The 5 Major Health Preservations September 16, 2008
Posted by Geoffrey Wilson in : Health Tips, Wisdom Notes , add a commentThe ancients adhered to 5 health preservations.
The 1st is preservation of inner vitality by talking little.
When words spoken are few, energy is not wasted. This becomes more relevant as the years go by. In a nutshell, economy of speech is very clarifying and rejuvenating.
The 2nd is preservation of the kidney by refraining from excessive sex.
What is too much? Without taking into account a working understanding of the principles of Taoist sexology, the rule of thumb for male ejaculation is to multiply your age by .2 – this will mean that a 30 year old should not ejaculate more than once every 6 days (30 multiplied by .2 = 6). There are variations on the theme for women – but this entails a lengthy discussion of physiology in Oriental medicine terms.
The 3rd is preservation of the liver by quelling anger.
In short, the liver dislikes getting hot and dry and is prone to overheating. This can fuel agitation and certainly lead to anger. However, the cause of this emotional disturbance is constraint of the liver’s flow of Qi – otherwise responsible for sprinkling and spreading Qi to the rest of the body.
There is also the issue of the soul’s purpose. Perhaps, an inability to connect with this upsets Qi flow and in depressing its movement, causes a welling of agitation.
The 4th is preservation of the stomach by restricting one’s food and drink.
No doubt many of us eat and drink too much! If you are prone to a big thirst, a big appetite, and a big urination – watch out! As for dietary regulations, refer to the products and courses on www.artofhealth.com.au
The 5th is preservation of the heart by not worrying too much.
A classic says, ‘Sadness and worry move the heart and the organs tremble’. This is quite true. The heart is the abode of the spirit and when it is troubled, spirit no longer has a residence!
Unblocking Spiritual Vitality September 13, 2008
Posted by Geoffrey Wilson in : Wisdom Notes , add a commentThe Yellow Emperor summed it up when he said,
‘Anger causes vitality to dissipate, joy causes it to slacken, sorrow causes it to vanish, and fear causes it to stop circulating.’
In other words, all illness arises from damage to vitality. That is why the way to health preservation lies in avoiding doing things that cause it to become blocked.
Two Old Men – Two Spiritual Giants September 4, 2008
Posted by Geoffrey Wilson in : Health Tips, Meditations, Wisdom Notes , 1 comment so farLao Tzu and Ekiken have a few things in common.
For starters, they both spoke the truth.
And secondly, they both understood the human condition.
Lao Tzu once said, ‘One’s life is in one’s own hands, not in heaven’s.’
Of course, you are given life by heaven at birth, but its length depends on how well you take care of it.
Ekiken said, ‘Until a person gets to be fifty years of age, his blood and vital spirit are not yet stable and his wisdom has not yet developed. What he says is frequently mistaken, and what he does he often regrets.’
The moral of the story is change your attitude – and be sure to take care of your body as well as your mind!