Anti-Aging Chinese Style: Practical Methods for Health, Youthfulness and Longevity

World Wide Web | Anti-Aging Chinese Style: Practical Methods for Health, Youthfulness and Longevity | An ongoing Chinese preoccupation for thousands of years has been the pursuit of longevity accompanied by health and relative youthfulness (the Chinese believe longevity can only be enjoyed if accompanied by these two factors). Tremendous wisdom and good, practical methods, successfully applied, have evolved there.

Chinese authorities are adamant that longevity's secrets are not about to be discovered in some laboratory but are, instead already present and known for many centuries, but not to all.

'The Yellow Emperor's Internal Medicine Classic'/ 'Huang Ti Nei Jing' (1) attributed to the former's activities some 4,700 years ago contains exhortations to follow Yin and Yang and 5 Element Theory's balanced ways. There are different, inter-related ways to achieve this.

Historical Records of Centenerians

Ssu Ma Chien's ' Records of the Grand Historian' (93 CE) in 103 Volumes is a still-extant reminder that the Chinese invented History as a subject for study. Chinese Emperors frequently summoned centenarians who were invited explain their laudable accomplishments, with official written records made and distributed to encourage others!

Examples of such accounts and related commentaries of Scholars and Officials are grouped in key categories indicating 'methods' involved by Liu Zhengcai (2) plus examples of modern-day Chinese centenarians (Urban and Rural) in a similar vein. Yang Sen (3) has produced a reliable, detailed case-study based upon first-hand observation of one individual who lived for over 250 years by following the methods described below.

Internal Body-Building Qigong Exercises

These build and strengthen inner, core and skeletal muscle and the five main muscular organs (lungs, kidneys, liver, heart and spleen) through well-known exercise routines, many over 1,000 years old, suitable for all ages. These include 'Ba Duan Jin',Yi Yin Jing, 5 Animals Play and 'Shi Soeii Jing' (especially in 5 Elements form). Excellent DVD's and face-to-face training programmes, exist help you get started (4).

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Food Therapy

Differing substantially from Western provision and successfully curing more people of more things for longer than other known systems, without unexpected side-effects (Chinese Qigong's record is similarly enviable). TCM advocates certain food and drink recipes for health purposes and also the treatment of certain ailments, according to their ingredients, as classified via the 5 Elements system.

Chinese teas, also formulated according to 5 Elements theory (which governs TCM) have similar health and longevity-inducing properties. There is growing wholesale importation of such materials into the West and much may be found in in the many Chinese supermarkets opening in its cities.

Food therapy recopies like that for 'Chinese Life Preserving Wine'' (5) and 'Lean Pork Steamed With Sealwort' (6) which constitute remedies for coronary heart disease and gastritis and also arthritis/impotence make longevity sound an appetizing prospect.

Treatment Regimes For Typical Old-Age Illnesses and Complaints.

Regimes usually combine nourishing food, natural herbal supplements, teas and correct mind-set (no matter what age) with pleasant exercise. Treatments have positive, holistic naturalistic qualities allowing Massage therapy and acupuncture, to be incorporated into such regimes as and when required.

Overall

Don't expect instant results! Regular, gradual improvement discernible over time is the most usual outcome of disciplined following of such regimes. Such approaches natural qualities plus the increasing ease with which they may become part of modern lifestyles should lead to their growing popularity in the future.

Notes

(1) Zhao, Chuncai and Han Yanzhou (1997) 'The Illustrated Yellow Emperor's Canon of Medicine', Dolphin Books, Beijing

(2) Liu, Zhencai (1996) 'The Mystery of Longevity' Beijing, Foreign Languages Press (3rd Edition) makes this clear

(3) Yang, Sen (1936) A True Account of the 250 Year Old Good Luck Man Foreign Languages Literary Storehouse (Pub.) Taipei, Taiwan. 'Time' Magazine 6th May 1933 published Li Ching-Yuen's Obituary.

(4) Chinese Health Qigong Association (2008) 'Wu Qin Xi (5 Animals Play)' Springing Dragon Press provide an excellent book/DVD.

Article Source: EzineArticles