Summary of TCM Courses
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All Courses by Ni Haixia
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Comprehensive TCM Treatments for Common Diseases
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Focused Study on TCM Topics
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Online Reading of TCM Learning Books
1. How Long Should a Person Live to Fulfill Their Natural Lifespan?
Why is the average lifespan of modern people only seventy to eighty years, with most dying from diseases? Why has the expected lifespan of people today decreased by nearly one-third compared to ancient times? Who has stolen these precious forty to fifty years of life from us?
In my long medical experience, I have encountered various patients, and I often ask them a question: “How old do you want to live?” I am surprised that many people have never thought about this question.
The length and quality of life are the most significant matters in our lives. If you do not care enough about it, how much joy can life bring?
We should indeed prepare early for our health and longevity. This preparation does not require much time or money, but it brings a high quality of life.
A high-quality life means living to one’s “natural lifespan.” How old must one be to be considered to have reached their “natural lifespan”? The Huangdi Neijing states: “In ancient times, people lived to be over a hundred years old in spring and autumn before departing, thus fulfilling their natural lifespan.” Thousands of years ago, wise Chinese people could deduce the course of a person’s life according to the laws of nature.
American scholar Haerfuri estimated human lifespan based on the number of cell divisions, concluding that a person’s lifespan should be 120 years. These research results astonishingly align with our ancestors’ records of natural lifespan. However, why is the average lifespan of modern people only seventy to eighty years, with most dying from diseases? Why has the expected lifespan of people today decreased by nearly one-third compared to ancient times?
This is a question worth deep reflection. What causes us to fall ill? Who has stolen our forty to fifty years of life? Of course, it is the excess Yin energy.
Excess Yin energy is self-inflicted. We often harm our Yang energy and promote our Yin energy, leading to decline by middle age and an inability to fulfill our natural lifespan. Our ancestors pointed this out thousands of years ago. The Huangdi Neijing: Shanggu Tianzhen Lun states that those who do not take care of their health drink alcohol as if it were a beverage without moderation. Excessive drinking harms both the spirit and the internal organs and blood vessels.
Moreover, many people consider harmful lifestyles to be normal, deeply entrenched in various health misconceptions without realizing it. For example, indulging in sexual activities after heavy drinking, harming oneself through alcohol and overindulgence, seeking momentary pleasure while recklessly releasing one’s essence. Additionally, unhealthy lifestyles such as staying up late, binge eating, and irregular daily routines can lead to premature aging and chronic diseases, preventing one from fulfilling their natural lifespan!
Some say, “The average lifespan of modern people is longer than in the past, with many elderly people living to eighty or ninety.” But I think: these long-lived elders lived in a different era than today. Nowadays, people who are constantly stressed and overworked are not in good health. Conditions like hypertension, diabetes, shoulder periarthritis, and vascular sclerosis have already appeared in people in their thirties and forties.
I am a perfectionist; I hope everyone achieves perfect success and happiness, and I do not want to see anyone’s health collapse at the peak of their success. Yet, I witness these situations happening around us every day.
In fact, our ancestors have already pointed out a bright path to living to one’s natural lifespan in the Huangdi Neijing: “Follow the principles of Yin and Yang, harmonize with the techniques, maintain regularity in daily life, eat and drink in moderation, and avoid excessive labor, thus allowing the body and spirit to coexist and fulfilling one’s natural lifespan, departing at a hundred years old.” What does this mean? It means we should never harm our Yang energy, but I believe this is not enough. We should actively cultivate our Yang energy through various methods to enhance the body’s self-healing ability. Remember, no matter how old you are, as long as your Yang energy is sufficient, living to your natural lifespan is not a dream.
2. Health Preservation is Cultivating Yang Energy
When the body is unwell, it is like experiencing cold and damp weather; however, as soon as the sun comes out, this environment becomes unfavorable for the growth and development of diseases. Therefore, we must use our own hands to lift the sun within our bodies, allowing it to shine upon our internal organs and bring us lasting health.
Currently, many diseases are difficult to treat, and conventional methods often yield poor results. How can we quickly resolve these difficult and complicated conditions? This has been a problem that has troubled me for many years. It is precisely these challenges that have prompted me to constantly think and seek solutions in my life, combining ancient wisdom and experience until one day, when I reread the Huangdi Neijing, I discovered an important secret hidden within.
This secret is to solidify and protect Yang energy. The Huangdi Neijing states in the Shengqi Tongtian Lun: “Yang energy is like the sun and the moon; if it loses its place, it will shorten life and not shine.” The Yin Yang Yingxiang Dalu states: “Yin and Yang are the source of life and death.” Zhang Jingyue commented: “The way of life and death is only Yin and Yang. When Yang comes, things live; when Yang departs, things die.” These two passages made me realize the essence of treating diseases and preserving life, and the long-standing problems I faced suddenly became clear.
It turns out that human life revolves around the concept of “Yang energy.” Only by solidifying and protecting Yang energy can diseases be prevented, and only with abundant Yang energy can the body’s self-recovery ability function normally, allowing medicine to be effective. It is precisely the deficiency of Yang energy that leads to various health issues; many people’s diseases persist not because medicine is ineffective, but because their Yang energy has not been activated.
Once this thought opened up, I immediately realized that throughout history, renowned Chinese physicians have treated diseases and preserved health by mobilizing the body’s Yang energy.
Song Dynasty physician Dou Cai was a prominent advocate of Yang energy health preservation. He emphasized that “if Yang essence is strong, one can live for a thousand years; if Yin energy is strong, it will inevitably cause harm.” He particularly focused on moxibustion at the Guanyuan (CV4) point, believing that during the transition from summer to autumn each year, one should moxibustion the Guanyuan point a thousand times, which is about a month’s worth of moxibustion, to maintain strong and vigorous energy and vitality. Over time, this practice will warm the lower abdomen and the Dan Tian area, making one feel joyful and content.
This secret from the Huangdi Neijing has been discovered by many great physicians in ancient times and successfully applied in clinical practice. Since then, when I treat diseases and provide health guidance, I have made solidifying and protecting Yang energy the core content, and many difficult and complicated conditions have been easily resolved.
I encourage people to use standing post exercises to invigorate their Yang energy, teach them to stimulate Yang energy through acupoints, and use dietary therapy to conquer the greatest enemy of Yang energy—dampness. Practice has proven that this approach is very effective.
Health preservation is cultivating Yang energy.
When the body is unwell, it is like experiencing cold and damp weather; however, as soon as the sun comes out, this environment becomes unfavorable for the growth and development of diseases. Therefore, we must use our own hands to lift the sun within our bodies, allowing it to shine upon our internal organs and bring us lasting health.
3. Why Do Modern People Experience Excess Yin and Deficient Yang?
We should adjust our breathing and diet to nourish the Yang energy in our bodies. In terms of breathing, we should breathe in fresh air filled with the spirit of heaven and the vitality of all living things. In terms of diet, we should utilize the properties of food to help Yang energy flourish.
In real life, people with weak bodies often exhibit the following symptoms: cold hands and feet, pale complexion without luster, or dark complexion, being particularly sensitive to cold weather, or feeling as if cold water has been poured on the lower back, preferring hot tea and soup, feeling fatigued and weak, easily experiencing chronic diarrhea, indigestion, malnutrition, anemia, or edema; additionally, slight exercise may cause palpitations, shortness of breath, easy sweating, or loose stools that are unformed, easily leading to diarrhea after being cold, swelling after fatigue, or frequent urination at night, reduced libido, and in men, impotence or premature ejaculation, while women may experience reduced menstruation, infertility, or sterility…
All of these are manifestations of excess Yin and deficient Yang. The body is shrouded in the ominous haze of disease, and Yang energy is deficient, leading to these symptoms. To this day, those symptoms seem no longer exclusive to chronically ill individuals; even normal people exhibit some of these symptoms to varying degrees. Why do modern people experience excess Yin and deficient Yang?
The Huangdi Neijing tells us: humans are born of heaven and earth; heaven nourishes human Yang with Qi, and earth nourishes human Yin with food. We can observe our surroundings; pollution is too severe. Breathing in such poor-quality air undoubtedly damages our Yang energy. Additionally, the food on our tables is exquisite and abundant, mostly consisting of meat products like chicken, duck, fish, and other “blood-rich foods,” which are most likely to nourish Yin. In this lifestyle, many people’s physiques have become plump, but their spirits have not improved.
Spirit belongs to Yang, while the body belongs to Yin. When the two are unbalanced, with excess Yin and deficient Yang, the phenomenon described in TCM as “form surpassing Qi” occurs. The Huangdi Neijing states: “When Qi surpasses form, one lives long; when form surpasses Qi, one dies young.” This means that when a person’s mental state cannot fully control their physical form, they will become ill and find it difficult to recover.
This suggests that we should adjust our breathing and diet to nourish the Yang energy in our bodies. In terms of breathing, we should breathe in fresh air filled with the spirit of heaven and the vitality of all living things; in terms of diet, we should utilize the properties of food to help Yang energy flourish. For example, dampness is a common issue among modern people, as dampness is a Yin evil that can suppress Yang energy. Job’s tears and red bean soup can eliminate dampness from the body, and once the dampness is removed, Yang energy will naturally flourish. Additionally, we should pay attention to food combinations; for instance, drinking alcohol with kudzu flower can prevent drunkenness; cold crabs should be paired with warming ginger and perilla leaves to prevent gout. By paying attention to these small issues in daily life, we can make significant strides toward health!
The Huangdi Neijing also tells us: movement belongs to Yang, while stillness belongs to Yin. Modern people’s bodies lack proper exercise, leading to excessive stillness and excess Yin, which together harm the body’s Yang energy, resulting in a pathological state of Yang deficiency that is even more pronounced than that of ancient people.
All life arises from Yang, and all death arises from Yang. The growth, maturation, aging, and death of a person are all governed by Yang energy; the generation of essence, blood, and fluids is all transformed by Yang energy. However, the era, environment, and lifestyle we live in provide us with too little Yang energy, which is why we are plagued by various diseases today.
4. Abundant Yang Energy Prevents All Diseases
The human body has the ability to resist external evils. This ability is Yang energy, also known as “Wei Yang” or “Wei Qi” in TCM. Wei means guard or protect. Yang energy acts like the body’s guards, distributed at the surface of the skin (the pores), responsible for resisting all external evils and safeguarding the body’s safety. Anyone with abundant Yang energy can prevent all diseases.
When modern people experience minor illnesses, such as a cold, they generally do not easily seek TCM. Many people, who are chronically ill, often ask me, “What is the cause of my various ailments?” I tell them, “The root cause of your past and present illnesses is only one: weak Yang energy.”
Humans exist between heaven and earth, and the natural elements of wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire constantly threaten our health. This is what TCM refers to as the “Six Evils.” Throughout the year, there are wind evils in spring, heat evils in summer, damp evils in autumn, and cold evils in winter. Some of these invade the body and cause illness quickly, while others may remain latent for a long time, transforming into various forms of other diseases. However, within the same environment of the Six Evils, why do some people become ill while others do not?
It turns out that the human body has the ability to resist external evils. This ability is Yang energy, also known as “Wei Yang” or “Wei Qi” in TCM. Wei means guard or protect. Yang energy acts like the body’s guards, distributed at the surface of the skin (the pores), responsible for resisting all external evils and safeguarding the body’s safety.
Anyone with abundant Yang energy can prevent all diseases. Humans exist between heaven and earth, and the natural elements of wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire constantly threaten our health. This is what TCM refers to as the “Six Evils.” Throughout the year, there are wind evils in spring, heat evils in summer, damp evils in autumn, and cold evils in winter. Some of these invade the body and cause illness quickly, while others may remain latent for a long time, transforming into various forms of other diseases. However, within the same environment of the Six Evils, why do some people become ill while others do not?
Those with abundant Yang energy can easily keep the evils at bay, so regardless of how harsh the environment is or what kind of pathogens are prevalent outside, they will not fall ill. The reason some people can escape epidemics is that their Yang energy is very strong, while those with weak Yang energy are different; the evils encounter no resistance at the surface and can easily penetrate the body.
The causes of diseases lie in the external Six Evils and the internal Seven Emotions: joy, anger, worry, thought, sadness, fear, and shock. Many changes in the five organs are caused by emotional fluctuations.
When do people’s emotions fluctuate the most? It is when Yang energy is insufficient. Those with abundant Yang energy are optimistic and open-minded, while those with insufficient Yang energy are pessimistic and despairing. Therefore, when Yang energy is elevated, a person’s mental state will undergo a significant transformation, and the so-called diseases caused by the Seven Emotions will all drift away from us. Even if one occasionally falls ill, the body’s self-healing function will restore health in the shortest time possible.
Moreover, aging is merely the decline of Yang and the rise of Yin. Aging is a natural law, but through effort, it can be postponed until the natural limit of our lifespan. When one reaches their natural lifespan, death is no longer a frightening matter but a great liberation and joy.
In summary, as long as Yang energy is sufficient, we will naturally not fear illness, aging, or death. What doctors can do is only to use needles and medicine to mobilize the body’s Yang energy and revive the body’s self-repair function. If we understand how to solidify and cultivate Yang energy, we can proudly say: the best great physician is ourselves.
5. Self-Diagnosis: Simple Methods to Determine “Dampness” in the Body
Dampness is the greatest enemy of modern health, the source or accomplice of most difficult and chronic diseases. As long as dampness is reduced, all so-called modern diseases will stay away from us, and all malignant and chronic diseases will lose their breeding ground.
Why are modern diseases so complex and difficult to treat? Because there is dampness in their bodies, and the external evils always conspire with the internal dampness, creating a tangled mess.
Why has Sichuan cuisine, which was once only popular in southwestern China, become popular nationwide? Because Sichuan flavor is spicy, and only those living in damp areas needed it to resolve internal dampness. Now, many people across the country have dampness in their bodies and need spiciness to resolve it, so everyone instinctively loves Sichuan cuisine.
Among the Six Evils that cause diseases—wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire—dampness is the most feared by the human body. Cold and heat can be managed; cold can be warmed, and heat can be cooled. Wind can be driven away, dryness can be moistened, and heat can be cleared. However, what about dampness? It is a bit tricky; using drying methods will often harm the body fluids, and dampness cannot be easily removed. Therefore, in TCM, in addition to drying dampness, there are also methods for promoting urination, transforming dampness, and draining dampness. The more methods there are, the more cunning this enemy is, making it harder to deal with.
Dampness is pervasive. When dampness harms the body, it never fights alone; it always collaborates with other evils.
When dampness encounters cold, it becomes cold dampness. This is like in winter; if the weather is dry, people can still tolerate the cold, but if dampness is heavy, it becomes unbearable. This is why winter in the south is more uncomfortable than in the north; the dampness is heavier, and the cold evils are more harmful.
When dampness encounters heat, it becomes damp heat. This is like summer sauna days, where both heat and dampness make it hard to breathe, which is clearly less pleasant than dry, sunny weather.
When dampness encounters wind, it becomes wind dampness. Driving away wind is easy, but once it becomes wind dampness, it often leads to chronic diseases that are not easily treated. When dampness is under the skin, it leads to obesity, which is also a challenging health issue…
In individuals with diseases, there is definitely stubborn dampness at play; even seemingly healthy individuals may have dampness lurking within, waiting for the right moment to act. So, how can we determine if there is dampness in our bodies?
The most convenient way is to observe the stool: if the stool is unformed and consistently loose, there is definitely dampness in the body. If the stool is formed but leaves residue in the toilet that is hard to flush away, this is also a sign of dampness, as dampness has a sticky characteristic. If it is inconvenient to observe the toilet, one can also check the toilet paper. If the stool is normal, one sheet of toilet paper should suffice. However, if there is dampness in the body, several sheets will be needed.
If there is constipation and the stool is unformed, it indicates that the dampness in the body is very heavy. The stickiness of dampness causes the stool to linger in the intestines, leading to toxic feces entering the blood, resulting in numerous diseases.
Furthermore, one can also judge by the color of the stool. What does normal stool look like? “Golden yellow, cylindrical; banana-shaped, very smooth.” To be honest, there are not many healthy stools like this nowadays; most are dark green or greenish, and few are well-formed.
What causes the stool to be dark green? First, it is due to excessive meat consumption, combined with modern people’s lack of exercise, leading to excess Yin and deficient Yang, causing internal dampness. Therefore, the stool cannot be normal.
Why are well-formed stools so rare? In TCM, it is said that if the spleen is weak, the stool will be loose. Chinese people should primarily consume grains and cereals, but now they mainly eat meat. Many people feel uncomfortable if they do not eat meat for a day, and the combination of meat and vegetables is extremely unreasonable. Long-term this harms the spleen and stomach, which are responsible for transforming and transporting dampness. When the spleen is damaged, dampness cannot be fully transformed and accumulates in the body. Therefore, unformed stools indicate spleen deficiency and dampness in the body, which is the biggest health issue for modern people.
Diseases are insidious and harmful; they hide within the human body, invisible to the naked eye. Western medicine can reveal parts of it by opening the body, while TCM infers the internal condition of evil Qi through observing external visible signs.
If you still feel tired when you should be getting up at 7 AM, feeling as if something is wrapping around your head, making it hard to feel energetic, or if you feel as if something is enveloping your body, making you reluctant to move, then you can determine that there is heavy dampness in your body without needing to look at your tongue or stool. In TCM, it is said that “heavy dampness feels like being wrapped up”; this feeling of being enveloped is the body’s response to dampness, as if wearing a shirt that has been washed but not dried.
Dampness is the greatest enemy of modern health, the source or accomplice of most difficult and chronic diseases. As long as dampness is reduced, all so-called modern diseases will stay away from us, and all malignant and chronic diseases will lose their breeding ground. How to deal with dampness and eliminate it is our primary task in health preservation and disease prevention. By expelling dampness from the body, both body and mind will shine brightly.
6. Observing the Tongue and Fingernails for Diagnosis and Health Preservation
Every morning after getting up and washing up, take a precious second to look at your tongue. Another simple method is to observe the moon-shaped area at the base of your fingernails.
Health preservation should be tailored to individuals, but it does not mean that there are a thousand different ways for a thousand people. How can we determine our own health preservation plan based on our specific situation? A basic point is to distinguish between cold and heat. People have cold and hot constitutions, and based on the coldness or heat of their constitution, we should treat health preservation differently. We just need to follow our feelings: cold constitutions tend to be sensitive to cold and prefer warm foods, while hot constitutions fear heat and prefer cool foods. We can simply follow our preferences.
Additionally, regardless of whether one has a cold or hot constitution, the internal environment can change over time; sometimes it may lean towards cold, and other times towards heat. This requires us to frequently observe our internal cold and heat conditions and arrange our diet and daily routines accordingly. This is the most important aspect, though it can be challenging to master and requires constant attention.
How can we know whether we have cold or heat in our bodies? Here are two simple methods.
Every morning after getting up and washing up, take a precious second to look at your tongue. In TCM, the tongue is a reflection of the heart and the spleen’s external manifestation, and it can sensitively reflect the body’s cold and heat. If the internal cold and heat are balanced, our tongue should be light red and moist, with a thin white coating that is clean and moderate in dryness and wetness, neither slippery nor dry; if the coating is too white, slippery, and moist, it indicates internal cold; if the coating is rough, thick, yellow, and greasy, it indicates internal damp heat; if the tongue is bright red with no coating, it indicates that the internal heat has reached a certain level.
Another simpler method is to observe the moon-shaped area at the base of your fingernails. A normal moon shape occupies about 1/5 of the entire nail; if it is significantly less than 1/5, it indicates internal cold; if it is significantly more than 1/5, it indicates internal heat. A normal moon shape should be milky white, and the whiter it is, the healthier it is. Each fingernail can have a moon shape, but their meanings differ. Generally, healthy individuals should have moon shapes on their thumbs and middle fingers. The thumb corresponds to the lungs, and the middle finger corresponds to the heart. If the moon shapes on these two fingers are normal, it indicates that the body’s cold and heat are relatively balanced, and there are no significant health issues. The little finger generally does not have a moon shape; if it does, it indicates heat in the kidneys. Of course, some may say, “I have no moon shapes on any of my ten fingers.” This should be viewed differently; if one has never had them, it indicates a cold constitution; if one used to have them but no longer does, it indicates that internal coldness is heavy, and one should focus on dampness removal.
7. Standing Posture Health Preservation Method is the Simplest and Most Effective Path to Longevity
After nearly 20 years of practicing TCM diagnosis and treatment, I have found that this health preservation method, which integrates health preservation, TCM, and martial arts, is currently the simplest, most convenient, and most effective method among all body and mind adjustment techniques!
Nowadays, most people’s bodies lack adequate exercise, so it is even more important to use effective exercise methods to regulate the body. However, the reasons of “no time to exercise” and “not seeing significant results after exercising” have diminished many people’s confidence in physical exercise. Here, I would like to introduce a simple, easy-to-learn method that does not take up time and has particularly fast and good results, which I personally use every day.
I have practiced traditional Chinese martial arts since childhood, specifically Dachengquan. This style has no specific moves or routines; it simply involves “holding both hands in front of the chest and standing still.” This action in martial arts is called “standing posture,” and I have applied this martial arts method to health preservation, calling it the “Embrace Health” method.
To date, I have discovered that this health preservation method, which integrates health preservation, TCM, and martial arts, is currently the simplest and most effective among all methods for adjusting body and mind.
The “Embrace Health” method is very simple: stand casually, with both hands embracing in front of the chest, and relax the whole body.
That’s it! Using this “Embrace Health” method saves time and space; we can do it while watching TV or chatting. I often suggest to my friends and family (or patient friends) to stand like this for half an hour after getting home from work while watching TV, making the most of their time.
Some may express doubt: can such an effective health preservation method be so simple? Is there really such a good thing in the world?
The founder of Dachengquan, Wang Xiangzhai, was extremely weak and suffered from stubborn asthma at the age of seven or eight. At that time, there were no effective treatments for this condition. In desperation, the famous Xingyi Quan master, known in the martial arts world as “Half-Step Bump Fist Conquers the World,” passed on the secret of standing posture health preservation to him. Wang Xiangzhai used this health preservation technique to regulate his body, not only recovering from his illness but also unknowingly developing profound martial arts skills.
The “Embrace Health” method I am introducing now is a fusion of Wang Xiangzhai’s skills and my own experience. The action of “standing casually, embracing with both hands, and relaxing the whole body” naturally leads to the optimal health preservation state, directly stimulating many special acupoint functions in the body. Therefore, the principle of the “Embrace Health” method is to stimulate the body’s meridians, integrating numerous health functions of the body’s meridians and acupoints.
First, it stimulates the Zusanli (ST36) acupoint; additionally, with more practice of the “Embrace Health” method, one will feel a line hanging from the top of the head, which stimulates the Baihui (GV20) acupoint; the embracing position of the hands also stimulates the Laogong (PC8) acupoint; and the standing position of the feet stimulates the Yongquan (KD1) acupoint, activating the two major acupoints for nourishing the heart and kidneys. Thus, when practicing the “Embrace Health” method, one often feels warmth in the palms and soles, and the chest, abdomen, and back will be fully relaxed, harmonizing the Ren and Du meridians… All useful acupoints and meridians in the body can be fully activated through the “Embrace Health” method, making it truly a method that “one stance connects to the acupoints, and one embrace brings health!”
The simple “Embrace Health” method perfectly combines physical and mental health. Years of practice have led me to realize that “Embrace Health” is a great movement within stillness. It appears to be standing still, with only slight swaying, but in reality, all the vital acupoints are in motion. This is true movement, the most efficient and effective movement. “Embrace Health” is also a stillness that is truly still; while it may not be entirely free of distractions, it can bring joy and a pleasant spirit.
Usually, our minds race like wild horses, unable to stop abruptly, but when we practice “Embrace Health,” our minds slow down, as if wandering in the clear breeze under the bright moon.
When practicing the “Embrace Health” method, there is no need to focus on the Dan Tian, nor is it necessary to eliminate all distractions; instead, think of pleasant things, because joy is the master of the heart, and a slight joy is better than any heart-nourishing medicine. At this time, we relax our whole body, free of worries. You will soon experience what true bodily joy feels like.
8. “Relaxation” is the Best Medicine for the Human Body
The “Embrace Health” method can use the simplest approach to relax the body and mind, addressing all health issues related to tension, including physical tension leading to cervical spondylosis, lumbar spondylosis, shoulder periarthritis, and psychological tension leading to insomnia, forgetfulness, timidity, vivid dreams, acrophobia, hydrophobia, hemophobia, depression, etc., most of which can be resolved through the “Embrace Health” method.
If you are feeling unwell recently and face a doctor’s serious expression during a check-up, are you extremely anxious and even panicked about the doctor’s judgment on your health?
If you are an employee in a large company who has suddenly been promoted to a managerial position, taking charge of a large project, do you feel a sense of accomplishment while simultaneously feeling pressured?
In these situations, I believe everyone would answer affirmatively. In fact, none of these are major or difficult matters, but if you do not know how to alleviate them, your health will suffer significantly. So, what should you do? Learn to relax.
Stand properly, raise your hands, and form a ball shape in front of your chest, relaxing your whole body. The “Embrace Health” method is the best way to relieve stress—however, beginners often experience shoulder tension.
Many people suffer from cervical spondylosis and shoulder periarthritis due to prolonged tension in their bodies and minds. When initially practicing the “Embrace Health” method, there may be subconscious tension, causing the shoulders to rise and the arms to tense. At this point, we can first relax the shoulders, then retract the palms, ensuring that the fingers are positioned as if holding a cigarette. It is essential to try to relax, achieving a state of relaxation without slackness, tension without stiffness. This way, our upper limbs and shoulders will completely relax. Additionally, if tension arises while standing, we can move our hands slightly, raising or lowering them, still aiming for relaxation.
Practicing the “Embrace Health” method is essentially practicing relaxation. At all times and in all parts of the body, we must relax and not be too tense. When we are too tense, Qi and blood cannot flow smoothly.
Everyone experiences this: where there is tension, there is illness; when the mind is tense, the whole body is affected. After practicing the “Embrace Health” method for a period, we will feel that as soon as we raise our hands and form the ball shape, our shoulders immediately relax, and our minds also become light, quickly entering a state of joy.
When I demonstrate the “Embrace Health” method to many people, they often say, “I feel you are most approachable when you are standing still; your face is truly full of smiles! What makes you so happy?” In fact, this is a natural habit; many times, as soon as I raise my hands, my mind immediately enters a state of relaxation and joy. At this moment, regardless of what I do, I feel an abundance of energy and an indescribable happiness.
Once we learn to relax, joy will naturally follow, arriving uninvited. Some have reported that after practicing the “Embrace Health” method for a while, their courage has increased. One acrophobia patient practiced “Embrace Health” for two months and, while on a trip to Huangshan, sent me a message saying he was now standing at the highest point of Huangshan, feeling the wind blowing through his clothes, and his acrophobia had disappeared. There are many similar examples. In fact, timidity stems from significant psychological pressure, and the standing posture health preservation method alleviates both physical and mental tension, leading to a release of pressure and an increase in courage. Without anxiety, fear, and tension, what remains is boundless joy.
In daily life, we must not simply believe that timidity is innate, nor should we think that pressure and anxiety are unavoidable in life. The “Embrace Health” method can use the simplest approach to relax the body and mind, addressing all health issues related to tension, including physical tension leading to cervical spondylosis, lumbar spondylosis, shoulder periarthritis, and psychological tension leading to insomnia, forgetfulness, timidity, vivid dreams, acrophobia, hydrophobia, hemophobia, depression, etc., most of which can be resolved through the “Embrace Health” method.
This “Embrace Health” method will unconsciously shift the body’s weight to the front two-thirds of the feet. In fact, placing it in the front two-thirds is meant to create a slight inward squeeze, allowing the Qi and blood of the Stomach Meridian (Foot Yangming) to fill up instantly, as this meridian is rich in Qi and blood, making it very quick to activate the body’s Qi and blood. Therefore, the effects of practicing the “Embrace Health” method are often much faster than those of yoga.
After standing for a few minutes, the shoulder blades will feel warm and heavy, the palms and soles will also feel warm, and then the Qi and blood throughout the body will surge, indicating that the amount of movement is significant. This is a great movement within stillness, minimizing physical movement while maximizing the movement of Qi and blood. This way, unnecessary factors are eliminated, akin to a luxury car that operates silently and does not heat up, achieving nearly 100% mechanical efficiency. Such a car does not exist in the world, but through the “Embrace Health” method, our body’s health vehicle can achieve such excellent performance.
For neck, shoulder, waist, and leg pain, apply the Black Hundred Pain Patch.