Wasn’t sure what category to put this under.
This is something my Chinese mom does and she told me about. It’s a way to clean your energy centers, facilitate circulation, and rejuvenate your body. By combining yin and yang, dark and light, cold and warm, negative and positive, etc…it is supposed to stimulate circulation and rejuvenate the system. Also good for digestion and clear skin. It’s very simple. Water is all it is:
Boil water and fill a mug/cup/glass about 1/3 with cold water. Fill the rest with hot water, then chug the whole thing immediately so the waters mix while inside you (I think the idea is to let the different temperatured waters mix inside the body. the article I’m referencing says to put 2/3 cup hot water first followed by cold water, but I think it would be better to do the other way around- Hot vs Cold Water Experiment (Chemistry) - YouTube shows why- cold water is denser than hot so goes to the bottom naturally. That’s why in the cup, when you put cold first, the waters don’t mix in the glass/cup. Instead, when you upchuck the whole thing, they’ll mix inside you). My mom says it doesn’t really matter. Up to you- do what feels right.
If you tend to get cold easily, you can adjust the ratio to put more hot water. If you tend to run hot, adjust to put more cold water.
It’s best drunk in the morning before eating.
I also copied this explanation from someone else who wrote about it, and was also taught by her own Asian (Korean) mom.
Rejuvenate with Yin Yang Water! 5
"This circulation process [of hot and cold water mixing inside your body] is helpful for distributing the heat inside our bodies. It keeps our heads cool and clear, while heating up our lower body where all our other organs are. It is an excellent remedy for indigestion, bloating, constipation AND diarrhea (yes, both of them), since the Yin Yang water creates activity within our intestines and makes their work easier. Yin Yang water is good at any time of the day.
The warmth keeps the inside your tummy very active, whereas cold water keeps it in a stagnant state. Warm water is therefore better at breaking down the fat inside your intestines, which is a great plus when it comes to weight loss. And for girls, a warm tummy means stronger female organs and a healthier cycle.
It’s best to drink at the spot while the hot-cold circulation is the most active. If you naturally have a lot of heat in your body (need to stick those feet out of the covers when you sleep? enjoying the air conditioning too much? You probably have a lot of heat in your system), change up the hot-cold water proportions so that you fill up about 1/3 of the cup with boiling water and fill the rest with cold water.
If you have a cold body like me (are your hands and feet always cold? Can’t live without gloves in the winter?), you need more heat in your system. Slightly increase the amount of hot water"