Breathing is accepted as the most natural thing in the world, but very few people really consider how important to the body correct breathing is. We can all go without food and water for many days, yet, if we stop breathing for even thirty seconds, we quickly realize that we cannot do without air for even a short while. Yes, we accept breathing without ever giving it a serious thought, unless we have the misfortune to suffer a complaint such as hay fever, asthma or emphysema when breathing becomes really difficult.
Through bad habits or ignorance, the majority of people breathe very shallowly, using only about one-third of their lung capacity on each breath intake. Owing to this, their health is likely to deteriorate — fatigue, sluggishness, tiredness, headaches, bronchial complaints, wheeziness in the throat, and so on, becoming the order of each day for them. Lack of oxygen can throw an undue strain on the heart and create many circulation problems, which in turn will affect the tissues and bone structure, decrease sexuality, and affect the glands, the whole nervous system, and all internal organs.
Let us look at one or two of the complaints that people may suffer from mainly owing to poor or inadequate breathing.
Emphysema, a complaint that is now widespread, though virtually unknown before the turn of the century, has now increased, and every day sees an increase in the numbers that are suffering from this simple complaint. What happens is some of the tissues within the lungs dilate and become fused together, cutting down the surface area, and thereby causing the breathing to become more rapid. This throws an added burden on to the heart, which may fail if subjected to too great a strain.
Bronchitis, which is accompanied by a persistent bad cough, is generally the result of bad eating habits and too much fluid within the body. By correcting the diet and learning to breathe deeply and correctly, this simple Yin complaint can be eliminated.
Asthma can readily be recognized by the laboured breathing of the sufferer. It is caused by overworking of the kidneys and can be cured by breathing properly and limiting the fluid intake.
Many other illnesses too, including tuberculosis, pneumonia, hay fever, pleurisy and sinus trouble, are caused by bad eating habits and insufficient oxygen in the bloodstream. When our lives depend so much on correct breathing, it is clearly imperative that we should learn to breathe properly, so that we are constantly in good physical condition and therefore in good health.
It is very important, at all times, to have sufficient fresh air entering the lungs, so that the impure blood in the body can be cleansed and purified through the action of the oxygen coming into contact with the blood within the lungs. If this purification does not take place, then waste products re-enter the bloodstream and the blood deteriorates, causing a general weakening of the body. Energies become depleted, making the body less resistant to illness and disease, and causing fatigue, which is the commonest cause of ill health. Learn, therefore, to breathe deeply every minute of the day, and eat and drink the Ch’ang Ming way, as described in the previous chapter. Correct and controlled breathing helps to open the channels to the psychic centres, revitalize and re-energize the body, and so open the way to the mind and spiritual development.
In the Chinese art of K’ai Men there are twenty basic specialized breathing exercises: eight Yin, eight Yang, and four a mixture of the two. Each of these has a specific job to do — some of them acting as a sedative, some as a tonic, and some assisting with the harnessing, activation and cultivation of the internal and macro-cosmic energies, and opening up the functional and control channels that feed and activate the energy and psychic centres within the anatomy.
There are two main ways of breathing, and these are each divided into two halves, each of which has three centres. The two main ways are Yin and Yang, but these each contain something relating to the other, as will be outlined below.
Yin
Yin breathing is very shallow breathing indeed, and is the way that most people usually breathe. It is very unhealthy and is the cause of many chest, throat and head ailments. It raises the upper chest, shoulders and collarbone when an in-breath is taken, and is generally known as clavicular breathing. Because it causes pressure against the diaphragm, the lungs get very little air, and this means that the benefit to the blood and the body as a whole is very slight
One of the variants of Yin breathing involves inhaling strongly and for longer than you exhale for, but be careful if you attempt this: it causes a very light sensation within the upper chest and head, and may make you feel a little dizzy. This is because Yin breathing stimulates the mid-brain, and increases the amount of energy attracted from the earth.
The Yin Micro-cosmic Orbit, or Inner Ch’i Circling, is another of the specialized Taoist techniques. By breathing deeply through the lower abdomen (Tan T’ien — the Lower Cauldron or Stove) — and using special arm movements in cooperation with a partner, the student can learn how to lock his internal energy or vitality power into the five positions indicated on Diagram 1.
The Yang Macro-cosmic Circle, Yin section, or Outer Ch’i Circle, is a dynamic breathing exercise that requires many years of practice at K’ai Men before it can even be attempted. This is because it demands a very strong Ch’i action, a dynamic depth of concentration within oneself, and positive mind control. The basic principle of the technique (see Diagram 2) is to breathe without taking an in- or out-breath (as usually understood), and it is accomplished through the soles of the feet, the middle of the spine and the top of the head. The internal energy is circled through these points and also out to the finger-tips. Only students who have spent many years practising all aspects of K’ai Men will fully appreciate what this means and how it is accomplished.
Yang
Diagram 1
Yin Micro-cosmic Orbit, Yin section
Diagram 2
Yang Macro-cosmic Circle, Yin section
Yang breathing is very deep breathing because it concentrates on the utilization of the diaphragm. In the West it is generally known as diaphragmatic breathing. This way of breathing gives greater freedom to the lungs and so their absorption becomes more, but, because of the downward pressure on the abdominal organs, which gives them an internal massage, the abdomen is pushed outward. All this is stimulating to the lower abdomen and increases the amount of energy attracted from heaven. Another Yang way of breathing is to make your in-breath short and sharp, but exhale strongly and for as long as you can. This method of breathing is the best for your health, for it helps to generate enormous energy, gives the blood all the oxygen that it needs, purifies the blood by the absorption of waste matter, and helps to strengthen the nervous system and give health to the rest of the anatomy.
The Yin Micro-cosmic Orbit, Yang section, combines the vitality power, or internal energy, with macro-cosmic energy. Through specialized breathing techniques these energies are raised as shown in Diagram 3: from point A up the spine to point E, at the top of the head. Both energies can be locked into the positions marked B, C, D, and E on the diagram, and these are known as the channels of control, which not only give positive and dynamic energy to the body and mind, but also vibrate the psychic centres and open up and strengthen the channel to the spirit.
Diagram 3 Yang section: Yang Macro-cosmic circle and Yin Microcosmic Orbit
Yang Macro-cosmic Circle
Yin Micro-cosmic Orbit
The Yang Macro-cosmic Circle in the Yang section is the completion of the entire circle, from point E back to point A, through F, G, and H, and after completion of the full circle the energies are controlled back to the lower abdomen or lower cauldron, where they are harnessed and revitalized. The openings from point E down the front of the body to point A are known as functional channels, and they are used to control the external use of the vitalities forces, for health and spiritual purposes. If you can get this far, then you are on your way to spiritual immortality through Taoist alchemy.
Yin/Yang
This is a series of breathing exercises whereby the in-breath is as strong and takes as long as the out-breath. This style of breathing attracts energy from both heaven and earth, in equal measure. (See Diagram 4.)
Diagram 4 Yin/Yang section: Yang Macro-cosmic Circle and Yin Micro-cosmic Orbit
Yang Macro-cosmic Circle
Yin Micro-cosmic Orbit
The Yin Micro-cosmic Orbit, Yin/Yang section, consists of raising the breath and internal energy from the lower abdomen to the solar plexus and then driving it downward back to the abdomen. Placing one’s hands on those two spots aids the circling of the energy, and also helps to vibrate and pulsate the psychic centres that are there.
The Yang Macro-cosmic Circle, Yin/Yang section, consists of lifting the breath and the internal energy through three levels, from the lower stomach, into the solar plexus and then into the heart, and then gently lowering them back through the same centres until they rest again in their natural home, the lower abdomen.
In addition to the twenty basic breathing sequences in Taoism, there are many more, linked with physical movements and exercises. This makes the breathing and energy section of K’ai Men the most comprehensive and dynamic exploitation of the human body, the functions and vibrations of the psychic centres, the control channels to, from and within the mind, and the subconscious. The harmony of all opens the door to the spirit.
The importance of breathing is greatest at the beginning ana end of your earthly life. Did you know that the first thing a baby does at birth is exhale, and that the last thing a dying person does is inhale? In the latter case, the pressure that has been built up by inhalation acts on the weakness of the heart and brings death.
All deep breathing brings about a harmony of Yin and Yang vibrations and pulsations, so learn to breathe deeply all the time, day in and day out, and utilize your full lung capacity, so that the body can obtain the maximum benefits. The various forms of healing in K’ai Men — meridian healing, Ch’i healing, breath healing, sound healing, meditation healing, Chinese push and pull massage, spot pressing and so on — are all founded upon the effective use of vibrations and pulsations.
In K’ai Men, great emphasis is placed on correct and total breathing — irrespective of the type of breathing exercise being executed — and upon maintaining complete breath control at all times. All physical exercises in K’ai Men are split into two sections: the “sequence”, in which deep breathing is of particular importance; and the “extension”, in which full and constant mind and body control are the speciality.
Regulated breathing under strictly controlled conditions will enable you to learn how to drive your breath downwards to the lower abdomen, so arousing the Lower Cauldron or Inner Fire, as it is sometimes known, and activating and pressurising the internal energy held there. This in turn activates that energy so that it is forced up and rises as you inhale. When you exhale this relaxes the diaphragm, which takes the pressure off the lower abdomen, and the internal energy then sinks back to it, down the front of the body. There follow three different breathing exercises, each of which will in its own way help you internally.
A Yang breath
Diagram 5 Taoist ‘Four-directional’ Yang breathing exercise.
Extracted from the Book of Supple Muscles (Ch’ing Period)
This will give you a great deal of energy and will warm up the whole body, so if you feel cold this is really excellent. It will also help to kill off the bacteria of the common cold and influenza, and will generally tone up the whole system.
Breathe in through the nose and raise the hands in front of the shoulders as you do so. Exhale slowly but very forcibly through the mouth, as you push slowly but strongly straight forward with the hands, extending the arms.
Breathe in through the nose and allow the hands to come back in front of the shoulders. Exhale slowly but very forcibly through the mouth, as you push slowly but strongly sideways with the hands, till the arms are fully extended.
Breathe in through the nose and allow the hands to come back in front of the shoulders. Exhale slowly but forcibly through the mouth, and as you do so push slowly but strongly directly upwards towards the ceiling.
Breathe in through the nose and allow the hands to come back in front of the shoulders. Exhale slowly but forcibly through the mouth and simultaneously push slowly but strongly downwards, till your arms are fully extended by your thighs.
Now repeat this sequence. You will really feel the benefits.
A Yin breath
This breathing exercise is excellent to do at any time of day, and will help clear the nasal passages and soothe the nerves, and enable the body and mind to relax completely. If you ever feel tense, or under strain, or think a headache is coming on, then try this exercise. You can sit down to do this exercise. Rest your right elbow on a table, and place the index finger of your right hand on your forehead, between your eyebrows (if you are left-handed, substitute left for right throughout the exercise).
Now press your right thumb against your right nostril so as to close that nostril completely. Slowly inhale through your left nostril until you have filled your chest as much as you can, and then exhale just as slowly through the same nostril until all the air has gone. Now free your right nostril and press the middle finger of your right hand against your left nostril, so as to close it. Slowly breathe in again, filling your lungs and chest, and then slowly and completely exhale.
These two movements comprise the full sequence, and if you repeat it five times you will find it very relaxing indeed; but ensure that the breathing is done continuously and that there is no time lag in changing from thumb and middle finger or vice versa.
A Yin/Yang breath
This exercise is excellent for the activation of energy and vibrates three psychic centres, which in turn revitalize the whole of the anatomy and mind. Make yourself comfortable either by sitting in a chair or, better still, by sitting on the floor with your legs crossed. Keep the body upright, but do not hold it too stiffly. Place your right hand on your lower abdomen, and your left hand on the solar plexus — in both cases, directly on the skin.
Now breathe in through the nose, but breathe deeply, so that the downward pressure pushes your right hand outward. Then press with your right hand on your lower abdomen so that the air is forced upward into the area of the solar plexus.
Press with your left hand, so that the air is forced to rise up into the chest.
Slowly exhale through the nose, allowing the chest to collapse.
Press your left hand on the solar plexus so that all the air there is pushed out.
Press with your right hand, so that all the air remaining in the lower abdomen is expelled.
Don’t forget to breathe as deeply as you possibly can, and endeavour to do a minimum of six in- and out-breaths, following the above sequence.
Learn to breathe — and you will live.
Learn to breathe well — and you will retain good health.
Learn to breathe deep — and you will attain longevity.
Learn to breathe inwardly, without breathing —and you will gain spiritual immortality.
An old Chinese proverb says that ‘The reflection on a pool of water never shows its depth’. In order to prove this, it is necessary for you to get into the water and swim down to the bottom of the pool, for you can never really know anything just by looking or watching. You must go in and see for yourself, or, in the modern idiom, you’ve got to have a go.
So it is with the Chinese martial arts. One punch might look like any other, but it is what is behind it that really counts. In our style of Feng Shou kung fu, the driving force and the hidden power is Qi (internal energy) and this is the most important aspect of our particular art. Its force is dynamic, its utilization fantastic, its benefit to the health of the individual is beyond normal comprehension, and it can be used to heal others.
However, if it is beyond normal comprehension, how do we go about explaining it? It is like trying to teach someone to ride a bicycle. You can tell them how to get on, how to steer, and show them where the brakes are and how to use them. But you cannot explain the very basic fundamental principle: how to maintain the balance so that they can stay on it. Neither can you explain the split-second reaction of when to apply the brakes to stop. Both things can only be learnt through experience, and experience can only come through getting on that bike and having a go.
Certainly, you will fall off a few times until you get the feel of control: you will squeeze the brake too hard and nearly disappear over the handlebars, or put on the brake a fraction of a second too late and hit something. But one thing is sure: you will learn through your own practical experience. Some will give up because they find it more difficult than they realized, others will stick at it until they have conquered the principles.
This also applies to the development of inner power. We can explain to you what it is — we know where it comes from, how to control it, how to cultivate it to make it stronger, we know what it can do, and we know how to use it. But to put it all down in simple terminology, in such a way that you fully grasp the depths of its true meaning, is no easy task.
However, we will do our best, although we can only convey to you the principles by which it works, and give you an impression of its dynamic power. If you wish to go into it more thoroughly, and to acquire the feel of it, and learn to control it, then you must join one of our clubs and practise. In other words, like the cyclist you have to get on the bike and ride it yourself, to get the full understanding and appreciation of its meaning.
Inner Power (Nèi zhōng qì 内中气) is also known technically as ‘intrinsic energy’ (Xiāntiān Néng lì 先天能力), although most people who practise our Taoist arts call it the qì (气). It is an intangible force that is invisible to the eye: it cannot be heard, it has no aroma, and it consists of an immaterial substance. It can be sensed, however, if your sensory perception is strong enough, or has been trained to receive it, which does take a little time.
It is akin to the ether that supports the planets of the universe; it is materialistic yet immaterial, it is substantial as well as being insubstantial. It is as old as the universe that we live in, yet it is as young as a newborn child.
It can be unresisting, yet, at the same time, pliability itself; it weighs nothing yet it cannot be lifted. It is as soft and gentle as a morning breeze, yet it is also a tornado. It is a dewdrop, yet it is a tidal wave. It is life, and the centre of life, for all humanity was born around it. It came into being while you were still in your mother’s womb, and it will only leave you when you take in your last breath.
Have you ever had a small baby grip your finger? And did you ever wonder about how strong that hold felt to you? You may even have commented on it at the time, but did you ever consider it beyond that? A new-born baby has had no opportunity to build or develop its muscles, so that tight grip can not be attributed to physical strength. Then what explains this simple phenomenon? The answer is Inner Power. Another example of this occurred not long ago when a woman started to reverse her car (a Mini) out of her garage. Suddenly she heard a frightful scream. She stopped, leapt out of the car, and almost at once, she saw with horror that her baby was trapped under the rear wheel of her car.
In that split second, probably due to shock, she did an unusual thing. Instead of getting back into the car and driving it forward, or even letting off the handbrake and pushing it forward, she just grabbed the rear bumper and in sheer desperation not only lifted the car off the baby, but also moved the vehicle some nine or ten inches (22 to 24cm) sideways.
She then gently lifted her child into the car and drove straight to the nearest hospital, where fortunately it was found that her little boy was not hurt, apart from a few lacerations and some bruising. A few days later, after recovering from the shock, she tried to prove to her husband how she had performed that Herculean act — but she could hardly move the body of the car, let alone lift the wheels off the ground. She was a woman of ordinary strength, yet in a few seconds she had found fantastic and unbelievable muscular-force. Her natural Inner Power had come to her aid when she really needed it. There are many more examples of this kind and perhaps in your own lifetime you may have seen or heard of feats being enacted, which, at the time, did not seem possible. Now you know such things are feasible. For instance, consider the enormous strength and energy displayed by someone out of control, such as a drunken man or a mentally ill person. Inner Power is developed within such a short space of time that even six men might find it difficult to hold somebody during one of these sessions.
Over the years, one wonderful experience has always stood out in my memory. It is a particular demonstration given sometimes by my master, Chan Kam Lee. A lighted candle would be placed on a tall object — such as a table — and this would be positioned a few inches away from a brick wall. My master would then go to the other side of the wall, opposite the candle, and throw a punch at the wall, stopping his fist a short distance from the brickwork. The tremendous force of Inner Power that he generated flowed through his body and down his arm, came out from the front of his fist, penetrated through the wall, and snuffed out the flame of that candle.
You might think that perhaps a trick was involved, but I can personally guarantee that it was absolutely authentic: on a number of occasions I held that lighted candle in my hands myself when this demonstration was given.
What may amaze you, even more, is the fact that Inner Power is within you, even now as you read this. It is something that is very personal to everyone because it is an integral part of the body. You were born with it, and it will remain with you until you die. However, when you were about five or six years old, you started to use your physical strength (muscular force) more and more, and your Inner Power less and less, so eventually it became lazy from lack of use, and its potential slowly declined.
Because it has been inactive for so long, when you join any section of the Chinese arts within our Association, our first objective is to help you revive it. Initially there are a few obstacles that have to be overcome, and these are all within yourself, so only you can conquer them and open up the restrictions that have taken effect over the past years. Then, when your Inner Power starts to flow again, you can spend your time learning to cultivate it so that it becomes stronger and stronger as you progress. In our Association we practise many of the Taoist martial and cultural arts, and we have the largest contingent of practitioners under controlled instruction outside of China.
It is amazing to see young women throwing four and six men simultaneously in the Breath Art (Qi Shu); small and weak people punching with the power of ten men in the boxing art (Feng Shou kung fu) within two years of training; and people who suffer from all sorts of ill health and sickness, from migraine to arthritis and cancer, becoming healthier and happier in the health arts (Chang Ming). All this and much more is possible through the activation and control of your own Inner Power.
No doubt you are still wondering how it works, and how you can activate it within yourself. The very first principle of gaining Inner Power is to relax (sung) in mind, body and in spirit. This does not mean that you should flop into the nearest armchair and sprawl all over the place, because that type of relaxing means that you are completely giving up all your energy, and in the Chinese arts we call this dying.
We use this period of relaxation to store up energy so that we have that power available whenever we need to use it. However, there are no specific periods when you should relax, for relaxation is something that is innermost within yourself. It is something that you will learn to do whether you are at work or at play, walking, running or sitting down.
Compare yourself to a storage heater: when it is working it is pumping heat into the room, but when it is not doing so — say, for instance, during an off-peak period — then it stores heat within itself to be used at a later time.
This is exactly the same principle by which Inner Power works. We give ourselves time to relax, and we use that period to conserve and store further energy, and as all energy is heat you will readily understand the relationship.
However, because relaxing is slow and arduous, especially in the fast-moving times of modern life, we need something to speed up the process of storing our energy and power, and we require an additional aid to build up the means of generating more heat for our own internal storage heater.
During the first stage in our Chinese arts, relaxation is the hardest objective for the beginner, but while you might feel during the first few months that you are making no progress whatsoever, you should persevere because it takes about nine to twelve months for the average Westerner to feel his Inner Power starting to flow.
Imagine a plastic water pipe. If you squeeze it with your hands or put a kink into it, you will either restrict the flow or stop the water altogether. This is what you do to your own body and mind when you apply stresses and strains upon them.
The first step, therefore, is to throw your whole physical and mental make-up wide open, so that there is not the slightest obstruction anywhere within your system. We know that this is easier said than done, for sometimes you either work too hard or too long, or enjoy the mundane pleasures of life, or you may go to the other extreme by fretting, worrying, or losing your temper. All these daily stresses and strains pound the structure of your physical and mental elements and cause restrictions and obstructions. So, the first thing to do to help you relax is to collapse your chest and allow your breath (Qi) to sink into the abdomen (Dantian). If that sounds complicated then try it another way. Breathe out, and as you do so let your chest and shoulders depress slightly inward and downward as much as you can, but ensure that you keep your back upright.
As you do this you should feel a sensation of the internal weight of the body moving downward and at the same time, your abdomen will extend a little. It is best to do this when you are sitting down, either on the floor or on a chair, and then you can feel the sensation of your internal weight moving downward into the lower reaches of the pelvic bone.
Then, as you progress, you will be able to practise the same motions whether you are standing up or even when you are walking. An additional way of speeding up the process of relaxing during your working periods is to take a deep in-breath through the nose, and then breathe out through the mouth trying to emulate the above action, anytime during the course of the day. You will rapidly find a marked improvement within yourself, and your health will certainly benefit from it. Better still, make a point of going on to the Taoist Long Life health diet (Ch’ang Ming) and your speed of advancement will surprise you.
In all Association clubs that practise the art of Feng Shou many specialized breathing exercises are included in the training programme, generally at the beginning, middle and the end of the session, which helps every practitioner to get over the first stage.
The second stage along the pathway of developing your Inner Power is known as the propelled movement period when the trainee learns to direct and control his Inner Power from his lower abdomen to any part of his own body.
If you turn on a valve, you know that you can make the water flow along the pipe, without having to activate the pipe. You can switch on an electrical connection and know that the electricity will flow along the wires, without having to move the wires in the process. Now you can emulate the pipe and the electric wire, for your tissues can carry your inner power to any part of your body without any physical movement whatsoever. In other words, you do not need a single ounce of physical or muscular energy or strength to help the flow of your Inner Power. As a matter of fact, big or tense muscles generally have a tendency to restrict the flow rather than aid it.
We have ways of proving the flow and the degree of its power from any of our students. Proving tests are held at regular intervals so that we can estimate the rate of their progression. There can be no time limits for this stage as it is entirely up to each individual, but on a broad basis it could be anything from one to fifty years, and, in some cases, perhaps never.
One trainee who has been practising one of our Taoist arts for many years, yet has still not yet mastered the first stage because of his attitude, mental tension, and his constant use of physical strength. Unless he learns to conquer himself, starts to relax inwardly, and really makes a conscious effort, he will never accomplish the first stage of gaining mastery of his Inner Power and, most of all, he will never become a master of himself.
The third stage is the level of occlusion, which is the most advanced period of all, and is within reach of everyone provided you are willing to give yourself sufficient time. If you have the mental aptitude you could easily attain the beginnings of this stage within five to six years, but you must be patient and dedicated.
We have mentioned that Inner Power is a kind of heat, and that you can propel it to any part of the body at will. Your abdomen, like the storage heater, has only a limited space or capacity, and sooner or later it will overflow. Other specialized Taoist breathing exercises will help to speed up this overflowing action, and in doing so your abdomen creates more heat.
This overflow will initially fall into the lower extremities of the pelvic bone and the lowest part of the spinal vertebrae. Then, slowly, as the overflowing action continues, Inner Power will gradually seep, of its own accord, through the muscles, tendons and sinews of the body, giving them added strength and still more flexibility and pliability.
Since the bones of the body are sealed units, this makes penetration of Inner Power a little harder and slower, but it can and does penetrate to the innermost parts of the bones, and it does this by a process which is known as osmosis.
Without becoming too technical we will try to explain this to you. As the muscles, tendons and sinews become heated, that heat is passed on to the surface of the bone, and as these are all close to one another, that heat is eventually passed to the bone itself. Then the bone is slowly heated all the way through, and it, in turn, transmits the heat to the marrow which is on the inside of the bone, so that it becomes tempered in the process by a sweating action that takes place. This tempering will make the bone and the marrow as tough as steel, yet within themselves they are more supple than ever before. Once this unification has taken place, you will have reached the ultimate level of mastery and control of your Inner Power, and thus you will have reached the stage of rejuvenation, when you are able to ward off disease and prolong your life.
To sum up, there is an old Chinese proverb which conveys everything in one simple sentence: ‘Old age is inevitable but there is no excuse for senility’. This applies to all of us, whether we be young or old, male or female. Many of the old sages of China proved that by eating and drinking sensibly the Ch’ang Ming way, and developing their Inner Power to a very high level, they were able to live from 150 to 200 years of age. Now all this may sound fantastic, and you may find it difficult to believe. You may have trouble believing the feats performed by Feng Shou kung fu students and teachers. Anyone who doubts their credibility need only visit any one of the many clubs that are affiliated to our Association to see these feats being performed.
It is an old saying in China that “Old age is inevitable, but there is no excuse for senility”. As we have already seen, illness is absolutely unnecessary and is caused by bad eating and drinking habits. In China, where the normal diet is much healthier than in the West, many of the illnesses most prevalent in the West are scarcely known.
Chang Ming (Cháng mìng 长命), the Taoist Long Life therapy has played an important part in Chinese eating and drinking habits for thousands of years. Derived from the basic principles laid down by the “Sons of Reflected Light” (Fǎnguāngzǐ 反光子), which are incorporated in the foundations of the “Five Elements” (wǔxíng五行)in reference to the Yin and Yang aspects affecting the human body, it has been handed down from family to family throughout the vast expanse of China, and has become a natural part of the average family way of living, so that it is now second nature to them.
Most people never think of their health while it remains reasonably sound, but they may be so abusing it in so many different ways that sooner or later the system is bound to break down and succumb to illness. The vitality of youth may conceal physical weaknesses, and if a child does complain continuously about various aches and pains and other upsets it is usually put down to “growing pains”. As age takes its normal course through life, then degeneration and the natural deterioration that goes with it starts to take place, and it is then that the real weaknesses within the framework of their physical structure starts to become more and more noticeable. The body, not having the necessary strength to fight back, will slowly wilt under the strain and become racked with illnesses. If you allow the foundations, the walls, and the roof of your house to deteriorate, then eventually it will collapse and you will have nothing left but a pile of useless rubble.
That is exactly what many people in the West do to their own bodies, and then they wonder what has gone wrong, and put the blame everywhere but on themselves, which is where it belongs. We will give you a good guideline to good health—if you catch one cold or lose your temper once in your lifetime, then you are sick, and you must do something about it AT ONCE.
There is no excuse for undermining the health of the human body, the most wondrous creation of the Supreme Spirit. Perfect in every detail, with working parts that replace themselves constantly, built-in thermostats to guard against the cold and changes in the atmosphere, an automatic cooling system that refreshes you in the extreme heat, and essential organs that work for twenty-four hours every day and never go on strike, unless you overload them, and they all do their own particular jobs to the very best of their ability without thanks or recompense.
No engineer could ever design a machine that could do the same job over and over again throughout such a long period of time, no heating expert has ever devised such a marvellous automatic system, and look at the wonderful way everything within this physical structure, called the human body, can not only look after itself, arrange its own maintenance, but also renew its own parts.
It has within itself a huge work-force, which it feeds, houses, and, if they die, replaces them at very short notice. It has the most efficient power and sewerage systems ever designed. This wonder of wonders, this miracle of miracles, this treasure beyond all treasures, and yet, many constantly abuse it every day. Sending the workers on strike, killing off the army of protectors, severely overloading the power and sewerage systems, and packing out the warehouses with useless rubbish, so that there is no space left for the essentials.
If you owned the greatest treasure in the world, what would you do? You would make sure that it was fully protected in every possible way, you would see that it was kept at the right temperature, regularly cleaned every day so that its beauty could be admired by everyone, and you would be proud to put it on show for the whole world to see.
Well, you do own the greatest treasure in the world; it was given to you by the will of the Tao, and you gained possession of it in your mother’s uterus, so why not be sensible and learn to guard and protect it properly every day of your life, wrap it up well in the cold and help to keep the warmth in, just as you lag your water tanks, and give it air when it’s hot, just as you open the windows of your home to let the air circulate. Then you will be able to tell the world what a wonderful treasure you own, and show it off with pride.
Chang Ming is based on very sound biological principles, proved and tested over 10,000 years of history. The early Taoists, recognising that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”, used their own bodies to test it over many centuries, sometimes eating only brown rice, sometimes only meat, at other times only fruit, during other periods only seafood, and so on. No other art has been so thoroughly proved, and no medical organisation has practised their knowledge and skill over such a long period. So that today millions enjoy the benefits of Ch’ang Ming, which is based on just a few simple rules:
Eat only when hungry, and not just out of habit.
Eat only natural foods
Eat more grains and vegetables.
Chew all your food really well.
Don’t over-eat at any time.
Keep your liquid intake down to the barest minimum.
Take deep breaths whenever you get the opportunity.
Because Chang Ming was based on such simple rules it became necessary to know the fundamental biological foundations of all food that was grown, plant, flower, fruit, root, and all other living matter, and to understand what long term effect each one had upon the human body. So it came to be that after 10,000 years of study and practice, practitioners of this art in China had a very deep insight and understanding of the laws and principles of the universe, and they were all very competent dieticians and herbalists, based on the Taoist experimentations on themselves in their search for physical and spiritual alchemy.
Naturally, Chinese herbal therapy (Cǎoyào 草药) is an intimate companion of Chang Ming, and together they have led to some wonderful discoveries, not only in the field of plant life, but also in the area of minerals, ores and liquids. Did you know that the shell of the tortoise can be used to cure malaria and infantile convulsions, that your own hair, when carbonised, can stop a nosebleed, that the centipede is good against lockjaw and snake-bites, that the poison in potatoes can help cure arthritis, and that pepper, when used as a medicine, can cure dysentery and food-poisoning? Chinese herbal therapy details thousands of recipes for health, but they would not be needed if everyone learnt to eat and drink sensibly, and in accordance with the laws of nature.
Nearly ninety years ago, Chan Kam Lee, in all his illustrious wisdom, allied the Taoist rules and recommendations to foods and drinks normally consumed in the West, and, by balancing the Yin and Yang intake, came up with the following suggestions:
Chang Ming health diet
Foods that are NOT to be eaten
Refined and processed foods. If any colourings, preservatives, flavourings, or other chemicals are included, don’t touch it.
Any grain foods that have been processed, especially white bread and anything made from white flour.
All deep-fried foods.
Coffee, alcohol, tobacco, chocolate and other sweets.
Spices, rock salt, mustard, pepper, vinegar, pickles, curry.
Meat such as pork, beef, mutton and lamb.
Salmon, mackerel, shark, swordfish, tuna and whale.
Sugar.
Ice cream, artificial jellies, synthetic fruit juices.
Potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines, rhubarb, spinach.
Concentrated meat extracts, soups and gravies.
Milk, cheese, butter, dairy yoghurt, boiled or fried eggs.
Lard or dripping that comes from animal fats.
Any bird or fish that has a lot of fat tissue.
Foods that may be eaten.
Anything made from natural whole grain, that has not been refined, e.g. brown rice, buckwheat, wheat, barley, millet, rye, maize and includes bread, cakes, puddings, biscuits, breakfast foods etc.
All locally grown vegetables that are in season, especially root vegetables, excluding those items in the previous list, No. 10.
Soya-bean and mung-bean shoots.
Seaweed.
Locally grown fruit and berries (moderately).
Nuts, preferably roasted—but not salted.
Low-fat natural yoghurt.
Honey (sparingly).
Cottage cheese or vegetarian cheese.
Herb teas and China teas.
Vegetable margarine and oils (e.g. sesame, sunflower, safflower).
Eggs, but only scrambled or in omelettes—better still eat the yolks only.
Natural sea salt, sesame seed salt, soya sauce.
All dried fruits—cherries, raisins, currants etc.
All grain milks, rice milk and coconut milk.
Wild vegetables and herbs.
Fruit drinks made from locally grown fresh fruit—ideally, make your own.
Utilise the following, if necessary.
Non-fat fish excluding those in the previous list, No. 7.
Seafood—shrimps, prawns etc. But be wary of crab.
Wild birds—pheasant, pigeon etc.
Wild or free-range chicken, turkey etc.
Skimmed milk or powdered skimmed milk.
The average Chinese has only two meals a day, and over the entire history of China this has been found perfectly adequate. This enables the body to digest the food intake from one meal, to distribute it properly about the system, and then have sufficient time to rest until the next intake of food.
Now what are natural foods? Mention natural foods to the average person and they will immediately think that you are a quack or a faddist, but in so doing, they have overlooked the fact that natural food has been the lifeline of humanity for thousands of years, and it is only in the last few decades that chemicals have become more widely used in pesticides, fertilisers, bleaches, additives, colourings, preservatives, flavourings, and in most food, especially the highly refined and pre-packed foods. Even many imported fresh fruits are automatically sprayed with preservatives before shipment (to get rid of these, the fruit should be placed in hot water before it is eaten).
Most people do not realise or appreciate how detrimental this huge intake of chemicals is to their systems and to their own health. Only a few years ago, it was said that the American nation had turned into nutritional illiterates and that it was an irresponsible act that the development of fabricated foods contained nothing but calories. How true those words turned out to be, but no more, for there is now becoming a new outlook on nutrition as the millions of Chang Ming eaters testify, through their awareness of the Tao, their understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe, and through this consciousness, they now recognise that ill health is absolutely unnecessary, and it is the fault of the ignorant if they become sick, or have their children born mentally retarded, or have physical deformity as part of their heritage. In addition to this, there are now many more children being born underweight, because of the weight consciousness of the mother.
To be truly fit to eat, food should be organically grown, without the aid of pesticides or artificial fertilisers, and should be completely unprocessed, so that it retains its natural nutritional constituents. This is how food was in the time of your great-grandparents, and in their day there were fewer cases of serious disease, and cancer had not been heard about. So start eating natural wholesome foods, making your diet consist of whole-grain foods including brown rice, and vegetables preferably locally grown, and you will be amazed at the changes that come over you in so many different ways, and all to your personal benefit.
Get into the habit of chewing every mouthful of food at least fifty times, and more if you can. Let every mouthful turn into water before you swallow, and not only will you taste and appreciate the true flavour of the food that you are eating, but you will save your bowel systems a great deal of work. By so doing, you will get less acidity in the stomach, and your intestines will not need to take so long to do their work. If however, you gulp your food, then it will remain in the system for long periods whilst it digests and rots, and this rotting process creates a lot of harmful bacteria. If you have ever smelt a dung heap that has been standing for a long time, you will appreciate what your guts are like when the food has lain there a long time.
Never eat too much, and don’t let your eyes be bigger than your belly; for this is a sure way of upsetting your system by overloading it. If you eat moderately this will show through in personal forbearance and attitudes, and this change in disposition will lay the foundation for continual emotional equilibrium. Reducing your liquid intake is also not an easy thing to do, because everything you eat contains fluid. Vegetables, for instance, are about 80 per cent water; rice is about 70 per cent water; and even toast has about 10 per cent moisture in it. When you consider that your body also consists of about 75 per cent fluid, it is obvious that a large intake of fluid is completely unnecessary.
Too much liquid will swell the tissues in the kidneys to such a degree that they will not be able to filter properly; this in turn will reduce or stop the amount of fluid that can pass through; and so the kidneys will become blocked. To help your kidneys, DRINK LESS of the obvious liquids such as teas, soups, fruit drinks etc., and your health will certainly benefit.
If at any time your mouth or the back of your throat feels dry, just adopt this Taoist habit, put the tongue against the roof of your mouth and in a few seconds you will find that your mouth fills up with saliva, which, when swallowed gently, will ease the dryness. If you get into this Taoist habit of keeping your tongue in this position, you will never feel dry and thirsty, and again, your health will receive the benefit. The average person uses only two-thirds of his lung capacity each day, and by so doing, this helps to create the risk of lung troubles, headaches, worry, tension, insomnia, constipation and swelling around the stomach, and as oxygen is vital to the continual purification of the blood, you will appreciate the importance of correct breathing.
In the Taoist arts we have many specialised breathing exercises (basically, eight Yin breaths, eight Yang breaths, and four Yin-Yang); but there are also many more, some of which are used in healing, others to activate the Ch’i and others to promote good health. However, you do not have to be so particular, just get into the habit of breathing deeply through the nose at all times. This will relax the system, reduce tension, and encourage deep sleep.
A good barometer of health is how long you need to sleep. If you are truly healthy, four to six hours each night should be enough for you to have all the vitality you need; you should also be able to wake up at any pre-determined time that you want, without using an alarm clock; and you should be able to fall asleep within thirty seconds, at any time of the day or night, and in any position. If you dream, snore or talk in your sleep, then you are unhealthy.
Food is the natural life-line of the human body and by eating the correct foods, suitable to the environment that we live in, we can ensure that the health of our anatomy can remain constantly good, and that we can maintain the vitality and energy within it so that it will be strong enough to fight off all bacteria that might try and breakthrough its natural defence system.
Not only can Chang Ming help to keep everyone in good health all the time, but it will help the very thin person to put on weight, and the fat person to slim without the necessity of starving themselves or counting calories. It can combat disease and also heal the sick and suffering, by the simple process of making the body strong enough to cure itself. After all, the Supreme Spirit made the human body in such a way that it should be able to repair itself continuously, and Chang Ming is a way of making sure that the body does the job as efficiently as it was made to do, no matter whether the person is young or old. Even the most serious complaints can be beaten and subdued, so that the person involved can be brought to a stage of permanent good health. Unfortunately, there is one proviso—the body must not have been allowed to depreciate or to have deteriorated to such a low degree that it can no longer be aided to fight back in the space of time available—but there is always hope. In other words, it is like the house that was left to rot, it has almost become a pile of useless rubble. Two of the worst means to attain a useless and worthless body is to take drugs and to have unnecessary operations, both of these are only used in China when all other methods have failed, or in the case of broken bones and fractures etc. The warning is plain, if you are ill, or suffering from any complaint whatsoever, change to a Chang Ming diet straight away.
In the first ten days after starting a Chang Ming health diet, you will begin to notice slight changes and certainly start to feel much better. However, between about ten days and a month of starting the diet, there may, in a few cases, be a few symptoms of change that may cause you to worry.
For instance, you may suffer diarrhoea or constipation. The diarrhoea signifies that the body is ridding itself of water, fat, carbohydrate, sugar and excess protein, and through this discharge, you will lose weight even though you are eating well. This is nothing to worry about, for the body is making a natural adjustment, and it will eventually settle down to its natural weight level for its size.
Constipation may occur where the former diet included a large amount of fluid, and the condition may persist for two or three weeks. What happens is that when there is a large intake of fluid the intestines become expanded and loose, and getting rid of the fluid causes the intestines to contract (rather like a balloon going down). As a result, peristalsis (the rippling effect of the muscular tissue of the intestines that passes the motion along to the anus) does not occur, and therefore constipation results. However, whereas constipation normally causes the mind to become a little slow and dull, it is not so in this case, and the mind becomes clear, and even sharp, because of the clearance of the waste and toxins.
If, during the first month of a Chang Ming diet, you feel some aches or pains, make a note of them, for these show the various weaknesses that were in your body but which were hidden from you by the toxins. Once these toxins are drawn away there are contractions of the tissues and this creates a little tension, but the tension soon disappears and the aches and pains go with it.
In rare cases, women may find that their menstruations seem to go haywire and even stop for some months. Again, however, it is a case of the body healing the weaknesses first, and this may take some time. Once the weaknesses in the organs have been repaired, those in the bowel systems will be tackled, then those in the tissues, and then the sexual organs. As this process, of healing all the way through, is a slow procedure, it may take time to cure and heal every part of the body, especially if there happen to be many weaknesses—but remember, all these signs are an indication to you that the body is doing its dynamic work of healing within itself.
Grains (Gǔwù 谷物)
Always eat natural, unrefined whole grains such as brown rice, barley, buckwheat, millet, oats, wheat, rye, maize, but you should always make sure that you chew all grain food really well, as it contains fibre, which takes a lot of digesting, and you should help it to pass through the system as easily as possible. It also contains a lot of nutrition, and that is why it is excellent for the body, and it can be eaten in a variety of different ways—raw, creamed, fried, boiled and even baked so that there can be variety at every meal. Brown rice is excellent for the nervous system; barley has a high energy level and is good for people suffering from various allergies; buckwheat is rich in Vitamin E, which is excellent for strengthening the tissues of the body and is beneficial to the kidneys; maize is another energy cereal and it is excellent for the blood; millet, on the other hand, is very beneficial to the spleen and especially for those people who suffer from acidosis; oats also have a high energy level, and are very good for people who have thyroid-gland troubles; rye is good for the tissues and muscular systems, and aids the endurance of those who perform strenuous activities; and wheat has long been known as an excellent tonic for the brain, is high in protein and gluten and is beneficial to the liver. So eat grain as often as you can, for it will give you excellent nourishment and will provide you with more than a quarter of the energy and nutrients that your body requires.
Here are a few ideas on how to prepare grain foods for the table.
Rice milk (Mǐ nǎi 米奶).
All grains can be turned into milk, but rice milk is really excellent for babies, the old, those people who have weak constitutions, and those with intestinal troubles.
Cook one cup of brown rice with ten cups of water for at least two hours, ensuring that you stir it continuously. Then place in a cloth and squeeze out all the juice. Boil the rice water again for fifteen minutes or longer, if you wish. For babies and people who are very weak the rice milk can be diluted to a weaker consistency, but for healthy folk they can have it stronger, by using less water. The rice pulp can be used when making bread. The same procedure holds good for the preparation of other grain milks too.
Millet cream (Xiǎomǐ yóu 小米油)
Warm one teaspoon of corn oil (or sesame or sunflower oil); add one cup of millet flour and stir until the mixture is a light brown; then let it cool. Put it into a pan and add four cups of water; boil; then allow it to simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little soya sauce or sea salt to taste. Other grains may be used in place of millet.
Buckwheat herb (Qiáomài cǎoběn 荞麦草本)
Cook the buckwheat in water and make a sauce from two dessertspoonfuls of any grain flour; then add some herbs, which should be chopped finely. Add the buckwheat, some steamed or baked onions and add a little oil; then cook until the grains are soft. Serve. Other grains may be used in place of the buckwheat.
Saute buckwheat (Chǎo qiáomài 炒荞麦)
Follow the instructions as for the buckwheat herb, then add garlic and marjoram, cut into the shape required, and saute on both sides until they are a nice golden brown.
Vegetables (Cài 菜)
Vegetables, by which is meant not only the cultivated ones, but also wild ones such as dandelion, burdock and watercress, etc. which most people accept as herbs, are excellent for the bloodstream for they assist in the health of the red globules which carry the oxygen throughout the body. Vegetables can also supply appreciable quantities of various nutrients, including Vitamin C; but if the vegetables are allowed to wilt then there is considerable loss of this vitamin. So always ensure that you use fresh vegetables whenever you can, and, to obtain the maximum benefit from them, eat them raw or saute them as we do in China.
Soya beans (Dàdòu 大豆)
The most valuable of vegetables is the soya bean, for it is a source of dynamic goodness and excellent nutrition, and it is not for nothing that the Chinese have cultivated it for thousands of years. It is the only vegetable that contains complete nourishment and protein, such as Vitamins A, B, E, and plenty of Vitamin C, copper, iron, calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, zinc, phosphorous, potassium, sulphur and in addition to all these it is very rich in lecithin.
Lecithin is essential for tissues of the nervous system and the brain, as it aids the development of internal energy, and it is therefore important to help strengthen the nervous energy within the body. In addition to all this, it helps break up excess fat in the body, so it is an excellent food for all those people who are carrying too much weight.
At home you can easily grow soya beans in a bottle in a few days, and they can either be used as a cooked vegetable, or eaten raw as part of a salad.
Soya bean flour (Dàdòu fěn 大豆粉)
It might surprise you to know that you can get Soya bean flour, and it can be used in bread, cakes, and biscuits, and it makes them very tasty, and it can also be used to mix with other flours, where an added flavour is required. It can also be added to soups and gravies for the same reason.
In addition to the soya bean being used as a nutritional flour, here are a few more of its uses either as a good or as a drink.
Soya Sauce (Jiàngyóu 酱油)
This is a fermented preparation from soya beans, and has been in China for at least 4,000-5,000 years. It adds to the flavour of food if used in reasonable quantities, and whilst it is rich in vitamins and minerals it also contains about 18 per cent salt.
Soya bean sweet (Dàdòu táng 大豆糖)
Boil the soya beans in syrup, drain, and then serve as a sweet.
Roasted soya beans (Kǎo Dàdòu 烤大豆)
Soak the soya beans overnight, then roast them in a dry pan.
Roasted soya bean sweets (Kǎo dòu táng 烤豆糖)
Roast the beans, then boil them in syrup, drain and serve.
Soya sauce pickled vegetables (Jiàng Cài 酱菜)
Pickling vegetables in soya sauce not only gives them a wonderful flavour but gives them further nourishment.
Soya milk (Dòujiāng 豆浆)
This has been used in China for thousands of years, and would always be used in preference to cows’ milk, even to feed young babies. You can make it yourself, by the same method as grain milk, or you can buy it in powder form. It is cheaper than other milk, and your health shop may already stock it. Go and ask.
Soya bean curd (Dòufu 豆腐)
This is one of the very old traditional foods of China and is also rich in protein. It can be used raw or added to soups and gravies and other dishes. This is the way you can make it yourself.
You will need half to one pound of soya beans, a little milk, some yeast, and sea salt to taste. Cook the beans; then, when nearly done, drain off most of the water into a bottle and seal it so that it is air-tight. Continue cooking until beans are tender, then empty them into an earthenware dish and leave overnight. Reheat the next day and drain off the rest of the fluid. Add this to the liquid you had drained off the previous day. Pass the beans through a fine-mesh sieve; add the puree to the liquid; and add a little milk, and some of the yeast, to aid fermentation, and add a little salt to suit your own taste. Divide into the sizes that you prefer, and allow it to set.
Soya bean curd is also used as a compress to relieve aches and pains in areas of the body that are inflamed.
Seaweed (Hǎicǎo 海草)
Another excellent vegetable is edible seaweed, for not only does it contain many vitamins, but it is also the best source of iodine, which is essential to the health of the body, and should be a part of everyone’s diet as it is in China.
Poisonous vegetables
There are a number of vegetables that contain poison and so are best left alone. These are potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines (egg-plants), spinach and rhubarb which contain solanine or oxalic poison and these are harmful to the nervous system, create apathy, reduce the efficiency of the mind, and have other ill effects. In China herds of pigs were fed potatoes, and after a while they became upset and very aggressive, and finally many of them developed arthritis and gout, and many died. So all these are best left out of your diet, if you want to keep fit and healthy.
Meat (Ròu 肉)
The consumption of meat has more disadvantages than benefits. It can supply quick energy and a large amount of calories, but once it has been swallowed it starts to decompose through the action of bacteria (throw a piece of meat on the ground and watch what happens to it), and this in turn creates toxins in the system. If the body cannot eliminate these quickly enough, the toxins have to be stored within the body, and this can cause fevers and many illnesses of the organs and the blood including blood stagnation. Taoists do not eat red flesh, the reason being that thousands of years ago they went through a period when they ate only meat, in their quest for physical alchemy. They learnt dearly then, and appreciated the devastating effect and cost was to human lives—namely themselves, and they will never put themselves in that situation ever again.
When man first roamed the earth he had no weapons, and he had to live quite naturally on grains, vegetables and fruit; and he was at peace with the rest of the animal kingdom. When he began killing for flesh to eat, and wearing skins, animals and birds instinctively began to shy away from him, for their instincts told them that man was no longer a friend of nature, for he had become a killer. Since then, time has proved how right the animal world was, for man not only kills for food, but kills for pleasure, kills other humans, and in some cases kills himself by committing suicide—all of which can be seen as a state of degeneration. The red flesh of man is exactly the same as the red flesh of animals, so man has turned into a cannibal by eating flesh, and whereas animals do not think and survival comes only through their inborn instincts, man does not have the same excuse, for he is slowly losing his capacity to think clearly and to use his judgement sensibly.
If he carries on at this rate of deterioration then he will eventually become lower than the animals he despises and hunts, then he will become the hunted and not the hunter. When will man understand that if you lower yourself down to the level of an animal then you will eventually become one yourself. Just look at local governments, for instance, every day they sit and make new laws, purposely to restrict and harness their fellow men. no animal does that, for it is an inborn instinct to seek continuous freedom, and not perpetual shackles.
Therefore if everyone raised their standard of eating and drinking according to the divine laws of the universe, then they will eventually raise themselves to the heights of the teachers, philosophers and sages, and become an example to ail their fellow men. Then will come peace, happiness and harmony amongst all humanity, and war, robbery, mugging, and rape will be things of the past.
Milk (Nǎi 奶)
We have already noticed the old Chinese saying, “If you want your child to grow up to look and act like an animal, then feed it on cows’ or goats’ milk from the day it is born”. For this reason, the Chinese generally do not feed animal milk to their babies, and it is not unknown for Chinese mothers to breast-feed their children for as much as three to five years. Children fed this way tend to have a more adaptable mind, more flexibility in the body and a calmer and stronger spirit.
It is simply not true that cows’ milk is the complete food for man, for it is deficient in iron and Vitamin C and D, and if bottled milk is left on the doorstep exposed to the sunlight for an hour or more, a substantial amount of its Vitamin C and riboflavin is destroyed. Cows’ milk also contains an appreciable quantity of carbohydrate, in the form of disaccharide lactose.
In Great Britain most milk is pasteurised and this treatment destroys about 10 per cent of thiamine and Vitamin B and about 25 per cent of Vitamin C. In sterilised and evaporated milk the losses are much higher amounting to 60 per cent of Vitamin C and 20 per cent of thiamine. In some countries they even add chemicals in the form of preservatives to milk, and these too destroy some of the vital nutrients. So it is well worth remembering that: COWS’ MILK WAS MADE FOR CALVES, HUMAN MILK WAS MADE FOR HUMAN BABIES. You wouldn’t feed human milk to animals, so why feed animal milk to humans? Everything in nature has its rightful place, so let it stay that way, as the Supreme Spirit intended it to be.
Salt (Yán 盐)
Ordinary rock salt does more harm than good to the human body, for it causes the retention of too much fluid, which in turn can cause the body to put on surplus weight and it can lead to heart trouble, high blood pressure, ulcers, fatigue, insomnia as well as a violent and aggressive nature. It contains very little goodness, as most of that evaporated in the far distant past; so today its main constituent is sodium chloride.
Sea salt (Hǎiyán 海盐), which contains many minerals from the sea, is far more beneficial to the human body, but it should be used in moderation. However, in China we find it an even greater advantage to the natural good health of the body, to use salt in other forms, such as Soya sauce (Jiàngyóu 酱油) and Sesame seed salt (Zhīma yán 芝麻盐), and these help to make the food more tasty and supply sea salt in a way that it is more acceptable to the human body, but remember—moderation at all times.
