Combining the traditional Chinese medicine and Indian yoga makes you youthful, vivid, slim and beautiful, in the words of one Chinese yoga practitioner. It includes beauty caring, weight losing, aging prevention and health protection.
Balance of Yin-Yang, the fundamental of becoming young from the inside out
From the perspective of regulating the balance of Yin-Yang, yoga and the health theory of traditional Chinese medicine match each other. Both of them pay attention to the balance of Yin-Yang in bodies, and health maintenance should be based on seasons.
Yoga claims that bodies should be regulate the balance of Yin-Yang based on seasons. ”Huangdi Neijing” mentions that health maintenance should be based on seasonal changes, and claims that it is the best time to support Yang in spring and summer, and support Yin in autumn and winter. ”Huangdi Neijing” agrees with the unity of nature and human beings. In other words, human beings are coming from nature, so they should obey the principles of nature. The unity of the nature and human is reflected in this way: The nature has three Yin and three Yang, the total gases of which are six; Correspondently, a body has three Yin and three Yang, a total six gases in it. The nature has five-phase gases, and a body has five gases for internal organs; Five phases are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth, and the five internal organs are categorized as five phases. Once the nature and the body are disunified, the balance of five gases in internal organs will be interrupted, and this will lead to diseases. Since the changing of four seasons is everlasting, the health maintenance should follow the laws of seasonal changing, too.
Moreover, “I Ching·Xici” mentioned, “Changing is no more than seasons”. In other words, whatever change is depending on the principles of four seasons. The balance between Yin and Yang determines the birth and death of everything. Likewise the health is based on the changes of four seasons. Keep living habits complying with the changing of seasons and solar terms if you want to remain healthy and energetic. Finally, you will be young from the inside out.
It is crucial to keep blood flow smoothly
Yoga is also called “Sun-Moon yoga” or ”Yin-Yang yoga”. Hatha yoga is focused on physical movements, breathing, mindfulness, diets and living habits. The key point of practice is the harmony and balance between dynamic and static. Static leads to Yin, and dynamic leads to Yang. When you practice regularly, your body will keep a balanced level of Yin and Yang, being both hard and soft. It will further help with blood flow, which is fundamental of keeping bodies healthy and young.
Most people fail to keep the balance between Yin and Yang. Usually, people will rebalance it by having a rest if the situation is not severe. If you are not able to self control and adjust, disorder will get worse and worse, resulting in physical or psychological diseases. Practicing yoga helps open up “meridians” and maintain blood flowing smoothly by means of asana, pranayama, mula bandha, vajroli mudra and shatkarmas. Speaking of asana, if learners can arrange the order of asana based on the changing of 24 solar terms, they are able to open up every “meridian”, maintaining the tranquility of body and mind, smooth of breath and heartbeat, and finally realize the unity of the nature and the body, the complete balance of Yin-Yang.
Opening up the meridians and half is done
Chinese medical opinions hold that if you have smooth breath, you won’t ache. If meridians are blocked, something will happen to the body. Chinese medicine treats meridians by governance in tune, massage, naprapathy, acupuncture and cupping therapy, and then it replenishes energy through diet and living habit adjustments, finally reaching a balance of Yin-Yang. The concept of health in yoga and the theory of traditional Chinese medicine are well matched. The only difference is the way to open up the meridians. Actually, asana is such a good option, and it could replace Chinese traditional massage, naprapathy and cupping therapy. The principle is to massage, squeeze and twist the correspondent meridians by practicing every asana posture, with proper breathing rhythms. This helps to enhance breath and blood flow, and finally prevent disease and keep body healthy. Properly combing yoga and the culture of traditional Chinese medicine according to the changing of seasons and solar terms, one is able to practice each asana with correspondent solar term to regulate balance in the body.
Keeping the body in balance through tea
It should be noted that after any kind of “Qi” or Yoga exercise it is best to consume warm liquids, especially tea due to their warm nature and nutrients. Almost all advanced practitioners do this and attribute tea and other kinds of warm soups to balancing the energy’s body and overall well-being.