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Sixteen Methods of Holistic Health Preservation
The Sixteen Classic Methods of Health Preservation, also known as the Sixteen Essentials, are a set of health preservation methods passed down in Chinese folk tradition. They originate from ancient texts on health preservation such as "The Five Essentials of Cultivating Kunlun," "A Sixteen-Verse Account of Dispelling Illness and Extending Longevity," and "The Massage and Guided Breathing Formula of the Left Cave Classic." The Sixteen Methods were first recorded in "Xu Ling Yao Zhi" (Essentials of Longevity) written by Leng Qian of the Ming Dynasty. This health preservation system features gentle and slow movements that are simple to learn and not constrained by conditions. If practiced persistently, it can definitely strengthen the body, prevent premature aging, prevent and cure diseases, and extend one's lifespan.
1. The Hair Should Be Combed Often
Method: Use a comb to gently comb the hair 100-300 times, or insert the ten fingers of both hands into the hair, combing from the front hairline to the back hairline repeatedly for several dozen times, until a warm sensation is felt in the scalp. Perform this once in the morning and once in the evening. For mental workers, this method can also be used at any time when the brain is fatigued to relieve mental exhaustion.
Effect: Combing the hair stimulates the nerve endings in the scalp, promotes blood circulation and scalp metabolism, and improves blood supply to the brain and cranial nerves, enhancing the physiological functions of the brain. Therefore, frequent combing can refresh the mind, eliminate fatigue, improve hearing and eyesight, and darken the hair.
2. The Face Should Be Rubbed Often
Method: Stand or sit, with eyes slightly closed. Rub the palms of both hands together until they are warm, then cover them over the cheeks and jaw. Keep the fingers together, with the little fingers against the sides of the nose. Push the palms upward from the jaw, passing through the area between the eyebrows (Yintang), up to the hairline of the forehead, then wipe outwards to the temples (the palm and fingers passing through the beginning, middle, and end of the eyebrows). Next, rub downwards, passing over the cheeks (with the ten fingers along the roots of the ears) to the jaw. Repeat this until the face feels warm. Perform this once in the morning and once in the evening.
Effect: The face is rich in capillaries. Frequent rubbing promotes facial blood circulation, moisturizes the skin, increases facial radiance, and enhances the elasticity of facial skin and muscles. It is beneficial for reducing wrinkles and fading spots, delaying facial aging, refreshing the mind and eyesight, and preventing colds, eye diseases, and ear diseases.
3. The Eyes Should Be Moved Often
Method: Sit down, close the eyes slightly, and slowly rotate the eyeballs. First, rotate them continuously 9 times in the order of left, up, right, down. Then, rotate them 9 times in the opposite direction: right, up, left, down. After that, slowly open the eyes. Perform this once in the morning and once in the evening, or whenever the eyes feel fatigued.
Effect: Moving the eyeballs exercises the extraocular muscles, improves the ciliary muscle's ability to adjust the convexity of the lens, improves vision, relieves visual fatigue, and delays the onset of presbyopia. Additionally, moving the eyeballs promotes blood circulation in the eye tissues and enhances the function of the optic nerve, oculomotor nerve, and eye muscles, protecting and lubricating the eyes to prevent eye diseases.
4. The Ears Should Be Tapped Often
Method: Sit down, rub the palms of both hands together until they are warm, then cover the ears tightly with the palms. Keep the fingers together against the back of the head, with the index finger overlapping the middle finger. Then, use the index finger to tap and slide down the back of the head, creating a drumming sound in the ears. Tap 20-40 times each session, once in the morning and once in the evening.
Effect: Tapping the ears often can enhance the function of the auditory nerve, restore the function of the degenerated eardrum and Eustachian tube, promote blood circulation in the ears, refresh the mind and hearing, and has a good therapeutic effect on tinnitus, dizziness, insomnia, headache, and neurasthenia.
5. The Teeth Should Be Gently Knocked Often
Method: Sit or lie down, relax the whole body, close the eyes, calm the mind, and gently close the lips. Then, rhythmically and gently knock the upper and lower teeth against each other. First, knock the molars 36 times, then the front teeth 36 times, ensuring each tooth is knocked. This can be done upon waking and before sleeping, or while lying down in the middle of the night or upon waking in the morning.
Effect: The shock waves produced by knocking the teeth not only cause the blood vessels in the tooth roots to dilate and accelerate blood circulation in the gums but also improve blood circulation in the teeth, ears, and brain, thereby helping to prevent loose teeth, tinnitus, and strengthening the brain.
6. The Tongue Should Lick the Palate Often
Method: Frequently use the tip of the tongue to gently press against the upper palate, or lick the upper palate gently with the tongue tip. Lick from left to right and from right to left 20-30 times each time, 2-3 times a day.
Effect: Licking the palate can produce saliva, prevent dryness of the mouth and tongue, and increase appetite. Furthermore, frequent palate licking can also calm the mind and prevent neurasthenia.
7. Saliva Should Be Swallowed Often
Method: Extend the tongue outside the teeth, use the tip to stir the upper and lower gums a few times, then lick the upper palate a few times. Next, puff out the cheeks and use the produced saliva to rinse the mouth several times, then swallow it in three small gulps. Swallow with a little force, so that a "gurgling" sound can be heard. At the same time, use your mind to direct the saliva to the Dantian (a point three inches below the navel).
Effect: Swallowing saliva often moistens the throat, clears and moistens the stomach and intestines, aids digestion, and has a preventive and therapeutic effect on a dry throat, loss of appetite, bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, and gastrointestinal dysfunction.
8. The Abdomen Should Be Massaged Often
Method: Lie on your back, rub the palms of both hands together until they are warm, place the left palm on the navel, and place the right hand on top of the left. Massage 36 times in a clockwise direction, then 36 times in a counterclockwise direction. The force should be moderate, the speed slow, and the breathing natural. This is best done before sleeping at night or upon waking in the morning. Empty the bladder before massaging.
Effect: Massaging the abdomen can strengthen the gastrointestinal and abdominal wall muscles, enhance gastrointestinal motility, increase the secretion of digestive fluids, and promote blood circulation, thereby promoting the flow of Qi, resolving stagnation, strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the stomach. It also has an auxiliary therapeutic effect on hypertension, coronary heart disease, pulmonary heart disease, diabetes, and nephritis.
9. Stagnant Qi Should Be Often Exhaled
Method: Close the mouth, inhale deeply through the nose, expanding the chest and abdomen. When you feel full of air, lift the head, open the mouth, and exhale the stale air. Do this several times a day.
Effect: Expelling the old and taking in the new helps regulate the body's physiological functions, and over time, it can strengthen the body.
10. The Chest Should Be Protected Often
The chest is where the vital organs, the heart and lungs, are located, and below it is the stomach. Therefore, one should pay attention to protecting the chest in daily life to avoid injury. Wearing a bellyband has the dual benefit of preventing wind and cold and protecting the chest and abdomen.
11. The Back Should Be Kept Warm Often
In daily life, pay attention to keeping the back warm and avoid invasion of pathogenic cold, especially when the weather turns cold. Add clothing in a timely manner. The elderly, children, and the weak should preferably wear woolen or cotton vests as the weather cools. Even in summer, a T-shirt or vest should be worn to avoid the back being directly exposed to wind. People suffering from allergic rhinitis, chronic bronchitis, asthma, gastric ulcers, and cardiovascular diseases should pay even more attention to keeping their back warm to avoid the recurrence of old illnesses or worsening of their condition.
Effect: Keeping the back warm can prevent back pain, stiff neck, and colds.
12. The Skin Should Be Dry-Bathed Often
Method: Before bed, rub the palms of both hands together until they are warm and then rub them all over the skin. Start from the Baihui point (the center of the top of the head), then rub the face, neck, shoulders, arms, chest, ribs, abdomen, waist, and down to the legs, wiping the whole body from top to bottom.
Effect: Frequent rubbing of the skin can ensure smooth flow of Qi and blood throughout the body, improve the skin's respiratory function and the secretion of sweat and sebaceous glands, enhance the skin's radiance and elasticity, and help strengthen the body and prevent colds.
13. The Limbs and Joints Should Be Often Rotated
Method: Stand, place the right hand on the hip. Rotate the left upper limb 10 times clockwise and 10 times counterclockwise around the shoulder joint as the axis. Then, rotate the right upper limb's shoulder joint in the same way. Next, place both hands on the hips and perform a circular motion with the lumbar spine, rotating left and right 10 times each. Finally, place both hands on the hips, feet together, in a semi-squat position. Rotate the ankles 10 times clockwise and 10 times counterclockwise as the axis.
Effect: Frequently rotating these joints can relax muscles and tendons, unblock the collaterals, lubricate the joints, and prevent periarthritis of the shoulder, hyperplastic lumbar spondylitis, and pain in the knee and ankle joints of the lower limbs.
14. The Center of the Feet Should Be Rubbed Often
Method: Before bed each night, first wash the feet with warm water. After drying them, sit on the bed or a stool. Rub the palms of both hands until they are warm, hold the toes of the left foot with the left hand, and slowly rub the center of the left foot's sole with the thenar eminence or palm of the right hand until a warm sensation is felt. Then, switch and rub the center of the right foot's sole in the same way.
Effect: Rubbing the center of the feet often can tonify the kidneys and strengthen the waist, nourish Yin and reduce fire, improve hearing and eyesight, and nourish the five Zang and six Fu organs. It has a certain therapeutic effect on dizziness, headache, lightheadedness, insomnia, neurasthenia, and hypertension.
15. The Anus Should Be Often Lifted
Method: This can be done while standing, sitting, or lying down. Take a deep breath, and at the same time consciously lift the anus and perineal area. Hold for about 5 seconds, then slowly exhale and relax the anus while slightly retracting the lower abdomen to help expel stale air. Repeat 10 times. This can be done several times a day.
Effect: Consciously repeating the exercise of contracting the anus can promote blood circulation around the anus, prevent venous congestion, and help prevent hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, uterine prolapse, spermatorrhea, and enuresis.
16. The Mouth Should Be Closed During Urination and Defecation
Method: When urinating or defecating, close the mouth, clench the teeth, and focus on the act without speaking.
Effect: Keeping the mouth tightly closed during urination and defecation prevents the vital essence from leaking out with the urine and stool, and has the effect of tonifying the kidneys and strengthening the teeth.