In this lesson, I talk about the differences between Yang approaches to meditation and Yin approaches to meditation; how Yang meditation is about focusing the mind and attaining certain outcomes; how Yin meditation is about a receptive attitude towards the full spectrum of your experience and more open ended. When we look at different mental qualities, Yin qualities of mind tend to include traits like receptivity, allowance, yielding, tolerance, quiescence, reflection, passivity, or non-manipulation. Yang qualities of mind tend to involve traits like doing, manipulating, directing, improving, achieving, controlling, or becoming. From a Chinese perspective, both Yin and Yang qualities are essential. And the value in better understanding the relationship between Yin and Yang qualities is to promote balance and harmony between them.
