As a Foundation for the Promotion of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the Chinese Yangsheng culture, it seemed obvious to us to explain this topic since we often receive the question: “What is Yangsheng?” In this article, we delve deeper into the concept of yangsheng, examining its place within TCM and literature, and finally exploring how you can apply yangsheng in your life and in which areas. ‘Yang’ means to nourish or cultivate. (1) This cultivation takes various forms within Chinese thinking. The two most important ones discussed in this article are Yangsheng 養生 (cultivating life) and Yangxing 养性 (cultivating inner nature) or Yangxing 养形 (cultivating the body). (2) In this latter sense, Maspero (3) suggests that it not only pertains to the body itself but also to the development of the internal awareness of that body.
Yangsheng is the cultivation of a healthy body in order to lead a long life. (4)
However, the general meaning of Yangsheng itself is commonly placed in the context of the body. It is about health and the development of that health. (5) Yangsheng is a system of beliefs and practices to achieve this development. (6) It relates to daily actions and provides a way of thinking and practical guidelines to take an active role in the building, recovery, and maintenance of your health. It is a lifestyle that is increasingly recognized for its importance even in our Western medical world. As an illustration, we can mention a passage from the ‘Daoyin Jing'(7) that describes a morning routine where teeth are clicked, fists are clenched, and the mouth is rinsed with saliva, followed by holding the breath to one’s own limit.
Therefore, Yangsheng needs to be practical, as clearly observed by Stanley-Baker (8) in the Tang Dynasty classic “Yangxing Yangming Lu”. It is simple, down-to-earth, and usable at home. As emphasized by David Dear (9), it is about popular practices—popular in the sense that they are carried out by the people themselves in their daily lives. However, a certain nuance needs to be applied here. Yangsheng cuts across different social and economic layers, but one thing is certain: Yangsheng is a luxury.9 After all, one needs to have the luxury of time, sufficient resources, and education in order to fully benefit from practicing Yangsheng. This can be seen, for example, in the late Ming Dynasty bestseller “Zun Sheng Ba Jian” by Goa Lian, where Yangsheng practices are portrayed alongside certain aristocratic lifestyle aspects. Livia Kohn (10) also refers to the aristocratic environment in which the developments of, for example, Daoyin exercises took place. She even refers to a text by Engelhardt that highlights the importance of Yangsheng practices for fully enjoying luxurious life and recovering quickly from wild parties. Nevertheless, the Yangsheng culture has evolved to serve an increasingly larger audience. However, the factor of time still plays a significant role, as illustrated in Daisy Xiaohui Yang’s dissertation (11), which extensively demonstrates how Yangsheng plays a role in the care of the elderly or self-care in this case. If there is one thing that retirees should have more than others, it is time. By practicing Yangsheng, they can actively intervene in the aging process. It is a way for them to creatively and constructively fill their time.
It has become a hybrid of Chinese traditions and modern ideologies. (11)
In general, Yangsheng practices are rooted in two traditions: that of the medical world and Daoism. (12) Yangsheng practices can be traced back as early as 300 BCE, closely intertwined with medical texts. Specific practices for certain diseases are often found. Even in the textbook of Shanghai University (13) on ‘Life Cultivation,’ you can see how specific techniques or practices can be applied to treat certain areas of the body or diseases. Daisy Xiaohui Yang goes so far as to say that Chinese medicine is, first and foremost, a Yangsheng-oriented medicine. However, it is more of a way of life than an institutionalized and formalized medical system.(14)
Vincent Shen also shares this opinion and emphasizes that the Yangsheng aspect should always take priority, although healing illness and cultivating life are two wheels of the same carriage. (15) The Yangxing Yangming Lu (12) makes a clear distinction, stating that Yangsheng is not necessarily focused on preventing or curing disease but rather on cultivating and maintaining vitality. It may seem like a small nuance, but it is important in its practice. If you extend the line further away from disease, you enter the realm of the immortals and thus into Daoism. Both Xiaohui Yang and Wouters refer to the role that Jing-Qi-Shen play in striving for good health and practicing Yangsheng. (16) These three concepts are central aspects of Daoist Alchemy, which aims to achieve immortality, whether physical or not. As P. Deadman (17) points out, Yangsheng is much more than just the cultivation of the body. In the Zhuangzi, for example, it is mentioned that Yangsheng is related to the cultivation of the inner self, spiritual and mental perfection. (18)
In many classical texts, the restraint of desire and the quieting of the mind are emphasized as important aspects of life cultivation. (19)
The restraint of desire is clearly reflected in the ‘common thread’ of practicing Yangsheng, particularly in the importance of moderation. The most important advice from the Yangsheng Yaoji (Long Life Compendium) is indeed to practice moderation in all aspects. This is confirmed by multiple authors. (16) The core of this, according to David Dear, (17) was always exercise, dietetics, and sexology. However, many texts go beyond these three domains. D. Xiaohui Yang describes the content of Yangsheng as physical exercise, diet, meditation, Qi cultivation, cleansing of the mind, living conditions, the development of virtues, and a gentle character. While Dear somewhat limits it and mainly discusses physical aspects, other authors also include the mind and personality of a person.
Not only the body and mind belong to the realm of Yangsheng but also a person’s living environment.18 This includes the social environment and relationships. (19) Hence, the importance of developing moral character and knowledge of Feng Shui principles. (20) Certain choices you make are also dependent on the environment and season you are in, the time of day, or the nature of your personal constitution. (21) As L. Kohn eloquently puts it:
“Harmony with the Dao manifests itself in mental stability and physical well-being; any form of irritation or illness indicates a reduction in your alignment with the forces of nature.”(22)
In this article, we have seen what Yangsheng means, namely, nourishing life. It involves actively intervening in the cultivation of your body and mind with the goal of achieving mental and physical health. Similar to TCM, it is characterized by a holistic approach to health. Moderation and aligning your behavior with the world around you are of great importance. As we find in the text of Sun Simiao, it is about understanding the complex relationship of the ever-changing transformations of Qi between the macrocosm and the microcosm of the body. (27) Fortunately, with simple guidelines, we can go a long way because, as D. Dear (28) points out, “Everyone realizes that if you do gentle daily exercises, pay attention to your diet and habits, and regulate your emotions with moderation, it contributes to overall health.”
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1.LCS Wouters 2010 p. 26; P. Deadman 2016 p.3 2. LCS Wouters 2010 p. 26; S. Wilms 2010 p.10; M. Stanley-Baker 2006 p. 20 3. M. Stanley-Baker 2006 p. 48 4. M. Stanley-Baker 2006 p. 29 5. D. Dear 2012 p.1 6. D. Xiaohui Yang 2006 p. IV 7. M. Stanley-Baker 2006 – p.115 8. M. Stanley-Baker 2006 – p. 35 9. D. Dear 2012 – p.1 & 11 10. L. Kohn 2008 – p.7 & 9 11. D. Xiaohui Yang 2006 12. M. Stanley- Baker 2006 p. 44 & 42 13. W. Xudong 2003 14. D. Xiaohui Yang 2006 – p.32 15. V. Shen XXXX. 16.D. Xiaohui Yang 2006 – p. 63 / LCS Wouters 2010 p.27 17. P. Deadman 2016 – p.3 18. M. Stanley Baker – p.31 19. M. Stanley – Baker – p.77 20. L. Kohn 2008 + Daisy Xiaohui Yang 2006 p.68-69 + L. Kohn 1989 p.282 + S. Wilms 2010 p.10 21. D. Dear 2012 – p.12 22. S. Wilms 2010 23. D. Xiaohui Yang 2006 p.31 24. M. Stanley-Baker 2006 Chapter 3 25. D. Dear 2012 26. L. Kohn 2008 p.104 27. S. Wilms 2010 – p. 12 28. D. Dear 2012 – p.7
Bibliografie:
– Daisy Xiaohui Yang 2006. Dusk without sunset: actively aging in Traditional Chinese Medicine; Wuhan University China – University of Pittsburgh.
– David Dear, 2012. Chinese Yangsheng: Self-help and Self-image; Asian Medicine 7, p. 1-33 Brill.com/asme
– Lien Chan Sook Wouters 2010. Sun Simiao’s Qianjingfang (voorschriften ter waarde van duizend goudstukken) Fangzhong buyi di da (Het herstellende van de slaapkamerkunsten deel acht). Universiteit Gent – Faculteit der Letteren en Wijsbegeerte.
– Livia Kohn 2008. Chinese Healing Exercises; Asian Medicine Magazine – Tradition and Modernity 3. P. 103-129
– Livia Kohn 1989. Taoist Meditation and Longevity Techniques; Center for Chinese Studies – University of Michigan, ISBN 0-89264-085-5
– Michael Stanley-Baker 2006 . Cultivating body, cultivating self: a critical translation and history of the Tang Dynastie Yanxingyangming Lu. (Records of cultivating nature and extending life); Indiana University – Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures.
– Peter Deadman 2016. Live well, live long – Teachings from the Chinese Nourishment of Life Tradition; C&C Offset Printing Co. Ltd. China, ISBN 978-0-9559096-4-1
– Sabine Wilms 2010. Nurturing life in classical Chinese Medicine: Sun Simiao on Healing without Drugs, Transforming Bodies and Cultivating Life; Journal of Chinese Medicine, nr. 93 – June 2010, p5-13
– Vincent Shen, XXXX. Dao, Qi and Body / Mind Huangluo Daoist Methodology of Nurturing Life; Culture and Knowledge Magazine Vol. 13 – Edited by Friedrich G. Wallner
– Wang Xudong 2003. Life cultivation and rehabilitation of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Shanghai Pujiang Education Press – Shanghai University of TCM, ISBN 978-7-81010-649-8