Enjoy good health from foot massage, medicinal bath, acupuncture

More and more people are attracted to the health values of the old indigenous Chinese religion of Taoism today. Four years ago, Wang Chengya opened Beijing's first Taoist health club, which now already became a thriving hub for stressed-out city siders.

Wang was born into a family of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctors and once studied at the Shanghai University of TCM in the 1980s. But he did not become a TCM doctor as many people expected. Instead, in 1990, he was formally apprenticed to Taoist master Chen Liansheng, president of Shanghai Taoism Society. In 1993, he entered the Chinese Taoism Academy to pursue a further two years' study of Taoism. Click to learn Chinese herb Fructus Hordei Germinatus (Maiya).

Many of his friends thought he had gone crazy.

"Many diseases originate from the mind and medications and could not be cured by doctors at all," he said.

"That is why I developed a keen interest on this mysterious culture, in which I might find a better solution."

He believed that Taoism had a much more profound insight into life and medicine than any other religion in the world.

Its prevention-oriented health concepts and its many basic health-preserving practices provided a higher standard of healthcare.

Besides the conventional pulse reading, similar to the practice of TCM doctors, the health consultants at the club also refer to other, less orthodox methods.

The Taoist consultant could refer to physiognomy, which is the art of discovering temperament and character from outward appearance. Consultants use an "Eight Character" system to make a comprehensive analysis of the patient's inborn and postnatal constitution as well as lifespan. Click to learn Chinese herb Massa Medicata Fermentata (Shenqu).

The Eight Characters are in four pairs denoting the time, date, month and year of a person's birth. The system is used in fortune telling and is based on I Ching, or The Book of Changes, a Taoism classic.

Health preserving prescriptions for clients were quite different, depending on the person, according to Xu Liqiang, a health consultant in the club.

Clients have a few health-treatment options, including foot massages, medicinal baths, internal exercise, acupuncture, whole-body massage, or a special medicinal diet.

Xu also suggests other ways for his patients to improve the quality of their lives, which radically distinguishes Taoist treatment from other health services.

He also might suggest to his client to change the color of their clothes, reshuffle their office environment, rethink their occupation, and even consider the people they socialise with.

"You cannot easily say it is a superstition to judge one's pattern of thinking or even diseases by reading the face and hands," said Wang.

Wang's physiognomy was now widely recognized and was once invited to give a lecture on the relationship between physiognomy and management in Tsinghua University.

Wang says a Taoist health program adopts a different strategy for different seasons. Click to learn Chinese herb Folium Artemisiae Argyi (Aiye).

Spring is the season of growing and is a good time to take care of the liver. Warm food, such as stewed chicken, can nourish the liver. Sour food such as wild jujube, orange and Chinese gooseberry can moisten the liver. Mung bean, ginger, and soybean milk helps the detoxification of the liver.

Taoists believe vegetables and fruit should be eaten when they are in season. In spring, beans, garlic sprouts, bean sprouts and leeks, and fruits such as strawberries and apricots are recommended.

Wang says the upcoming summer is a season of heart and advises to eat more foods with bitter flavors, such as bitter gourd, to clear the heart heat. The best vegetables are watermelon, pumpkin, white gourd, towel gourd, and hami melon.

Wang classified his clients into three groups.

One group visits his clinic to simply boost their health. Another group of people are particularly interested in Taoist's culture, such as I Ching, Feng Shui, breathing exercises and physiognomy. They attended a regular weekly lecture at the club. The third group of people already have developed a faith in Taoism and become more devout followers. Click to learn Chinese herb Rhizoma Imperatae (Baimaogen).

Many visitors to Wang's club are entrepreneurs, entertainers, government officials and even foreigners.

Article source: chinadaily