Source | Guangdong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Source: Zhang Qicheng, Life Times, Health China, Health Appointment, Central Broadcasting Network, etc.)
Nowadays, people are increasingly concerned about health maintenance and actively seek various methods to improve their health. However, some individuals are hesitant to engage in health practices due to perceived complexity. Are there simpler methods that can also achieve health maintenance? Certainly, below are several simple and clever health maintenance methods.
▋Close Your Eyes: Nourish the Heart, Eyes, and Liver
Closing the eyes, as the term suggests, involves shutting the eyes to gather the spirit and preserve our essence (jing), vital energy (qi), and spirit (shen).
The earliest existing TCM theoretical work, the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon), mentions: “Those who possess the spirit thrive, while those who lose it perish.” Ancient people believed that the consumption and preservation of the spirit relate to one’s vitality; thus, health practitioners should be cautious in nurturing it. The Huangdi Neijing also states: “The essence and qi of the five organs and six bowels all converge in the eyes and become their essence.”
Wang Chong, a thinker of the Eastern Han Dynasty, discussed in Lunheng (Discussions) that “closing the eyes and blocking the ears can preserve essence and maintain health.” This indicates that closing the eyes and blocking the ears can help conserve vital energy and promote health.
Historically, many emperors and officials placed great importance on the practice of closing the eyes to nourish the spirit.
The longest-living emperor in ancient China was Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, who lived to 89 years old and was known as the “Ancient Rare Emperor,” referring to his ability to maintain clear vision and hearing even at an advanced age, largely attributed to the practice of closing his eyes to nourish the spirit. Every morning, he would rise at five or six o’clock and first go to the imperial garden to close his eyes and refresh himself, which allowed him to remain clear-headed and agile even at nearly 90 years old.
Additionally, historical figures such as Emperor Wu of the Southern Liang Dynasty, Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty, and Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty regarded this practice as a good method for health and longevity.
In modern times, excessive use of electronic screens such as smartphones and computers leads to eye strain, resulting in symptoms like dryness, fatigue, and blurred vision. Adults who work late and lack sleep often develop red eyes, accelerating the aging of the skin around the eyes.
When the eyelids are closed, the eyes have a chance to rest and recover. Tear evaporation decreases, secretion increases, alleviating dry eye symptoms. If combined with acupressure around the eyes, it can relieve muscle spasms around the eyes, which is particularly beneficial for those suffering from eye fatigue.
Closing the eyes also nourishes the liver, as the liver governs blood storage and is related to the eyes. Symptoms like dry eyes and tearing in the wind are indicative of liver issues; excessive tearing in the wind reflects insufficient liver consolidation, while dry eyes indicate a deficiency of liver blood. Therefore, the method for nourishing the liver is simply to close the eyes.
▋Eye Rolling: Alleviate Eye Disorders
Performing circular movements of the eyeballs in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction can exercise the eye muscles and nerves, promote blood circulation and lymphatic return in the eyes, and relieve eye fatigue and dryness.
The Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang had poor eyesight and lacked vitality as a child, sometimes even tearing in the wind. He later practiced eye exercises by watching pigeons fly in the sky, training his eyes to follow them, which improved his eye vitality and restored his vision over time.
In fact, eye training does not necessarily require pigeons. During daily activities, one can rotate the eyes counterclockwise several times, then clockwise, and finally close the eyes while gently warming them with the hands.
However, it is important to maintain a moderate speed and range of motion while rotating the eyes to avoid causing eye tremors or dizziness.
▋Tiptoe: Tonify the Kidneys and Strengthen the Foundation
From a meridian perspective, tiptoeing facilitates the smooth flow of the three Yin meridians of the foot. This group of meridians runs along the inner thigh, with the uppermost being the Spleen Meridian (足太阴脾经, zú tàiyīn píjīng), the middle being the Liver Meridian (足厥阴肝经, zú juéyīn gān jīng), and the rear being the Kidney Meridian (足少阴肾经, zú shàoyīn shèn jīng). The liver, kidneys, and spleen all govern ascension, and these three organs stimulate the central qi, thus achieving the effects of tonifying the kidneys and strengthening essence.
▋Head Rolling and Neck Twisting: Enhance Brain Function and Refresh the Mind
During work breaks, performing neck rotations, forward bends, and backward tilts, or gently tapping the head with empty fists can relieve neck muscle fatigue and improve blood oxygen supply to the brain, enhancing brain function and alleviating insomnia caused by nervous exhaustion.
▋Balanced Diet: Maintain Vitality
Today, overeating and excessive indulgence are common, leading to nutritional excess and even disease. A saying goes: “Eat well in the morning, eat enough at noon, and eat less in the evening.” This reflects the principles of health maintenance in the Huangdi Neijing of “following yin and yang, harmonizing with the techniques.”
Diet should align with the body’s metabolic rhythm and the daily changes of yin and yang. Mornings are when the body’s metabolic rate is highest, and cells require the most energy, so breakfast must be substantial; at noon, the metabolic rate stabilizes, requiring timely energy replenishment to maintain normal bodily functions; in the evening, the body begins to rest, and the metabolic rate slows down to about half of that during the day, so only a moderate meal is necessary to maintain energy.
In daily life, many people fail to adhere to the principle of “eating in moderation” and often do the opposite. Some office workers rush in the morning without breakfast or grab a piece of bread while on the go, have a boxed lunch at noon, and then feast in the evening, sometimes even snacking late at night. Over time, this can lead to significant health issues.
Good dietary habits must respect the body’s instincts, especially regarding dinner, which should be “moderate.” It is essential to recognize the dangers of overeating at dinner; eating too much at night is detrimental. The Huangdi Neijing states: “If the stomach is not harmonious, one cannot sleep peacefully,” and Buddhist teachings advise “no food after noon,” which are both reasonable. Of course, this does not mean dinner should be entirely avoided, but it must be limited.
Ancient wisdom suggests that to achieve longevity, one must maintain a “clean intestine” by limiting intake and encouraging output, ideally developing a habit of bowel movements after meals. If this is not achievable, practicing pelvic floor exercises can help promote bowel movements, allowing the body to return to its natural state, thus enhancing vitality and longevity.
▋Drink Ginger and Jujube Tea: Tonify Qi and Blood
Ginger has the effects of dispelling cold, warming the stomach, stopping vomiting, and resolving phlegm. Therefore, ginger and jujube tea is particularly suitable for women with a cold and weak constitution, who often feel cold, have cold hands and feet, are prone to diarrhea after getting cold, and experience menstrual pain due to cold. Drinking ginger and jujube tea 2-3 times a week can warm the complexion, dispel cold, and tonify blood.
Additionally, after getting wet or cold, drinking a cup of ginger and jujube tea can help prevent colds.
▋Combing Hair: Awaken the Mind and Open the Senses
Combing hair is a simple, economical, and highly effective health maintenance method, emphasized by ancient Chinese health practitioners. The great writer Su Dongpo deeply understood this method: “Combing my hair over a hundred times, I fall asleep and sleep soundly until dawn.”
It is known that the head is regarded in TCM as the “palace of clarity and the meeting of all yangs,” concentrating many important acupoints. The twelve meridians and eight extraordinary meridians converge in the head, which governs the health of all body parts.
Master TCM physician Zhou Daihan pointed out that regardless of gender, even elderly men with thinning hair can benefit from combing their hair in the morning, effectively stimulating many acupoints in the head and promoting the smooth flow of yang energy.
Modern medicine has also proven that this practice can improve blood circulation in the brain, making one feel more refreshed.
▋Tooth Tapping and Saliva Swallowing: Strengthen Teeth, Nourish Yin, and Reduce Fire
The “tooth tapping and saliva swallowing health method” is one of the important health practices in traditional Chinese medicine. Ancient people believed that “the kidneys govern the bones,” and “teeth are the remnants of the bones”; thus, strong kidneys lead to healthy teeth. Conversely, tapping the teeth can strengthen the kidneys and bones. Ancient wisdom referred to saliva as sweet liquid, nectar, and jade spring, believing that saliva is transformed from the essence of the kidneys, and swallowing it can nourish yin, replenish deficiency, and reduce fire.
The specific steps are as follows:
① Tooth Tapping: Calm the mind, eliminate distractions, relax the body, slightly close the lips, unify the mind and spirit, close the eyes, and rhythmically tap the upper and lower teeth together, generally aiming for 36 times. The force can be adjusted according to the health of the teeth.
② Tongue Stirring: After tapping, use the tongue to stir against the upper and lower gums and teeth, gently and naturally stirring 36 times, which can massage the gums, improve local blood circulation, and accelerate nutrient supply to the gums.
③ Saliva Swishing: When saliva is produced, do not swallow it immediately; continue stirring until the saliva increases, then swish it in the mouth 36 times using the cheeks.
④ Saliva Swallowing: After swishing, swallow the saliva slowly in three portions, focusing on the lower dantian as if sending the saliva there. This can be practiced three times a day, helping to strengthen the kidneys, tonify the spleen, nourish yin, and replenish deficiency.
▋Shoulder Patting: Relieve Fatigue
Pat the right shoulder with the left hand and the left shoulder with the right hand, alternating sides. This can relieve shoulder and neck fatigue and also exercise the arm muscles. For those who use keyboards daily, it can also relax the fingers.
▋Fist Clenching: Calm the Soul, Gather Vital Energy
Fist clenching, or “grasping firmly,” was advocated by the ancestor of Lingnan medicine, Ge Hong, in Baopuzi (Mastering Simplicity).
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that fist clenching affects the “liver meridian system” and the “kidney meridian system”; the liver and kidneys share a source, with the liver storing blood and the kidneys storing essence, nourishing each other. Therefore, fist clenching helps nourish the liver, and long-term practice can calm the soul, gather vital energy, and reduce fire.
Additionally, fist clenching is a common practice in traditional qigong. For example, the “Green Dragon Exploring the Claw” from the Yi Jin Jing and the “Fist Clenching with Angry Eyes” from the Ba Duan Jin both utilize the clenching method. Clenching both hands into fists, applying slight force throughout the body, then releasing, and repeating 50-60 times, performing one set each morning and evening.
The content of this article is for reference only; non-professionals in TCM should not attempt any treatments.Original submission: cjcmmxinmeiti@126.com (email), chunfeng52566 (WeChat)