動dòng則zé生shēng陽yáng,，靜jìng則zé生shēng陰yīn

What does 動則生陽，靜則生陰 (dòng zé shēng yáng, jìng zé shēng yīn) mean?

動則生陽，靜則生陰 (dòng zé shēng yáng, jìng zé shēng yīn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Movement generates yang; stillness generates yin." In use it means: Physical activity stimulates warmth, circulation, and outward energy, while rest and meditation cultivate coolness, nourishment, and inward restoration. Health requires both in proper proportion, and neither alone suffices. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.

Literally: "Movement generates yang; stillness generates yin."

The reading

The body generates what it practices. Vigorous movement, including walking, martial arts, and labor, calls yang energy up from its reserves, warming the limbs and sharpening the senses. Quiet rest, including meditation, sleep, and slow breathing, allows yin to accumulate, cooling inflammation and rebuilding substance. The person who only exercises burns out. The person who only rests stagnates. Alternating between the two follows the body's own tidal rhythm.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeyànyǔ 諺語
• FocusPresent-minded
• Element火 Fire
• Zodiac tie虎 Year of the Tiger

Source Huangdi Neijing principles, codified in Zhu Danxi's Gezhi Yulun, Yuan dynasty

Sits beside

Keep reading

Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.