese thought and culture. The relationship between these two opposing, yet mutually dependent, forces is symbolized in the familiar black and white symbol that has become an icon in popular culture across the world. The real significance of yinyang is, however, more complex and subtle. This brilliant and comprehensive analysis by one of the leading authorities in the field captures the richness and multiplicity of the meanings and applications of yinyang, including its visual presentations. Through a vast range of historical and textual sources, the book examines the scope and role of yinyang, the philosophical significance of its various layers of meanings, and its relation to numerous schools and traditions within Chinese (and Western) philosophy. By putting yinyang on a secure and clear philosophical footing, the book roots the concept in the original Chinese idiom, distancing it from Western assumptions, frameworks, and terms, yet also seeking to connect its analysis to shared cross-cultural philosophical concerns. In this way, the book illuminates not only a particular way of thinking, but also shows how yinyang thought has manifested itself concretely in a wide range of cultural practices, ranging from divination to medicine, and from the art of war to the art of sex.