The Yin and Yang of Tiredness and Exhaustion
It is quite a challenge to find balance in the way that we live our life today. Many people are simply exhausted. Everyone seems to be overdoing everything these days and are unable to get themselves off that fast train. Sounds familiar?
Without going into the finer details of this subject, I would like to offer a simple approach of looking and understanding tiredness in a way that would keep you in the right direction:
There are two kinds of tiredness, Yin and Yang:
Yin tiredness is a tiredness due to lack. A person has either a weak constitution, chronic illness or has exhausted themselves so much that their kidneys and adrenals are exhausted. A Yin tired person would be simply tired. Any effort or exersise they may do will deplete them more and they will become more exhausted. Their battery is finished and there are no resources to draw from any more.
These people need nourishment, rest and if you ask me, I would say (of course..) also Acupuncture.
Yang tiredness may look exactly the same, but is caused by overdoing and constantly stressing about life. There is no actual lack of energy - it is there, but it is stuck and therefore unavailable to the person. A Yang type tired person would feel refreshed after any kind of activity and movement.
These people need physical excersise or some kind of new movement in their lives, some change. They also need to learn how to be content and change their habit of constantly trying to achieve more all the time.
It is also common that people who are very stressed and anxious (meaning their energy is stuck and not flowing) have a great need to keep themselves very busy all the time. It is a way of not feeling stuck and facing their exhaustion and anxiety. They would often drink a lot of coffee to create the movement that is lacking. I find that Meditation, Acupuncture and Alexander Technique are wonderful for these people, much better that coffee!
As a general rule of nature,
Yin supports Yang and Yang creates Yin.
Therefore, a person with long term Yang Exhaustion (overdoing) will find that eventually they will become Yin exhausted as well.
A person who is Yin exhausted and really has a deficient constitution, may find that over time they live on a "empty battery" and becoming Yang Exhausted as too.
That is why we often see a combination of both Yin and Yang tiredness at the same time
You could simply experiment and see whether it is rest that makes you feel better or is it movement.
In both Yin and Yang Types of exhaustion, there is in most cases a viral factor as well as a toxic liver and exhausted kidneys or adrenals. All of these need to be addressed in treatment as well as with correct nutrition.