to download Yang Sheng as a PDF

Western approach where the main focus lies onhealing diseases after they have been contracted.Despite the concept of self-care becoming moreand more popular in the West, not many pay sufficientamount of thought to it before experiencingsome health difficulties of their own.In the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine,the Emperor asked his minister Qi Bo if hethought people had started to age faster and dieyounger than they used to. The answer to thatwas: “In the past, people practiced the Tao, theWay of Life. They understood the principle of balanceas represented by the transformations of theenergies of the universe. They formulated exercisesto promote energy flow to harmonize themselveswith the universe. They ate a balanced dietat regular times, arose and retired at regularhours, avoided overstressing their bodies andminds, and refrained from overindulgence of allkinds. They maintained well-being of body andmind; thus, it is not surprising that they livedover one hundred years.”In order to understand the ways Yangshengcan contribute to the modern self-care movementin the world, it is important to understand howYangsheng works and how it can bring individualbenefits to those who practice it. It is essential tofirst appreciate the importance of the life force Qi( 气 )in order to unlock the potential healingpowers our bodies possess. “Qi is the foundationalenergy of the universe, the basic stuff of theDao, the life force in the human body, and the basisof all physical vitality.” Qi has many levels ofenergy and one of the strongest qi levels is jing( 精 )which is the essence. “The basic concern forall longevity seekers and Daoist practitioners is toregulate and slow down this process of decline, tokeep jing in the body, and to reverse the downwardmovement of qi. By reverting essence backto qi through various physical disciplines andmeditation practices, they renew life and enhancevigor, laying the foundation for ultimate energeticrefinement.” It is believed that unbalanced qi energieslead to diseases and ill health; thereforethe concept of Yangsheng self-care practices isbased around balancing and nurturing them.The various practices and aspects of DaoistYangsheng include food Yangsheng, Yangshengmind-body exercise, balancing emotions, environmentand lifestyle that promote personal wellbeing.Each of them is designed to help peopleregulate their qi and return to their more balancedand natural state, which in turn will rewardthem with better health, energy levels andlongevity. Since Daoism promotes returning tothe natural state and living in harmony with nature,it is essential to return to the natural stateas often as possible. Yangsheng principle statesthat: “one should attempt to spend as much timein the midst of natural settings, far from the pollutionand artificial environs of cities, as possible.”Whilst it is sometimes complicated, if notimpossible, to influence the environment, all theother aspects of Yangsheng are easily manageableby practitioners regardless of their gender,age, location or wealth.One of the aspects often discussed around theworld is the topic of healthy eating. One has toagree that the unhealthy eating habits are commonnowadays and are a cause of health issuessuch as obesity and chronic illnesses around theworld. A lot of money is spent on diet pills, healthsupplements and implementing fad diets thatsimply aren’t healthy and the results are not efficientenough. CBS news have reported thatAmericans spend about 35 billion dollars a yearon weight loss products, however the results areJune-July 2013 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) 27