Two halves, one circle

A circle split by a gentle S-curve into black and white, each half holding a small dot of the other: the yin yang is one of the simplest symbols ever drawn, and one of the most meaningful. It stands for balance, the idea that opposites aren't enemies but partners that need each other. A yin yang rug brings that calm into a room, and since the symbol is a circle, a round rug is its perfect shape. Beyond the classic, there are two koi fish circling each other, a sun and moon in harmony and a black cat and a white cat curled nose to tail. Every design is printed into soft velvet and goes in the washing machine.

Yin yang designs

Design	The look	Best in
Classic	Black and white halves with contrasting dots	Meditation corners, living rooms
Koi pair	Two koi circling, one dark, one light	Bedrooms, zen spaces
Sun and moon	A golden sun and a silver moon in balance	Bedrooms, boho rooms
Two cats	A black cat and a white cat curled together	Cat lovers' rooms, kids' rooms
Ocean waves	Swirling blue and white water	Coastal rooms, bathrooms by the vanity
Retro checkered	A 1990s-style yin yang on checks or color	Teen rooms, dorms

What yin and yang mean

In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang are the two complementary forces found in everything. Yin is associated with darkness, coolness, the moon, water and rest; yang with light, warmth, the sun, fire and activity. Neither is good or bad, and neither can exist without the other: night becomes day, winter turns to summer, and each contains the seed of its opposite. The idea runs through ancient texts like the I Ching and the Taoist tradition, and through practices like traditional Chinese medicine and tai chi.

The symbol

The symbol itself is called the taijitu, the diagram of the supreme ultimate. The swirling form most people know today became widespread centuries after the philosophy was first written down. Its genius is in the details: the curved line shows the two forces flowing into each other rather than meeting at a hard edge, and the small dot of black in the white half, and white in the black, shows that nothing is ever purely one thing.

A physicist's coat of arms

When the Danish physicist Niels Bohr, a pioneer of quantum theory, was given a coat of arms in 1947, he chose the yin yang symbol for it, with a Latin motto meaning opposites are complementary. He saw in it a perfect picture of his idea that light can behave as both a wave and a particle. It's a lovely example of how this ancient symbol still speaks to modern minds.

The round yin yang rug

Because the yin yang is a circle, it's at its best on a round rug, the curve flowing edge to edge with nothing cut off. On a 3.9 to 5.2 ft (120 to 160 cm) rug, it's a bold, graphic centerpiece for a living room or a bedroom; on a smaller 2.6 to 3.3 ft (80 to 100 cm) rug, it marks out a meditation spot. Our round rugs page shows each size in a room.

Koi pairs

Two koi fish swimming in a circle, one dark and one light, each with an eye of the other color, are a beautiful, natural take on the yin yang. In black and white, or in orange and white with blue water, a koi yin yang rug is a calm, elegant design for a bedroom or a zen-inspired living room. Koi are also symbols of perseverance and good fortune in Chinese and Japanese traditions.

Sun and moon

A golden sun and a silver crescent moon sharing a circle, day and night in balance, is a dreamy, boho take on the idea. In gold, navy and cream, it suits a bedroom or a reading nook. For more night-sky designs, see our celestial rugs.

Two cats

A black cat and a white cat curled nose to tail into a perfect circle are a sweet, playful yin yang, a favorite of cat lovers and a fun design for a child's room. For more feline designs, see our cat rugs.

Waves

Swirling blue and white water, inspired by traditional wave paintings, makes a fresh, coastal yin yang. It suits a beach house, a sunroom or a spot by the bathroom vanity; it's a printed velvet rug, not a quick-drying bath mat, so keep it out of the splash zone. For more flowing designs, see our wavy rugs.

A 1990s favorite

In the 1990s, the yin yang was everywhere: on necklaces, T-shirts, skateboards and school notebooks. A retro yin yang rug, on a checkerboard, in bright colors or with a smiley twist, is a nostalgic, playful design for a teen room or a dorm. For more checks, see our checkered rugs, and for more nostalgia, our retro rugs.

Meditation corners

A yin yang rug is a natural anchor for a meditation corner, a quiet reminder of balance. Place a floor cushion at the edge, a small plant and a candle nearby. Choose Premium, 7 mm plush velvet on a bamboo and cotton back, about 700 g/m², for a soft, warm floor to sit on. For more, see our meditation rugs.

Tai chi and martial arts

The name tai chi comes from the same word as the taijitu, and the slow, flowing movements of the practice are often described as yin and yang in motion. A yin yang rug suits a home practice space or the entrance of a martial arts studio. For moving practice on a hard floor, choose Standard, 5 mm crushed velvet on a non-slip faux leather back, about 500 g/m², which stays put.

Bedrooms

For a couple's bedroom, a yin yang rug is a quiet symbol of partnership and balance, two different people making one whole. Pair it with simple black and white bedding, natural wood and a single plant. Our bedroom rugs page has more layouts.

Living rooms

In a minimalist living room, a large black-and-white yin yang round rug under a round coffee table is a confident, graphic statement. It pairs well with a white or grey sofa, black accents and natural textures. Our living room rugs page has more layouts.

Kids' and teen rooms

For kids, a two-cats or a colorful yin yang is a fun way to talk about balance: sharing, taking turns, quiet time and play time. For teens, a retro or koi design adds personality. On a hard floor, choose Standard so the rug stays put.

Entryways and hallways

Just inside the front door, a small yin yang round rug is a calm, balanced welcome; keep it indoors, out of the weather. Down a hallway, a custom runner with a row of small yin yangs, or a flowing black and white wave pattern, carries the idea through the home. Choose Standard for both, for its grip on hard floors.

Pairing with furniture

Yin yang designs suit simple, uncluttered rooms: low wooden furniture, white walls, black metal lamps, a few smooth stones and a single bonsai or leafy plant. Let the rug be the one bold graphic in the room, and keep everything else in the same two colors for a calm, balanced look.

Colors

The classic yin yang is black and white, and it's the most striking. For a softer look, try charcoal and cream, navy and white, or blush and sage. Koi designs look lovely in orange, white and blue, and sun and moon designs in gold and navy.

Related designs

For more circles and symbols, see our mandala rugs and evil eye rugs, and the whole collection in our zen and spiritual rugs.

Gifts

A yin yang rug makes a thoughtful wedding or anniversary gift, a symbol of two people in balance, and a fun gift for a 1990s kid or a tai chi student. The classic black and white round is the safest choice.

Your own design

Want a yin yang in your own two colors, two pets curled into a circle or two initials in the dots? Our custom rugs can print it in any size up to 5′11″ × 10′, or as a round rug. Please only send artwork you're allowed to use. Custom rugs are made just for you and can't be returned.

Sizes, shipping and returns

Rectangles come in 2×3, 2.6×3.9, 3.3×5, 4×6 and 5×7 ft, and round rugs from 2.6 to 5.9 ft (80 to 180 cm) across. Custom sizes go up to 5′11″ × 10′. Every rug is printed to order in 1–3 business days and ships from Turkey; US delivery usually takes 2–5 business days after that. Unused rugs can be returned within 30 days on US orders; custom rugs can't be returned.

Care

Machine wash on a gentle, cold cycle and let it air dry flat. Vacuum on a low setting between washes, and blot spills with cold water right away. The design is printed into the fibers, so the black stays deep and the white stays bright, in perfect balance, wash after wash.

The I Ching and the eight trigrams

The yin yang symbol is often shown surrounded by eight sets of three lines, broken or unbroken, called the trigrams, or bagua. Each trigram stands for a natural force, heaven, earth, water, fire, thunder, wind, mountain and lake, and combinations of them form the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, the Book of Changes, one of the oldest Chinese classics, used for centuries for reflection and divination.

The arrangement appears in many places. In feng shui, a bagua map divides a home into areas linked to different parts of life. In martial arts like tai chi, the movements are said to follow the balance of yin and yang. South Korea's national flag, the Taegukgi, features a red and blue taegeuk at its center surrounded by four of the trigrams.

Those traditions inspire rugs with depth beyond the familiar black-and-white circle. A round yin yang at the center of a ring of eight trigrams, in black on cream or gold on deep blue, is a balanced, meaningful design for a meditation room or a study. A simpler version with just the trigrams in a circle is an elegant, almost geometric pattern for a living room.

As with other designs drawn from spiritual traditions, these rugs are decorative patterns inspired by the symbols, best placed with care in a calm space where their balance can be appreciated.