Internal Self-Healing Exercises: The Tao of Revitalization
The Tao of Revitalization, also known as Internal Exercises, comprises three distinct categories designed to cultivate health, balance, and longevity.
1. Directing Innate Healing Power
This category focuses on exercises that channel the body’s natural healing capabilities to specific internal organs and glands. The goal is to energize the entire system, harmonize energy levels, and enhance the function of internal organs to promote healing, adjustment, correction, and, most importantly, disease prevention.
Key exercises in this category include:
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The Five Animal Exercises
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Eight Directional Exercises
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Twelve Zodiac Exercises
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Twelve Nerve Exercises
Additionally, fundamental practices like the Deer Exercise, Crane Exercise, and Turtle Exercise address specific concerns such as sex-related issues, digestive and weight management, and nerve imbalances. These exercises share roots with Taiji Quan (Tai Chi Chuan), Qigong (Chi Kung), and the Taoist origins of Kung Fu.
2. Meridian Meditation (Taoist Contemplation)
Also referred to as “Trip around the World Meditation,” Meridian Meditation is a powerful healing art. It’s used to adjust, balance, and elevate the body’s energy levels. By meditating on the anatomical energy pathways, or meridians, practitioners can feel energy flow, leading to internal balance and a complete integration of mind, body, and spirit. This enlivens the individual. (While acupuncture and acupressure, which originated from Meridian Meditation, are used to treat others, Meridian Meditation is specifically for self-healing.)
3. Energy Breathing Techniques
This category involves specialized breathing techniques for absorbing energy through acupuncture points located along the meridians. Energy breathing is a crucial step in self-healing and in establishing an unbreakable connection with the universal energy.
In essence, the primary purpose of these Internal Exercises is to promote longevity. (Adapted from Dr. Stephen T. Chang, The Tao of Balanced Diet, Secrets of a Thin & Healthy Body, pp. 23-24).