1. Napping Method
Napping is something everyone learns to do from kindergarten, but at that time, we might have hated it because it took away our playtime. As we grow older, we sometimes find ourselves not much different from those children. Some people say they don’t have time to nap, yet they spend their lunch hours browsing forums, chatting, reading posts, or browsing news. Others claim they don’t need a nap, but just look at the yawns and tired expressions; your body is constantly signaling its need for rest, yet you ignore it. Some say they only have an hour for lunch, including eating, so how can they nap? But true napping doesn’t require a long time; often, just fifteen minutes is enough. Don’t you have that little time?
Most people tend to take naps during the summer when work schedules are more accommodating, allowing for a leisurely nap of half an hour to an hour. Summer has longer days and shorter nights, which affects sleep patterns. When it gets dark late and light early, people tend to sleep later and wake up earlier, so we need to supplement our sleep during the midday. However, those with weak constitutions, the elderly, and children actually need naps year-round, especially after a hard morning’s work, whether physically or mentally, to relax and recharge. I am someone who naps all year round, usually for a short time, ranging from five minutes to an hour, but generally not exceeding an hour; otherwise, I feel groggy and lethargic for the rest of the afternoon, sometimes accompanied by dizziness and headaches, which is a sign of overdoing it.
There is an ancient term called “Zi Wu Jiao” (子午觉). What is Zi Wu Jiao? Let me explain (of course, this is not my original wording). Zi Wu Jiao refers to the principle that one should sleep during the hours of Zi (11 PM to 1 AM) and Wu (11 AM to 1 PM). Sleeping well during these times is greatly beneficial for health. From a traditional health preservation perspective, sleep and wakefulness are results of the alternation of yin and yang. When a person’s yin energy is strong and yang energy is weak, they need sleep; when they wake up, yang energy is strong and yin energy is weak. This is a cycle, much like two sentinels taking turns on duty. The Zi hour is the time of heaviest yin energy, and resting well during this time is best for nourishing yin, allowing the liver to effectively renew your blood. If you miss it, sorry, but you’ll have to live with dirty blood the next day. Our bodies operate on a schedule; if you don’t live according to this rhythm, your body will not cooperate. No matter how exquisite your makeup or graceful your demeanor, if your internal blood is dirty, how can your complexion be good?
The Wu hour is when yang energy is at its peak and yin energy is at its weakest. This midday rest period provides an opportunity for the body to balance and relax, especially for those who cannot sleep early at night. It’s a great chance to recharge energy. This time is suitable for a short nap rather than a long sleep, generally around half an hour; otherwise, it may disrupt the body’s biological clock and lead to insomnia at night. During a nap, there are a few points to note: first, even in hot weather, cover your abdomen with something to avoid catching a chill, as the abdomen is particularly susceptible to cold. Some people may catch a cold, have diarrhea, or even headaches if they get cold. It’s a good idea to keep a jacket or a small towel at work, which doesn’t take up much space but can be very useful during a nap. I keep a jacket at work all year round, or I simply hug a cushion on my abdomen while napping to keep warm and prevent catching a chill.
Second, avoid eating too greasy foods for lunch; otherwise, it will increase blood viscosity and burden the stomach, making it uncomfortable to nap. After waking up, you may experience bloating, chest tightness, dizziness, and fatigue. Third, the best position for napping is one that is relatively comfortable, generally with the head elevated above the feet. Fourth, avoid napping directly in front of an air conditioner or fan, and avoid drafts.
When I nap, I usually wear a jacket and place a warm pack on my abdomen, which is a form of warming moxibustion I invented myself. The warm feeling is especially nice during winter or those special physiological days, and I feel particularly comfortable hugging my cushion while napping in my chair. I have a strange phenomenon: if I sleep face down, I will definitely burp within five minutes. I guess it’s because the position compresses my body, preventing qi from circulating smoothly, and it expresses itself through burping. If possible, I still recommend lying down to sleep. I feel a bit embarrassed to sleep too comfortably; otherwise, my boss might think I’m enjoying work too much and that his salary isn’t worth it, haha. So I choose a relatively moderate sleeping position. If the office can turn off the lights during napping, that would be even better, as strong lighting can affect sleep quality.
However, napping immediately after a meal has a downside: it can lead to weight gain around the abdomen. If time allows, it’s better to walk or stand for a while after eating before napping, which is beneficial for both health and appearance.
2. Abdominal Pushing Method Abdominal pushing is such a vivid verb, meaning to push, and the abdomen refers to the belly. From the literal meaning, you can tell what method I’m going to talk about. I first saw this method in the book by Zhong Libaren, and later in the works of Ma Yueling, Chen Yuqin, and on folk TCM websites. Although the descriptions may not be consistent and the actions may not be exactly the same, the core content is the same: it’s about getting the belly moving to resolve the hidden danger signals contained within. Personally, I feel that Zhong Libaren’s explanation is the most concise and easy to understand, making it easy to implement. There are several methods for abdominal pushing. One is to combine clockwise and counterclockwise movements, using the navel as the center, massaging the abdomen in a circular motion with the palm of your hand, commonly known as the circular massage method. There is a saying that clockwise is for draining, and counterclockwise is for tonifying. I’m not very clear on this, but generally, I do 100 clockwise and 100 counterclockwise movements, which balances the draining and tonifying, and that’s fine, haha. When doing the circular massage, the pressure should be adjusted according to your own comfort level. This method is beneficial for promoting gastrointestinal peristalsis and can be effective for constipation; after doing it, the abdomen feels warm, which is also helpful for those who are prone to cold in the waist and abdomen. The second method is the actual abdominal pushing, which starts from the heart area, pushing downwards from the heart to the lower abdomen. The pressure should be greater than that of the circular massage. When pushing, be sure to push downwards from the heart area, not the other way around. This direction helps promote the elimination of waste. The groin has lymph nodes, and lymphatic detoxification is widely recognized, right? Another point is the detoxification of the feet; this direction helps accelerate the movement of waste to the detoxification channels. When pushing the abdomen, if you encounter lumps, cords, or points of pain or discomfort, be sure to pay extra attention to those areas and massage them until they dissolve. Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to resolve them all in one day; it’s about accumulating over time. For example, spending ten to twenty minutes every day, and I believe you will see changes in a week, whether it’s smaller, softer, or even completely gone. During abdominal pushing, individuals may experience different reactions: some may burp, which indicates the upward movement of waste gas; some may pass gas, indicating the downward movement of waste gas; some may hear gurgling sounds in the abdomen, indicating accelerated gastrointestinal peristalsis; and some may need to run to the bathroom, indicating the downward movement of waste and water. In any case, these are all good signs; it’s better to expel waste from the body than to keep it inside, right? Speaking of the Dai Mai (带脉), it is the only horizontal meridian in the human body, resembling a belt that wraps around the waist. Hence the name Dai Mai (literally “Belt Meridian”). It binds all the other vertical meridians together. When tapping the Dai Mai, it’s best to lie down, using either the palm or a fist to gently tap on both sides of the waist, vibrating the Dai Mai. The effects of tapping the Dai Mai vary from person to person. Some may find that their waist becomes slimmer after a period of tapping, while others may find relief from constipation or even complete resolution of the issue. Some may notice improvements in gynecological conditions, etc. Personally, I haven’t tapped the Dai Mai for long, and I haven’t been very consistent, so I generally only do it when I remember. I feel it has some effect on weight loss, but it seems to work better on the sides of the waist than on the lower abdomen. Issues like constipation were resolved years ago, so I don’t feel much effect. For gynecological conditions, it may take longer to see results compared to bloodletting or cupping, but this method is advantageous because it can be done anywhere, anytime, and of course, be careful not to do it immediately after eating. Why do many health methods indicate that you shouldn’t engage in them within half an hour to an hour after eating? The principle is that after eating, qi and blood concentrate in the gastrointestinal area, as if the gastrointestinal factory is running at full capacity, with raw materials just arriving. If you engage in other exercises at this time, it’s like sending the factory workers to other places, leading to a shortage of manpower in the gastrointestinal factory. Once there’s a manpower shortage, it’s easy to produce defective products, or the food processing may shift from fine processing to rough processing. If you are someone who tends to wolf down your food in a few minutes, it will only add to the burden on your gastrointestinal system, creating obstacles for proper digestion and absorption. Therefore, it’s not advisable to engage in high-intensity exercise immediately after eating; however, light walking or standing is acceptable.
3. Foot Soaking Method There is a saying that when a person ages, their feet age first, which is not an exaggeration at all. Just look at the cute little feet of a newborn baby, plump and white, resembling little buns. I love to pinch the little chubby feet of barefoot children; they are delicate and soft, with a wonderful feel. However, as we age, our feet bear the brunt of our burdens. Those who sweat a lot have feet that work in dark and damp environments all day; those who stand for long periods don’t get enough relaxation, leading to frequent swelling; those who sit for long periods, due to fixed positions and lack of movement, tend to accumulate waste in their feet; and those who don’t relax well after exercise or labor may develop varicose veins… In summer, many women may have exquisite makeup and well-coordinated outfits, but when you look at their feet, it reveals their actual age: the skin on their feet is dry and rough, with spots. The heart is like a water pump in the body, sending blood to all parts of the body. When blood is sent from the heart to the feet, it’s relatively easy, as physics tells us that this is aided by gravity. However, when blood circulates back to the heart from the feet, it’s much harder, as the heart must work against gravity. If the heart’s performance declines after years of operation, the pump’s power diminishes, leading to the accumulation of waste in the feet. Over time, the accumulation of waste in the feet increases, resulting in less fresh blood being delivered, creating a vicious cycle. Eventually, the feet will show signs of premature aging. Soaking your feet is like giving your feet an external power boost. After a long day, when your tired feet are soaked in warm or slightly hot water, the heat begins to stir up the accumulated waste in the feet, enhancing the body’s circulation. After walking all day, soaking your feet feels like a relaxation; after sitting or standing for long periods, soaking your feet feels like a treatment. The equipment needed for foot soaking mainly depends on your personal preference: for a natural option, a wooden bucket is recommended; for a simple option, a plastic basin or bucket works; for a convenient option, an electric foot spa with heating functions is great, many of which also have massage features. If using a wooden bucket, choose a taller one so that the water can cover the calves, which is especially effective for those with varicose veins. In winter, to maintain warmth, you can first pour in half a bucket of hot water, and when it cools down, keep adding hot water, or pour in a bucket of hot water and cover it with a plastic bag and a towel on top to retain heat longer. If using a plastic basin or bucket, refer to the wooden bucket method for heat retention, either by adding water continuously or insulating the outside, but the nature of plastic means it won’t retain heat as long as wood, so it’s advisable to use a larger bucket in winter and keep a thermos nearby to add hot water, allowing for a longer soak. Of course, if it’s hot outside, this isn’t a problem. If using a foot spa, it’s easy; just set the temperature and time, and you can do whatever you want while waiting—watch TV, surf the internet, listen to music, do a facial mask, etc. When soaking your feet, aim to sweat slightly; don’t force yourself to sweat profusely every time. Some people think that sweating a lot every day can speed up detoxification, but you also need to consider your constitution. Doing this every day can easily lead to a deficiency in your body. While soaking your feet, be mindful of hydration; you can drink some brown sugar water, adjusting the concentration to your preference. Generally, it’s not recommended to add Chinese herbs to the water; plain water is sufficient. If you want to soften the skin on your feet, you can add a bit of milk; if you have some internal heat, you can add some mugwort leaves, but remember not to use mugwort every day. For those with a cold constitution, soaking feet can easily darken the skin on the feet; don’t worry, just continue, as it’s better to expel the cold through foot soaking than to keep it inside. Beauty can be secondary to health; health is long-lasting, while unhealthy beauty is ultimately not sustainable.
4. Wall Bumping Method When you hear “bumping into a wall,” the most intuitive image is that of the animated character from QQ, the mischievous rabbit bumping into a wall. However, instead of using our heads, we use our backs. The principle of wall bumping is quite simple: it uses the force and vibration of the bump to open up the meridians in the back. The back contains the main meridians of the human body, including the Governing Vessel (督脉) and the Bladder Meridian (膀胱经). The Governing Vessel is one of the eight extraordinary meridians in the body, which governs all yang meridians. Six yang meridians converge at the Dazhui point (大椎), regulating the qi and blood of the yang meridians, hence it is called the “Sea of Yang Meridians.” The Governing Vessel starts from the lower abdomen, exits at the perineum, runs along the spine, ascends through the neck to the Fengfu point (风府), enters the brain, and then returns up to the head, following the midline of the head, passing through the top of the head, forehead, nose, and upper lip, reaching the frenulum. There are 28 acupoints along this pathway, including Changqiang (长强), Yaoyangguan (腰阳关), Mingmen (命门), Xuanshu (悬枢), and others. For a more vivid explanation, you can search for images online to see the meridian pathways. The Bladder Meridian runs along both sides of the spine and is one of the twelve meridians in the body. This meridian plays a crucial role in the body’s detoxification process. I used to hate the acne that appeared on my back; although it was better than having it on my face, it still caused me distress. I realized later that this was a sign of my body detoxifying itself, indicating that I had some dietary, lifestyle, or emotional issues that needed addressing. If friends experience back acne due to internal heat, they can try drinking chrysanthemum tea, which may help. However, the main point is to reflect on oneself, change unhealthy eating and lifestyle habits, and adjust one’s mood, as excessive worry and stress can lead to the recurrence of acne. If acne appears, it’s essential to refrain from picking at it to avoid external infections and further inflammation. This natural detoxification process generally doesn’t require external medication; it’s best to let it run its course. A simple method is to bump into a wall. I apologize for the lengthy introduction; let’s get to the point. When bumping into a wall, choose a solid wall about one square meter in size. Make sure it’s not a drywall partition, as that could lead to damage. Before bumping, check the surroundings for any fragile items and clear them away to avoid interference. Stand about 30-40 cm away from the wall, facing away from it (the distance may vary depending on your height), and bump into the wall at a rate of about 40 times per minute. To ensure that the entire back is engaged, you may need to adjust your angle. If you’re unsure, you can watch videos online demonstrating the wall bumping technique for a clearer understanding. For those who spend more than eight hours in front of a computer, like myself, it’s essential to pay extra attention to the shoulder blade area. When you start bumping, you may feel some discomfort in that area, which is normal. After about twenty minutes of bumping, the discomfort should significantly decrease. Sometimes, if combined with the ring therapy, minor shoulder and neck issues can be resolved. However, don’t expect to cure everything in just one or two sessions. To ensure a comprehensive approach, you can also focus on the hips while bumping. When bumping the hips, you can stand slightly sideways, applying more force since the hips have more cushioning. Generally, when I experience discomfort in my lower back, bumping the area near the Huantiao point (环跳) tends to be particularly effective. After bumping for about five minutes, I usually feel a lot better. After bumping, you’ll feel warm and relaxed. When bumping, avoid facing a draft, and stop when you start to sweat lightly. For those with weak constitutions, don’t push yourself to the point of excessive sweating, as that can lead to deficiency. Bumping into the wall can be done while watching TV, listening to music, or chatting, making it a low-difficulty exercise that can prevent you from becoming sedentary in the evening.
5. Stretching Method The stretching method is learned from the post in Tianya’s “Medical Journey Around the World.” The author has also published a book with the same name. Since it’s free to learn, there’s no need to spend money, haha. Muscles, in modern medical terms, can be understood as ligaments. As people age, ligaments gradually age, and eventually, when a person reaches the end of their life, they become stiff. From birth, we can easily reach our toes, but as we grow older, bending down to reach our feet becomes difficult, and aging of the ligaments is a significant reason for this. On one hand, it’s a result of natural laws; on the other hand, it indicates a lack of exercise. You may have seen seventy-year-old women still able to lift their legs to their foreheads or eighty-year-old men practicing difficult yoga poses. All of this shows that ligaments can be softened, stretched, and kept elastic through exercise, allowing the entire body to maintain a youthful state. Light steps and fluid movements always give a youthful impression, even if you are in your sixties or seventies; stiff joints and slow movements give an impression of premature aging, even if you are only in your twenties. Nowadays, many people in their thirties have bodies that feel like they are in their sixties. Modern office work forces us to face computers all day, exposing us to the harmful effects of fax machines, copiers, and monitors. A sedentary work posture keeps our muscles tense, leading to aging of the ligaments. People are like machines; if they don’t move for a long time, they can easily rust, and when they do move, they may not function smoothly. Therefore, we need to move this machine from time to time. Our teachers often told us that if we don’t use our brains, they will rust; in fact, if we don’t move our bodies, they are more likely to rust. Stretching can be done in both standing and lying positions. (The following content and images are quoted from the “Medical Journey Around the World” post) Lying Stretching Method: 1. Place two safe, stable, flat chairs near a wall or door frame; 2. Sit on the edge of the chair, moving your hips as close to the edge as possible; 3. Lie back, keeping your right leg straight against the wall or door frame, and let your left leg bend and rest on the ground, trying to touch the ground. Raise both hands and place them flat on the chair (see the image), and hold for ten minutes. During this time, you can also move your left leg in a cycling motion to help relax the hip joints; 4. Move the chair to the other side and repeat the above method, switching legs and doing it for another ten minutes. Standing Stretching Method: 1. Find a door frame, raise both hands to hold onto the sides of the door frame, and stretch your arms wide; 2. Stand in a lunge position, with one foot in front and the other leg straight behind; 3. Keep your body parallel to the door frame, head upright, and eyes looking straight ahead; 4. Stand in this position for three minutes, then switch legs and stand in a lunge for another three minutes. First, the twelve meridians correspond to the twelve muscle channels, so when the muscles are tight, the meridians are also blocked, leading to pain. Stretching the muscles makes them softer, allowing misalignments in the spine to be corrected, thus “bones align and muscles soften, allowing qi and blood to flow naturally,” alleviating symptoms such as pain, numbness, and swelling in the waist, knees, limbs, and other areas. Secondly, stretching can open up the Governing Vessel and Bladder Meridian, which is of great significance for health, as the Governing Vessel is the meeting point of all yang energies and the pathway for vital energy. When this meridian is open, kidney function is enhanced, and the kidneys are the source of vitality, so a strong kidney function supports energy and sexual vitality. The Governing Vessel runs along the spine, and the spinal cord connects to the brain, so there is a close relationship between the spine and brain diseases. The Ren and Du meridians form a circular pathway in the body, and the various practices aim to open these two meridians. The Bladder Meridian is the largest detoxification system in the body and serves as an important barrier against wind and cold. When the Bladder Meridian is unobstructed, it is difficult for wind and cold to invade, and internal toxins can be expelled at any time, naturally alleviating symptoms such as obesity, constipation, acne, and pigmentation. The Bladder Meridian is also where the back-shu points of the organs are located, so unblocking the Bladder Meridian is naturally beneficial for all organs. According to Western medical theory, the main nerves and blood vessels connecting the brain and organs are attached to the spine and the bones on either side. By unblocking the spine, many visible barriers and invisible traps can be cleared away. Thirdly, stretching softens and improves the three meridians of the liver, spleen, and kidneys in the inner thigh. Many medical texts indicate that when these three meridians are unobstructed, a person’s sexual function is robust. Therefore, some books encourage practicing splits, but this is too difficult for the average person; stretching is much more convenient. The obstruction of these three meridians is also a cause of reproductive and urinary system diseases, such as men’s impotence, premature ejaculation, and prostatitis, as well as women’s dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation, pigmentation, uterine fibroids, and breast hyperplasia. Thus, one of the simplest and most effective ways for men to enhance sexual function and for women to treat various gynecological diseases is through stretching. This method is simple and effective, can be practiced at home or in the office, and is not limited by weather or location. Stretching is both a treatment and a diagnostic tool. For example, if you experience knee pain and cannot straighten your leg, it indicates a muscle tightness condition, which primarily suggests that the liver meridian is blocked. When the liver meridian is blocked, the spleen and stomach will not function well, as the liver belongs to wood and the spleen belongs to earth, and wood overcomes earth. If you feel pain in the groin or behind the knee (the back of the knee), it indicates a blockage in the Bladder Meridian, which is related to the kidneys. The bladder and kidneys are interrelated, and if the Bladder Meridian is obstructed, the kidney meridian will also be blocked, leading to issues such as edema, obesity, frequent urination, and diabetes. If you cannot raise your arms straight when lying down, it indicates shoulder periarthritis. If someone lies on a stretching bench and cannot straighten their raised leg, it indicates severe muscle tightness, which may also suggest various internal organ issues. The process of life is essentially a transition from softness to hardness. Infants have the most abundant qi and blood, hence they are the softest. Laozi used infants to describe softness. As people grow, their qi and blood gradually become obstructed, and their bodies become harder. When a person dies, they become completely stiff. Now let me share my personal experience with stretching. The first time I did it, I was quite confident, thinking these two positions were simple. I casually tried them out, but I found that my back leg was incredibly sore! I had set a goal of fifteen minutes, but I couldn’t even last five minutes. I was shocked! So for those of you trying it for the first time, I suggest setting a goal of five minutes, and take it step by step. However, after doing it, my shoulders and neck felt much more relaxed than before, which is the effect I was looking for. The lying stretching method is slightly more challenging than the standing method and requires some equipment. I didn’t have a stretching bench, so I DIY’d it with two dining chairs and a door frame. The intensity of this method is not as high as wall bumping, so you don’t need to worry about the wooden partition not being able to withstand the pressure. The first time I stretched, I was shocked to find that I couldn’t even touch the ground with my heel! I was astonished! I didn’t realize I had aged so much! I had to face the fact that my ligaments were in terrible condition. I used to boast about my yoga skills, but now I can only reminisce about my past flexibility. So I decided to stretch more; I believe that ligaments can regain their elasticity. When stretching, remember to take it slow and not to overdo it. Stretching is healthier; don’t believe me? Just try it!