The Six Stages in application to Yin Yoga

The Six Stages : Enhance your understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the context of Yin Yoga with this upcoming workshop. See event page for more information. 

The six stages, or six levels are a diagnostic framework used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In most Yin Yoga teacher training courses you learn about the interior – exterior pairing of the Yin and Yang (Zang-Fu) organs of each element. The six stages pairs hand and foot channels as a means of describing the progression of external pathogenic factors, particularly cold, through the body’s internal pathways and organ systems.

The concept of the Six Stages originates from one of the foundational texts of TCM : the Shang Han Lun. The theories were developed at a time when febrile diseases were very prevalent. Each stage aligns with the movement of pathogenic factors such as wind, cold and heat through the body, reflecting the interrelated aspects of Yin-Yang dynamics and the Zang-Fu organs.

It might be useful to think of it as a framework that helps to guide a practitioner in diagnosing and treating certain conditions based on the stage and nature of the disease process. It can also be related to understanding the flow of energy and sense of balance in the body.

When combined with Yin Yoga and breath work, we can use specific poses to restore balance in the body. By understanding the hand and foot pairing Yin Yoga teachers can be more intentional about where and how to move the Qi in the body.

Twisting poses are an ideal way to pair hand and foot channels.

Here is a brief overview of the six stages :

  1. Tai Yang (Greater Yang) = Urinary Bladder and Small intestine channel : represents the initial stage of external invasion. Symptoms include chills, fever, headache, stiff neck and aversion to cold. Emotional imbalances could include fear and insecurity, overly critical of oneself and others, mental rigidity, aversion to deeper connections.
  2. Yang Ming (Bright Yang) = Stomach and Large intestine. Indicates a deeper stage of heat accumulation. Physical symptoms could include high fever, excessive sweating, thirst and constipation. Emotional imbalance may reflect a sense of ’emotional’ indigestion, anxiety and overthinking, difficulty letting go of past hurts or a reluctance to release old patterns.
  3. Shao Yang (Lesser Yang) = Gallbladder and Triple Burner (San Jiao) : this is the ‘pivot’ between external and internal disease. The body works harder to expel the pathogenic factor. Symptoms include alternating chills and fever, bitter taste in the mouth, dry throat and hypochondriac pain. A person might also be feeling indecisiveness, hesitation, frustration and irritability with significant internal conflict.
  4. Tai Yin (Greater Yin) = Spleen and Lung. This stage marks a shift from external cold to internal cold or deficiency. Symptoms may include abdominal fullness, diarrhoea, poor appetite and fatigue. Signs of emotional imbalance in Tai yin might show up as worry, dwelling on the past.
  5. Shao Yin (Lesser Yin) = Heart and Kidneys. An even deeper level of deficiency or imbalance, with possible symptoms like cold limbs, fatigue, insomnia or heart palpitations.
  6. Jue Yin (Terminal Yin) = Liver and Pericardium. Represents the final stage, often a mix of extreme heat and cold. The person may experience thirst, a sense of energy rising, vomiting or extreme cold patterns. An emotional balance in the final stage could present as intense feelings of anger, frustration or hopelessness. Even a difficulty in expressing emotions or feeling emotionally isolated.

A simple pose such as Child’s pose could be selected to support the Tai Yang level activating the Urinary bladder and Small intestine channels.

Yin Yoga can be an extremely useful practice to encourage a stable and healthy flow of emotions in the body. Whichever stage, selecting appropriate poses that open the channels of the hand foot pairings can bring relief and change. With its emphasis in stillness, deep stretching and meditative focus, yin yoga aligns extremely well with the principles of TCM. Addressing both physical and emotional imbalances corresponding to each stage.