Health preservation is not difficult; as long as you persist, you will definitely reap rewards.
Today, I recommend ten simple methods from “The Health Preservation Literacy of Chinese Citizens” that can be done anytime while standing, sitting, or lying down. Let’s learn together!
01Tooth Tapping Method
Function:Strengthens teeth, nourishes the kidneys, strengthens the spleen, benefits bones and brain, enhances hearing and vision, beautifies the skin and hair.
Method:Every morning upon waking, tap your teeth together, starting with the molars (the teeth at the back on both sides of the mouth) for 30 times, then the front teeth for 30 times.
Kidney Nourishing Function: The kidneys are the foundation of congenital essence. The mechanism of tooth tapping nourishing the kidneys has two aspects: first, “teeth are the markers of the kidneys” (from “Sources of Various Diseases: The Source of Oral Diseases”), nourished by the essence and qi of the kidneys. When the kidney essence is abundant, the teeth are strong and not easily lost; when the kidney essence is insufficient, the teeth may loosen and even fall out early. The health of the teeth is a sign of kidney health, thus tapping the teeth can strengthen the teeth and replenish kidney essence, hence nourishing the kidneys.Second, the kidneys “produce saliva”; saliva is the thicker part of the oral fluids. Tapping the teeth stimulates saliva production, known as “golden fluid” or “jade liquid”. Saliva is transformed from kidney essence, nourishing the kidney essence, thus it can nourish the kidneys.
Spleen Strengthening Function: The spleen and stomach are the foundation of acquired essence, the source of qi and blood. “All diseases arise from the decline of the spleen and stomach” (Li Dongtan, “On the Spleen and Stomach”). Tapping the teeth can strengthen the spleen and stomach in two ways: first, healthy teeth make it easier to chew food, reducing the burden on the stomach, thus nourishing it; second, the spleen “produces saliva”, which helps digest food. Tapping the teeth stimulates saliva, aiding the stomach in “digesting food and fluids” and the spleen in “transporting and transforming” (turning food into essence and distributing it throughout the body), thereby reducing the burden on the spleen and stomach and achieving the goal of strengthening them.
Bone Strengthening and Brain Benefits: The kidneys govern the bones, and “teeth are the remnants of bones”. Teeth and bones share the same source, nourished by kidney essence. Tapping the teeth can strengthen the kidneys, enrich kidney essence, and benefit the bones. Consistent practice can lead to strong bones, thus it can strengthen the bones. The “Suwen: On Yin and Yang” states: “The kidneys produce bone marrow”, and the brain is the sea of marrow. When the kidney essence is abundant, the sea of marrow is nourished, and the brain develops healthily, fully performing its function as the “repository of wisdom”; conversely, if the kidney essence is deficient, the sea of marrow is insufficient and loses nourishment. Tapping the teeth can strengthen the kidneys, ensuring the kidney essence is abundant, thus benefiting the brain.
Enhancing Hearing and Vision: The “Lingshu: Pulse Measurement” states: “Kidney qi connects to the ears; when the kidneys are harmonious, the ears can hear the five sounds.” When the kidney essence is abundant, the sea of marrow is nourished, leading to good hearing; when the kidney essence is deficient, the sea of marrow loses nourishment, resulting in tinnitus or even deafness. Furthermore, “the kidneys store the essence of the five organs and six bowels” (from “Suwen: On Ancient True Nature”), and “the essence of the five organs and six bowels all flows to the eyes” (from “Lingshu: Great Confusion Theory”). When the essence is abundant, the eyes can distinguish colors. Tapping the teeth can enrich kidney essence, thus enhancing hearing and vision.
Beautifying Skin and Hair: Tapping the teeth can activate facial muscles, enhance blood circulation in the face, and improve skin nourishment, thus beautifying the skin. Hair growth relies on essence and blood; when essence and blood are abundant, hair grows long and shiny; when essence and blood are deficient, hair turns white and falls out. The kidneys store essence, “its manifestation is in the hair”; tapping the teeth can enrich kidney essence and nourish the hair.
Teeth should be tapped regularly. In the Jin Dynasty, Ge Hong noted in “Baopuzi”: “Those who tap their teeth 300 times every morning will never have loose teeth.” The “Sources of Various Diseases” states: “At the crowing of the rooster, regularly tap the teeth 36 times; doing so will prevent tooth decay and keep the teeth strong.” Throughout history, many long-lived individuals have valued and benefited from tooth tapping, especially in the morning, which is even more significant.
02Closed Mouth Breathing Regulation Method
Function:Regulates the body’s qi mechanism and smooths qi and blood flow.
Method:Regularly practice closed mouth breathing, maintaining even and gentle breaths.
Achieving stable breathing is the key to mastering the closed mouth breathing regulation method. This allows oxygen to be distributed throughout the body, gradually promoting smooth qi and blood flow, benefiting the coordination of the five organs and six bowels. This method is recommended for the morning, as the yang qi is rising at this time, making it more effective.
03Swallowing Saliva Method
Function:Aids digestion.
Method:Every morning, press the tongue against the upper palate or lick the upper palate with the tip of the tongue. When the mouth is full of saliva, swallow it in several portions.
Saliva, commonly known as spit, is transformed from body fluids. Traditional Chinese medicine considers it a natural supplement closely related to life, hence ancient people referred to it with beautiful names like “Jade Spring”, “Divine Nectar”, “Golden Fluid”, “Sweet Dew”, and “Water of the Flower Pool”. Swallowing saliva is a highly advocated health method in ancient times.
Health Benefits of Saliva
The “Suwen: On the Five Qi” states: “The spleen governs saliva, and the kidneys govern saliva”; saliva is controlled by the spleen and kidneys. The spleen and kidneys are the foundation of both congenital and acquired essence, closely related to health and longevity. Therefore, saliva holds special value in health preservation.
Li Shizhen stated: “There are four orifices under the human tongue; two connect to the heart qi, and two connect to the kidney qi. The heart qi flowing under the tongue is the spiritual liquid. Daoists refer to it as golden nectar and jade liquor, which overflows as the nectar spring, gathers as the flower pool, disperses as body fluids, and descends as sweet dew, thus irrigating the organs and moistening the limbs. Therefore, health practitioners advocate swallowing saliva and inhaling qi, calling it ‘clear water irrigating the spiritual root’.” In “Red Stove Pointing Snow”, it is pointed out: “Once the saliva is swallowed, it transforms into blood in the heart, clarifies vision in the liver, nourishes the spirit in the spleen, aids qi in the lungs, and generates essence in the kidneys, naturally harmonizing the body and preventing diseases.” Thus, the functions of saliva are multifaceted.
1. Aids Digestion: When food enters the mouth, it first mixes with saliva to form a bolus. The amylase in saliva breaks down starch into maltose, which is further broken down into glucose, allowing for initial digestion of food.
2. Protects the Digestive Tract: Saliva cleanses the mouth, protects the teeth, neutralizes stomach acid, and repairs the gastric mucosa.
3. Delays Aging: The “Record of Nourishing Life and Extending Life” states: “Consuming jade spring prolongs life and eliminates diseases.” The “Book of Longevity” also states: “The saliva in the mouth is golden nectar, which can be held and swallowed throughout the day, allowing essence and qi to remain, and the face to glow.” These benefits have been confirmed by the long-term practices of health practitioners and qigong masters. Additionally, saliva has disease prevention and treatment effects, promoting wound healing.
Modern research shows that saliva contains various components found in plasma, including over ten enzymes, nearly ten vitamins, various minerals, organic acids, and hormones, such as secretory immunoglobulin, amino acids, and salivary gland hormones. Salivary gland hormones promote cell growth and division, accelerate the completion of DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis, and delay the aging of bodily functions. Maintaining vigorous saliva secretion directly participates in the body’s metabolic processes, thus improving the functions of hair, muscles, bones, blood, and organs, enhancing immune function and preventing diseases.
04
Facial Rubbing Method
Function:Can make the face rosy and eliminate fatigue.
Method:Every morning, rub your hands to warm them, then use your middle fingers to rub along both sides of the nose from bottom to top, reaching the forehead, then spread your hands to the sides and down, repeating this over 10 times until the face feels slightly warm.
The face has rich meridians; consistently practicing the facial rubbing method also helps delay skin aging. Additionally, covering your eyes with warm palms, similar to ironing, is beneficial for vision.
05Hair Combing
Function:Unblocks qi and blood, clears the mind.
Method:Insert your fingers into your hair and comb from front to back, rubbing the scalp 50 to 100 times.
Combing hair is one of the health preservation methods emphasized by ancient Chinese health practitioners. The Song Dynasty’s “Records of Strange Things” noted: “Combing hair and washing feet are longevity practices; do it before sleeping for small peace.” The great writer Su Dongpo also experienced this method: “Combing my hair over a hundred times, I sleep soundly until dawn.” It is known that the head is regarded in traditional Chinese medicine as the “repository of wisdom and the meeting of all yang”, concentrating many important acupoints. The twelve meridians and eight extraordinary meridians converge in the head, which governs the health of all body parts.
Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhou Daihan pointed out that regardless of gender, even elderly men with thinning hair can effectively stimulate many acupoints in the head by combing their hair in the morning, helping to smooth and elevate yang qi. Modern medicine has also proven that this practice can improve blood circulation in the brain, making one feel refreshed.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that combing hair in the morning can elevate yang and replenish qi, while combing before sleep can calm the mind and aid sleep. Therefore, combing hair in the morning and evening is very beneficial for the body; if time permits, the elderly can also do it once more before their afternoon nap.
06
Eye Movement Method
Function:Clears the liver and brightens the eyes.
Method:Rotate the eyeballs from left to right over 10 times, then from right to left over 10 times, and then rest your eyes for a moment. This can be done 4 to 5 times daily.
Eye movement refers to the rotation of the eyeballs to exercise their function, which can be done in various ways.
1. Eye Rolling: This method enhances the luster and sensitivity of the eyeballs, can eliminate internal obstacles and external haze, and correct nearsightedness and farsightedness.
Specific Practice:In the morning upon waking, first close your eyes, then rotate your eyeballs from right to left and from left to right, each for 10 times; then open your eyes and look left, right, up left, up right, down left, down right, repeating this four to five times; before sleeping, first open your eyes to roll them, then close your eyes to roll them for about 10 times each.
2. Distant Gazing: Use your eyes to gaze at distant scenery to adjust the function of the eyeballs, preventing them from deforming and leading to vision decline. For example, in the morning, during breaks, or at night, selectively gaze at distant mountains, trees, grasslands, blue skies, white clouds, bright moons, and starry skies. However, do not focus on one spot for too long, as it can be harmful; thus, the “Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber: Seven Orifice Diseases” lists “gazing far” alongside “reading fine print at night” and “staying too long in smoky environments” as “causing damage to vision”.
In addition to the above eye movement methods, you can also practice blinking, squinting, staring, and looking around. These exercises can provide more blood and lymphatic nourishment to the muscles around the eyes, protecting the eyes and enhancing vision.
Throughout history, health practitioners have advocated “not gazing for long” and “not gazing aimlessly”, as prolonged or aimless gazing depletes blood and harms the spirit. Thus, the “Suwen” states: “Prolonged gazing harms blood”, and the “Four Essentials of Health Preservation” points out: “The eyes are the residence of the spirit; they should often be closed, and when closed, they do not become dim.” The spirit of the eyes should be inwardly guarded to benefit the coordination of body and spirit. Laozi said: “The five colors confuse the eyes, making them unclear.” Therefore, the “Classics” emphasizes: “If the heart desires tranquility, it must first restrain the eyes, suppress them to the eyes, allowing them to return to the heart, thus the heart becomes tranquil and the spirit also tranquil,” indicating that eye care and spirit care are closely related.
In daily life or during work and study, reading, writing, or watching TV should not be done for too long. When vision fatigue occurs, eliminate distractions, relax the body, and sit quietly with closed eyes for 3 to 5 minutes; or perform several sessions of closed-eye relaxation at set times daily. This method can eliminate visual fatigue and regulate emotions, and is also an effective auxiliary method for treating eye diseases.
07
Ear Focusing Method
Function:Clears the mind and dispels distractions.
Method:Cover your ears with both hands, bow your head, and tilt your head up 5 to 7 times.
08
Qi Lifting Method
Function:Facilitates the flow of qi.
Method:During inhalation, slightly tighten the anus and perineum, lifting them upward, then slowly exhale and relax. This can be done 5 to 7 times daily.
09
Abdominal Massage Method
Function:Aids digestion and relieves abdominal bloating.
Method:After each meal, massage the abdomen in a clockwise direction around the navel about 30 times.
Abdominal massage is also highly regarded by health practitioners throughout history. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the “Yijinjing” written by Bodhidharma recorded three methods of abdominal massage, which were widely circulated among the people at that time. In the Sui Dynasty, there were massage doctors, and Chao Yuanfang recorded the abdominal massage method in “Sources of Various Diseases”: “Rub your hands together to generate heat, then massage the abdomen to promote qi downward; if you massage up and down around the navel, the more the better.” In the Tang Dynasty, massage techniques developed into an independent discipline, as recorded in the “Tang Liudian”, which stated that massage could eliminate “wind, cold, heat, dampness, hunger, fullness, labor, and rest diseases.” It also pointed out: “When a person’s limbs, joints, and organs accumulate and cause diseases, they should be guided and released, preventing internal diseases from lingering and external evils from entering.” The famous Tang Dynasty physician Sun Simiao’s health philosophy was “After eating, walk a hundred steps, and always massage the abdomen.” In the “Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber”, he stated: “Massaging the abdomen hundreds of times allows food to digest easily, greatly benefiting people, enabling them to eat without diseases.” In the Ming Dynasty, Gao Lian’s “Zunsheng Zhai” stated: “After eating, walk slowly for a hundred steps, and massage the sides and abdomen with both hands.”
In the Qing Dynasty, Fang Kai’s “Nine Transformations for Longevity” detailed the methods of abdominal massage with illustrations. The well-versed poet Lu You from the Southern Song Dynasty consistently practiced abdominal massage, and from personal experience wrote moving verses: “Unclothed, I massage my abdomen under the west window, do not blame people for mocking me as a rice bag”; “Unclothed, allow me to leisurely massage my abdomen, dreaming once more in the quiet window”; “Massaging my abdomen brings me joy”; “Gently shaking my teeth, my hair falls out and regrows, feeling light as I dance with flowers, I walk without a cane.” Abdominal massage has greatly benefited him, allowing him to live to 85 years old.
Why can abdominal massage prevent diseases and prolong life?
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that a person’s longevity is closely related to the health of the five organs and six bowels. The “Neijing: Lingshu: Heavenly Years” states: “When the five organs are strong, blood vessels are harmonized, muscles are relaxed, and skin is firm; the circulation of nutrients and defenses is normal; breathing is gentle, and qi flows smoothly; the six bowels digest food, and body fluids are distributed; each functions properly, thus longevity is possible.” Traditional Chinese medicine places great importance on the five organs, especially regarding the spleen and stomach as the “foundation of acquired essence and the source of qi and blood transformation.” Hence, there is a saying: “Those who consume grains thrive; without stomach qi, one perishes.” The spleen and stomach are the pivot for the rise and fall of qi in the body, and the area from below the navel to above the pubic bone is the dantian, the central area regulating the flow of qi and blood in the meridians. The “Guanyuan” and “Qihai” acupoints in this area are key health points. Abdominal massage can harmonize the upper and lower, eliminate the old and generate the new, regulate the yin and yang of the organs, expel evils, and stabilize the five organs, promoting a dynamic balance of yin and yang qi and blood, thus achieving the effects of disease prevention, body strengthening, and longevity.
Abdominal massage should be performed gently; excessive force may cause pain in the abdomen, which could be counterproductive.
10
Foot Sole Massage Method
Function:Strengthens the waist and solidifies the kidneys.
Method:Before sleeping each day, massage the soles of the feet with your thumbs in a clockwise direction for 100 times.
The foot sole massage method is best performed after soaking the feet in warm water before bed. You can also rub your hands together to warm them, then use your left palm to massage your right foot sole and your right palm to massage your left foot sole, ensuring to warm the feet without harming the skin. This method has the effect of strengthening the kidneys, nourishing yin, and reducing fire. You can also massage the Zusanli (足三里) and Yongquan (涌泉) acupoints after soaking your feet, achieving the benefits of strengthening the spleen, nourishing the stomach, and solidifying the kidneys.
【Source: This content is compiled from Chinese Medicine, “Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Preservation”, and 39 Health Network】