Using the Yin and Yang approach, we looked at the Excess and Deficiency Patterns in your physical aspects.

Next we will see if your body tends to be cold or retain heat.

"Coldness is the cause of all illnesses. "

In this case, coldness refers to a cold (low) body temperature, not the environment. If you are not aware of the your body being cold, it starts to damage your health and eventually turns into sickness.

On the other hand, by learning the patterns of heat, you may realize that your body tends to retain heat. If you tend to overheat or don’t feel well when you warm your body, you have a heat pattern in your body.

Some people love to drink ice cold drinks with lots of ice. This doesn't automatically mean that the person has a heat body type. Sometimes, a person with a cold body type drinks ice cold drinks to make the body even colder and ends up havving diarrhea. This means your body wasn't wanting the ice cold drinks.

This time, we will look at the types in terms of temperature, Excess/Deficiency, and Internal/External location where the source of an illness can be found.

These are the sample characteristics of Cold Pattern Type:

- Cold: your body is always cold, cold hands and feet, cold bottom half of the body

- Deficiency: weak immune system, weak body, weak digestion, tends to have diarrhea, thin frame, internal conflict brings down energy

- Internal: source of an illness is deep, intestinal tract and organs close to it has issues, chills, thirst, constipation, bloating, abdominal pains, etc.

These are the sample characteristics of Heat Pattern Type:

- Heat: always feeling hot on the face, prolonged constipation

- Excess: symptoms clearly progress, no weakness and clear consciousness, internal conflict gets stronger, frequent phlegm during early-mid stage of sickness, strong stomach, doesn't sweat much, muscular build

- External: source of an illness is shallow, skin, hands and feet, head, shoulder and back, lower back, fever, headache, neck pain, lower back pain, joint pain, swelling, etc.

Let's see if you are more of a Cold Pattern or Heat Pattern. Select your type in each category in the chart below:

Cold/Heat Balance Check
Category	Cold	Neither	Heat
Body Type	Does your body want something warm?	Neither	Does your body want something cold?
Color	Hands and feet are pale, face color is pale?	Neither	Face is red? Any redness?
Temperature	Hands and feet are cold?	Neither	Hands and feet are hot?
Phlegm	Clear phlegm and runny nose?	Neither	Yellow and thick phlegm and runny nose?
Urine	Clear color?	Neither	Dark color?
Tongue	White?	Neither	Red?
Stool	Soft stool or diarrhea?	Neither	Constipation?
Total

From the total number in each column, you can see your tendency in Cold Pattern or Heat Pattern.

If you tend to be cold, there is a deficiency of Yang and the warming functionality is deteriorated. In order to warm up the body, we look at the signs from the body and bring a balance.

Of course, you can improve the body warming function from external source by consciously choosing the right clothes, foods and drinks, too

We looked at Deficiency, Excess, Cold and Heat patterns to see your tendency of Yin and Yang. Which quadrant are you in the matrix below? The results are neither good or bad but the goal is to go towards the center and be neutral.

Here's an example of the benefit of being in the center and neutral.

Let's say when your body is overweight, you are more in the excess pattern. Why does your body have a tendency to be in the excess pattern? It's because your Yang is too strong and Yin is too weak to counterbalance your Yang. This is one example of the inbalance of Yin and Yang showing on your body.

While you are in the excess pattern, you worry about restrictions such as what to eat and what not to eat. But if you are in the center, you don't have to worry about the restrictions. You can pretty much eat and drink anything you want and as long as you are aware of the center, you will know when to stop before going too much into the excess pattern. Awareness of the center and knowing what your body really needs make it easier to deal with the issue in a long run than tackling the issue with your will power alone.

Make a note of your position in the matrix. Later, you will learn the related organs to figure out the acupressure points to balance out the body like a spring cleaning of your body.

4. Let’s Look at Your Cold and Heat Pattern