The Yin-yang symbol is used to express dualities in the universe.

Dualities of masculine-feminine; hard-soft; light-dark; penetrating-receiving;

substantial-insubstantial.

There are three basic principles contained within this symbol:

1. In order for movement, there needs to be duality.

Newton’s laws of motion state that when things at rest, the forces are perfectly
balanced. In order for movement to occur, there needs to be disequilibrium.
Think of this in terms of your weight shift. In order for you to take a step
forward, your left/right; upper/lower parts of your body must experience a
duality.
In terms of martial art, you must be ready to embrace change and the shifting
of these energies. If you are completely hard and rooted, you are likely to fall.

2. “Within yin there is yang; within yang there is yin.” (陰中帶陽、陽中

帶陰)
However, within each duality, there is always its opposite.
In terms of your weight shift, even though your weight is on one foot, within
the foot itself there is yin and yang.
This awareness translates in your body as well as your sense of space. This is
why there is a lot of emphasis in tai chi about the awareness of the various
directions: your vertical plane (up-down); your lateral place (forward-
backwards) and your horizontal plane (left-right). So when you sink
downwards, you must also be aware of a sense of up. This tug of oppositions
prevents you from a ‘limp’ body. Your body-awareness is always active in all
directions.
The more detailed you are in your awareness, the richer your movement will
become. If you look at Chinese calligraphy, there is never simply a straight
line. Within each line there is variation in pressure and direction. It is this
hidden potential that is exciting to watch in a performer.
In terms of acting or philosophy, we come to understand that things are never
simply black and white. Given the right circumstances, “selfish” characters
might act selflesslessly; “timid” characters will fight for what they believe in.
When we look at people whose actions we condemn or admire; we see that
potential in ourselves as well.
 3. “When matter reaches one extreme, it evolves to its opposite.” (物極
必反)
Finally, these forces are always shifting. In the symbol, notice how the yin
grows to a certain point, and evolves to yang; and vice-versa.
In terms of physics, this makes perfect sense. If you want to jump high, you
bend knees in preparation. And if you want to land softly after jumping from a
great height, you bend your knees again to transform the momentum again.
In order to keep things flowing, tai chi evolves movement before it reaches its
extreme. This is what gives tai chi its round quality. Unlike the “harder”
martial arts like karate or boxing, tai chi attempts to sublimate the incoming
forces. You use the opponent’s incoming force against him or her.
This type of philosophy is very present in Taoism. Harmony is often
emphasized in our culture, and often people seek to avoid conflict. This is not
necessarily a good thing, and when things reach a breaking point, that’s when
relationships blow up / revolutions happen.

Actually, there are many ways to think of the yin-yang, because the yin-yang is
basically about dualities and opposites. You can think of it in gender studies. You can
think of it in terms of health. You can think of it in terms of political or ecological
systems.
However, as a starting point, I think it might be helpful to focus on:
- How the perception of dualities transform your movement
- The flow that arises from the transformation of extremes
- How duality affects your understanding of drama and performance
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