TCM Health Cultivation
01 · Historical Records
The Traditional Chinese Daoyin Method of health preservation originates from the daily-practice tradition of Taoist health cultivation. Historically, the inheriting community was composed mainly of practitioners of self-cultivation; in modern times, in addition to master-disciple transmission, inheritors also taught the method to the general public while practicing medicine. Its approach of setting exercises according to the hours of the day has all along been linked with the doctrine of qi and blood circulation in traditional Chinese medicine. In recent years, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine has established an advanced seminar class in Taoist medicine and carried out theoretical research on Taoist medicine, and this set of methods, originally scattered within Taoist circles, has been reorganized and taught anew.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Traditional Chinese Daoyin Method of Health Preservation It is a set of daily daoyin exercises for health preservation designed in accordance with the daily patterns of qi and blood circulation in the human body, and is the most basic method of health preservation in the daily life of ancient Chinese. It advocates the philosophy of conforming to nature, correspondence between heaven and humanity, and valuing and cherishing human life, and takes the principles of yin-yang balance and the generation and restraint of the five phases as its basic theory. The system of the method is complete, comprising the Qijing Gong (exercise for entering stillness), the Zhijing Gong (exercise for concluding stillness), the Wuji Gong, the Yinyang Gong, and the Wuxing Gong. The Qijing Gong is a method of health preservation practiced upon rising in the morning: in spring and summer one rises at the yin hour, and in autumn and winter one wakes at the mao hour; first the mind is awakened, then the eyes are brightened; one then sits up and performs teeth-clicking, tongue-rotating, rinsing the mouth with saliva, swallowing the saliva, and the morning tuoyue (breathing through the cycle of inhaling, filling, holding, and exhaling) nine times, so as to achieve an awakening of the spirit. The Zhijing Gong is the method of health preservation practiced before sleep: in spring and summer one sleeps at the hai hour, and in autumn and winter one sleeps at the xu hour; before sleep one thinks neither of good nor of evil, and neither dwells on the past nor worries about the future. Then, with eyes closed, one sits quietly and practices the 'hu' (exhaling)-word breathing exercise six times; next, holding the breath, one rubs the kidneys twenty-four times and rubs the abdomen once around; one then performs the evening tuoyue (alternating reverse and normal breathing) thirty-six times, and lies down on the right side, so as to achieve a calming of the spirit. The Wuji Gong is suitable at the mao hour: while inhaling, one uses the hands to trace three circles from bottom to top, and with the mind one gathers the natural spiritual qi of the earth, following the hands' gathering of qi from the Yongquan point at the soles of the feet up to the Baihui point at the crown of the head; while exhaling, as the hands descend, one brings the qi of heaven from Baihui down to Yongquan, serving to regulate the yin and yang of the upper and lower parts of the body. The Yinyang Gong is suitable at the wu (midday) hour: first one moves the right palm; while inhaling, one uses the waist to drive the shoulder, elbow, and wrist in a spiraling upward movement; at the extreme point one exhales while driving the right palm downward; one then switches to moving the left palm in the same manner, serving to regulate the yin and yang of the left and right sides of the body. The Wuxing Gong is suitable at the you hour; based on the theory of the five phases, it uses five distinctive daoyin movements to massage the five zang and six fu organs from top to bottom, achieving the regulation of the yin and yang of the viscera. Amid the waxing and waning of yin and yang over the course of a day, the Traditional Chinese Daoyin Method regulates the body's yin and yang through guided exercises so as to adapt to the changes of nature, thereby serving to awaken the spirit and strengthen the brain, calm the heart and tranquilize the mind, promote the flow of qi and activate the blood, and nourish life in accordance with the times. Its main features are, first, that it follows the theory of correspondence between heaven and humanity, setting exercises in accordance with the influence of the changing hours of the day on the circulation of qi and blood in the human body, reflecting the characteristics of nourishing life according to the hours; second, that it embodies the yin-yang health-preservation characteristics of Chinese medicine, emphasizing the balance of yin and yang and the combination of movement and stillness: movement to promote the flow of qi and blood and to loosen the joints, and stillness to gather qi and nourish the spirit and to restore the primordial vitality. Third, its exercise system is complete and its functions are clear. Fourth, it is close to daily life, with simple movements and short duration, and imposes no strict requirements on environment or venue. The practitioners of this heritage project are not restricted by age, gender, or occupation.
Awakening stillness practice
The morning practice begins an hour earlier in summer than in winter, waking the mind before the eyes, with nine rounds of tongue, tooth and breath work.
Settling stillness practice
The evening practice settles the mind before sleep: six breathings, twenty-four rubbings, thirty-six late-breathings, and finally lying on the right side.
The formless practice
At the hour of the rabbit, three circles are drawn upward drawing breath from the sole to the crown, then released downward to balance the body's above and below.
Yin-yang practice
At noon the palm is led upward by the waist in a spiral, then driven down on the exhale, and the left side follows, balancing the body's two halves.
Five-phase practice
At the hour of the rooster, five distinct movements massage the organs from above downwards, each addressing one phase and regulating organ yin and yang.
Four characteristics of the method
It follows the times of day, balances movement and stillness, offers a complete set of functions, and asks so little of setting and fitness that anyone may take it up.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The inheriting community is composed of Taoists, physicians, folk believers, and others, and is therefore very widely distributed, covering all parts of the country.
Other submitting regions for the same item: TCM Health Cultivation · TCM Health Cultivation · TCM Health Cultivation · TCM Health Cultivation.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Historically, the inheriting community was composed mainly of practitioners of self-cultivation; in modern times, in addition to master-disciple transmission, inheritors also taught the method to the general public while practicing medicine. In recent years, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine has established an advanced seminar class in Taoist medicine and carried out theoretical research on Taoist medicine. The Traditional Chinese Daoyin Method is simple and easy to learn, and possesses both historical-cultural and practical value. It helps to stimulate the body's self-healing capacity, promote the flow of qi and blood, strengthen the body, and prevent disease. It also allows one to explore the Chinese nation's knowledge and wisdom concerning the laws of human life, as well as traditional concepts such as following the Way of nature and the unity of heaven and humanity.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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