Traditional Chinese methods of health preservation (3).

As early as thousands of years ago, our ancestors already understood the laws governing the origin, development and changes of life. They recognized that nothing on earth was immutable: the elderly declined and died, while the young grew and developed, and the process of growth, change and death was perpetual and without cessation. In all living organisms, including human beings, growth, development, maturity and aging are all objective laws independent of man’s will. It is absolutely impossible for anyone to change these laws and live forever without death. Nevertheless, to the extent that we are able to recognize and master the laws of life and their characteristics in the different developmental stages of life, it is possible to prolong life. The life span may be extended if one delays the transformation of life towards aging and death. This may be achieved by creating all the necessary conditions that can adapt the body to the climatic changes of the external world, and by increasing the metabolic function and resistance of the organism to disease. Guided by these realisations and knowledge, our ancestors gradually created methods of health preservation to strengthen the physical constitution, delay aging and prolong life. Health preservation later became a science which studied and laid down systematically the theories and methods of health preservation. The formation of systematic theories for health preservation started in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods (722221 B.C.). Health preservation was discussed in the works of Laozi, Confucius and Mencius. The understanding of health preservation and prolongation of life by various schools of thought and their exponents at that time had a great influence on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). For instance, in The Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic, one of the earliest classical medical works, the thoughts of our ancestors concerning health preservation were summarized and systematically discussed from the medical point of view. Physicians and health preservation specialists of later generations, including Zhang Zhong Jing (about 1563-1640 A.D.), Ge Hong (281-341 A.D.), Chao Yuanfang (550-630 A.D.), Sun Simiao (581-682 A.D.) and others further enriched and developed the theories of health preservation. Owing to its close relationship to the basic necessities of life including food, clothing, shelter and transportation, health preservation is multifaceted, involving all aspects of human life. There are, for instance, health preservation observations for the four seasons, regulation of daily life, cultivation of the mind, dietary regulation, physical and breathing exercises, Qigong, sexual hygiene, acupuncture, moxibustion and massage, medication for prolonging the life span, and measures against senility and ageing. In each of these forms of health preservation, there are also many schools, and in each school there are many styles and methods. No matter how varied these methods are, they all have common features, that is, they are simple and convenient, effective and low in cost. These methods have spread widely and have aroused attention and great interest throughout the world. The following is a brief introduction to traditional Chinese methods of health preservation.