Cultivate Qi: How to Strengthen Your Life Force

By Benebell Wen Edited by Nicole Noles Collins

Most Eastern esoteric paths suggest Taoists and metaphysicians proactively cultivate and strengthen the personal Qi, or life force. Metaphysical work draws from your pool of personal Qi. If you’re not mindful of replenishing that Qi, then the constant weakening of your life force from the work that you do (this includes divination) may cause depletion. So to maintain optimal wellbeing — physical, mental, and psychic-spiritual — cultivation practices are necessary.

Th e Metaphysician’s Qi

Divination, ceremonial ritual, pathworking, astral journeying and other practices are believed to exhaust your personal life force, and so as a Taoist, you want to establish a routine practice of cultivating your Qi to maintain wellbeing. It is a practice everyone and anyone can benefi t from, much like how everyone should be mindful of nutrition and physical exercise. However, the nutritional needs of your everyday offi ce worker is diff erent from the nutritional needs of an Olympic swimmer. So we can make the comparison here of a Taoist to the Olympic swimmer, because it’s considered an out-of-the-ordinary lifestyle, and so your nutritional needs — in this case psychic-spiritual nutritional needs — will be different from the average person.

First, Know Yourself

If you don’t know what your true weaknesses are, how do you correct them? Knowing your temperament, your physical body constitution, and having a clear understanding of your lifestyle and the impact of that lifestyle on your personhood will help you prescribe the best course of Qi cultivation for yourself.

Since many Eastern metaphysicians and holistic healers believe in natal astrology, reading your birth chart can help you map out your personal elemental balances and the implications of your elemental strengths and weaknesses.

Are you Wood-dominant? You’re more visionary, are better at communications and verbal or writing skills. In society, you’re a keeper of knowledge. Fire-dominant? You possess innate leadership qualities. Earth-dominant? You’re the one everyone relies on, the anchor point, and as a member of society, your role is to help uphold traditions and values. Metal-dominant? You help curate society’s laws and policies. You push the envelope forward and you help to usher in progress. Th ose who are Water-dominant are diplomats, keeping society heart-centered.

And all of those personality correspondences from the Wu Xing are connected directly to particularized health concerns, both physical and mental. Imbalances of yin and yang in Wood relate to the eyes and liver. Yin and yang Fire imbalances relate to the heart, blood, and circulatory system. Yin and yang Earth imbalance can impact the muscular system and spleen. Metal governs the respiratory system, sense of smell, and skin conditions; Water to the urinary tract, kidneys, emotions such as fear, peace, and intuition, etc.

Personality And Physical Health Are Related

Th ere’s a lore that those who think too much and speak too fast, whose thoughts are always racing at rapid speed through their minds are more prone to respiratory issues. Th e analogy made is to physically running a marathon — you get out of breath. After you’ve run, you have to slow down and take measure to steadily get your heart back to a normal rate. Likewise, those whose minds are always running a fi gurative marathon will physiologically be more susceptible to asthma, bronchial issues, and have breathing diffi culties. Like the runner, they need to consider meditative practices that can help them slow down and steady their minds. When they do, they in turn can improve their respiratory concerns.

In Eastern esotericism, we believe everything is interconnected, so there’s no focusing on one issue or concern you’re having to the neglect of everything else. Every form of solution is always holistic, so it has to be about lifestyle. Thus, how you as an individual ought to approach Qi cultivation has to be customized for you.

Let’s cover six ways a Taoist or metaphysician can cultivate Qi:

Qi Gong

The term “qi gong” was first recorded in use during the Jin Dynasy (265 AD – 420 AD) by a Taoist priest, Xu Xun, who instructed in a Book of Methods or grimoire that a practicing Taoist should begin with learning qi gong and cultivating one’s internal life essence.

Qi gong is premised on three principles: body (your forms), breath (control), and mind (focus). Th e cultivation of your personal Qi and strengthening of your vitality comes from harmonizing the three together. “Qi gong” is a generic term, and under its umbrella there are defi ned schools of practice. Some forms have become widespread and popular, such as the Five Animals, where the forms are inspired by the tiger, crane, leopard, snake, and dragon, corresponding with the Wu Xing. Ba Duan Jing (Eight Silken Movements) form set variations, which are rooted in the Ba Gua eight trigrams, are also popular. Others are proprietary and only initiated members of a lineage would be taught those forms.

If you want to pursue a serious study of qigong, a good place to start reading is the multivolume book set Chinese Medical Qigong, edited by Tianjuan Liu and Kevin Chen. Any of the books by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming would be great. A musthave addition to a dedicated practitioner’s personal library would be An Illustrated Handbook of Chinese Qigong Forms from the Ancient Texts, edited by Li Jingwei and Zhu Jianping.

Basic Meditation

A simple, sustainable way to build up your personal Qi as a Taoist is to set aside at least 3 minutes per day for basic meditation. Although not necessary, I like to set out a purifi cation stone or crystal, such as a selenite tower, a fl uorite or amethyst pyramid, or if your specifi c intent is grounding, then black tourmaline, an obsidian sphere, or a black onyx sphere. Conceptualize this stone in front of you as a psychic air purifi er. meditation position or just in your seat where you are), back straight, up tall, as if there is a string at the crown of your head and someone above has pulled it taut on you, and your palms touching each other in prayer mudra.

Close your eyes and take a slow, steady inhale of breath. As you inhale, conceptualize the breath of air you’re taking in as purifi ed and cleared by the stone in front of you, that this air is the pre-fi ltered from your environment and is the strongest, most invigorating components of the air, and feel it fi ll every part of you internally, top down.

Th en hold your breath for the slightest moment before exhale. Switch focus and conceptualize that focus to now be on the energy “waste” inside of you. Gather up that “waste” in your breath and then exhale it out slowly, steadily.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

The author with a copy of her book The Toa of Craft.

PHOTOS BY HEATHER HERNANDEZ

The Lopan Compass

consecutively for 3 minutes per day. Th at’s it.

When 3 minutes per day has become eff ortless and habitual, build up to 5 minutes per day, 10 minutes per day, up to 15 to 20 minutes per day. Whether or not you experience immediate benefi ts of this is up to your susceptibility to the placebo eff ect (my opinion), but I absolutely believe there are long-term sustainable health and psychic benefi ts to integrating basic meditation into your lifestyle.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Th is is very specifi c to one who dabbles in the metaphysical and they are generic tips, which do not account for your specifi c body and mental constitution.

Black vinegar “dissolves” malefic Qi in your system. Vinegar has been part of the Chinese culinary tradition since 2,000 BC. A common dish prepared for new mothers is black vinegar

chicken (or black vinegar pig’s feet) to help them replenish their system and regain their strength. In Chinese poison magic traditions, black vinegar is often a key ingredient in healing antidote potions. When you believe you’ve been cursed or hexed, drink up on the black vinegar.

Onions (raw) not only have loads of cool healing properties when you’re talking holistic medicine, but in terms of their metaphysical properties, invigorate and strengthen your personal Qi. However, onions are considered very yang, so for some body constitutions, that overpowering of yang to the system can cause indigestion, can cause further infl ammation and exacerbate eczema, or cause a sense of bloating.

In old Chinese folk tradition, when someone in the house is sick, you leave out a bowl of black vinegar and raw cut onions. Th e superstitious explanation for that is sickness is caused by menacing spirits, so the vinegar and onions will compel the menacing spirits to leave and the rest of the household won’t get sick. Th e TCM explanation for it is vinegar and onions can absorb or neutralize toxins, bacteria, and viruses.

Garlic and ginger also help to purify of any residual spirit yin Qi left over or that may still be in your system after esoteric practices. I incorporate these ingredients into everyday cooking.

A metaphysical practitioner may want to consider a zinc-rich and iron-rich diet. Th is is believed to have a warding eff ect, and is a form of preventative inner alchemical care that makes it harder for malefi c attachments to linger in your system. Zinc and iron-rich foods help fortify personal Qi.

Note: I discourage (actually, I’m personally against) taking vitamin supplements for zinc and iron. Th erefore, when I say “consider a zinc-rich and iron-rich diet,” I mean stock up your diet (as in natural, whole foods) with zinc-rich and ironrich foods. Red meat, oysters, chickpeas, lentils, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, fl ax seeds, pine nuts, and almonds off er a lot of zinc. Tofu, dark leafy greens, and most meats are rich in iron. Finally, reduce your salt intake. A high-sodium diet can desensitize you from picking up on the more subtle, natural energies of the universe, and so can in turn desensitize your psychic sensitivity, intuition, and general detection abilities.

Warding Your Living Space

How important is this? I spent the fi rst three episodes of Tinkering Bell (my free YouTube series) on spiritual sanitation of your living space. Be sure to check out the following:

Expelling Malefi c Attachments. Th is total mind, body, and spirit self-cleanse is meant to eradicate any string of bad luck, negativity in your life, remove hexes, exorcise unwanted spirit attachments, neutralize the evil eye, and detox from what Chinese feng shui masters would call poison arrows.

Creating Sacred Space Part I. Harmonic Resonance. Th is is Part 1 of 2 videos on the architecture and design of sacred space. I would consider harmonic resonance to be the fi rst and most fundamental point to creating and empowering sacred space. Specifi c topics covered will be sine wave oscillation resonant with the monad; Lissajous fi gures; Chladni fi gures; the Lo Shu magic square, mandalas, and sacred geometry.

Creating Sacred Space Part II. Psychic Architecture and Esoteric Design Principles. Part 2 covers magnetism, orientation, water, and anchoring, which are critical points of consideration when creating and empowering sacred space. Your boat will continue to fi ll with water, no matter how fast you dump out the rising level, if you don’t work on plugging up the hole. Likewise, you want to make sure your home is well fortifi ed. Warding your living space and the principles instructed in the three hyperlinked Tinkering Bell videos are part of the preventative feng shui measures you take to preserve and maintain personal Qi.

Feng shui, or in more mundane terms, your environment, could be the cause of many symptoms you’ve been experiencing, or why you seem to

get depleted with energy more quickly than most. For a free introductory overview of Chinese feng shui, see Feng Shui Basics.

While the average person will consider what essentially amounts to interior décor, color design, and furniture rearranging for feng shui keyed to prosperity, health, and happiness, metaphysical practitioners will add sigil or talismanic magic to common feng shui practices. One example is the Eight Direction Home Protection Fu Talismans that can be prepared to ward a metaphysical practitioner’s home.

Ancestor Veneration

In Eastern religious thought — and I phrase it generically like that because you’ll fi nd the belief in most if not all of the Eastern mystical paths — a part of every soul remains behind, here on earth, occupying the spirit space in the material plane. Here I like to think of the analogy to dark matter vs. dark energy in space. Your ancestral family line forms a distinct spirit enclave and these ancestral enclaves can possess or have the capacity to exert certain powers. Th ey can exert infl uence over events in the material plane, in certain, limited conditions.

Ancestor veneration is how you cultivate and maintain the power of your ancestral line. When your ancestral line is powerful, it has the capability of exerting more infl uence on the material plane, and therefore can utilize their powers to, say, help heal sick members of the family, help increase family prosperity, help protect and safeguard you.

Thus, the mystical rationale follows that the stronger the powers of your ancestral line, the stronger your personal Qi, because your Qi is linked directly to your ancestral line. Burning off erings, honoring our dead, giving the space in our homes to our ancestors in the form of altars are ways we feed power to our own ancestral line.

In a classic esoteric Taoist text written by the Chinese alchemist Ge Hong, circa 316 to 317 A.D., one form of personal Qi cultivation that could help a practitioner achieve immortality (or spiritual transcendence) was the accumulation of good deeds, which was to say a practitioner must “extend love to all life.” Working with contemporary New Age vocabulary, you might draw a connection here to the law of attraction. I would like to say it’s more nuanced and layered than that, but you’re free to your own interpretation. I hesitate to use the word “karma,” because that can be misleading, even though in Eastern religious thought, it would be considered karma. In the West, the law of karma is typically defi ned as cause-and-eff ect, which it is: you do good, so good will happen to you; you do bad, so bad will happen to you. While that defi nition isn’t necessarily wrong, it’s also not the whole picture, and there are so many “exceptions to the rule” or condition precedents that often, the simplifi ed rule of karmic causation gets negated, appears to be proven wrong, because good things happen to people who do bad (all the time) and bad things happen to people who do good (all the time). So let’s sidestep the discussion of karma and just go with the term “benefi cence.” Benefi cence is the instinctive, thoughtless impulse to be generous and kind. Some people are born with it, but you can defi nitely nurture it. Acts of charity, acts of compassion, and even speaking words that elevate and uplift others strengthen your personal Qi. Th e concept of benefi cence discussed here is

technically categorized under the principle of karma because when you emanate with benefi cence, the eff ect is a strengthening and fortifying of your personal Qi, and with stronger personal Qi, you’re just going to go through life with better luck. If you were Benefi cence is the instinctive, thoughtless born less lucky (something natal astrology impulse to be generous and kind … Acts of charity, acts of compassion, and even might reveal), then beneficence changes your fate and imspeaking words that elevate and uplift proves your luck. Benefi cence is a state of others strengthen your personal Qi. mind that translates into actions. With the start of a new lunar year, a reset of your cultivation practices may help you navigate the year with equanimity and align yourself with new opportunities that await.

The Tao of WELLNESS

Eating for Longevity

By Robert Hoff man

The entirety of Daoist texts, collectively known as the Daozang (道藏), contain not just religious scripture and methods of cultivation or alchemy, but also dietary practices and prescriptions for herbal medicine. Th ere are hundreds of herbs mentioned and instructions for their use in texts such as the Lingbao Wufuxu (靈寶 五符序, Th e Preface to the Five Lingbao Talismans of Numinous Treasure) from the 5th century, and Ge Hong’s Baopuzi (葛洪, 抱朴子). Th ere are even herbal-specifi c texts such as the Changpu Zhuan (A Biography of Acorus), which describes the characteristics of the herb Shi Chang Pu (Rhizoma acori tatarinowii) as “a magic elixir for practitioners of immortality rituals.” We often see language such as “lightening the body” or “extending the years” alluding certainly to longevity practices, but also to immortality. Using Shi Chang Pu as an example, the Chinese medicine classic Shen Nong’s Ben Cao Jing (神农本草经) from the 3-4th century BCE suggests that if Shi Chang Pu is consumed over a long period of time it will lighten the body, stave off forgetfulness and confusion, and extend the years (Wilms). However, this concurrence between Daoist practice and Chinese medicine is not always consistent.

Th is brings to light an interesting conundrum for followers of the Dao, martial artists and qigong practitioners, and Chinese medicine practitioners — where is the line or divide between Daoism, Chinese medicine and qi cultivation practices? Are they all inherently Daoist?

credible health benefi ts but may not necessarily present authentic neigong (內功) theories and principles. When I teach principles of Chinese medicine and classes on Daoism, I strive to be clear about these divisions and illustrate where they do fi nd agreement. I use this Venn diagram to help visualize the concept (fi g. 1).

I then take this discussion further and try to show how these cross-cultural infl uences interact with Chinese medicine and the practice of Daoism (fi g 2). Of course, there are many more infl uences within these fi elds, such as art, music, and literature.

Th is interaction between Chinese herbalism and Daoism becomes very clear in and the folkloric description of the Nine Immortal Grasses (九仙草, Jiǔ xiān cǎo). Th ese include “Dendrobium (Shi Hu), Tianshan Snow

Lotus (Tianshan Xuelian), Ginseng (Ren shen), Hundred and Twenty-year old Shouwu (He Shou Wu), Poria (Fu Ling), Ganoderma lucidum (Ling Zhi), Pearl (Zhen Zhu), Cordyceps (Dong Chong Xia Cao), and Cistanche (Rou Cong Rong). In a modern context, many of these herbs are called tonic herbs or adaptogens, shown to have longterm positive eff ects on the body. I have yet to fi nd a reference to these herbs as a group in the Daozang; however, many of them are mentioned individually, and they are no less important to the cultivation of health and longevity without this canonical reference.

Dendrobium (Shi Hu, 石斛)

Dendrobium was fi rst described in Shen Nong’s Ben Cao Jing (BCJ) as sweet, slightly salty and bland in fl avor. It removes numbness and pain, nourishes the fi ve internal organs, and strengthens yin. It primarily nourishes kidney yin and augments essence. It calms the stomach, clears heat and generates fl uids. Like Shi Chang Pu above, the BCJ states that dendrobium lightens the body and extends the years. Harvested as fresh as possible, it can be made into a simple tea provided it is boiled for 30 minutes. Interestingly it is said to be the principal or most important herb in this group of nine.

Tianshan Snow Lotus (Tianshan Xuelian Hua, 天山雪蓮花)

Rarely used in traditional Chinese medicine, Snow Lotus is found above 4,000 meters in relatively hash conditions making it famous for both its unique pharmacological eff ects and magical medicinal value. Th ere are many stories within Chinese literature regarding Snow Lotus, but the earliest text we fi nd it mentioned is the Mu Tianzi zhuan (穆 天子傳), preserved in the Daozang. In this story, King Mu travels west along with the seven “worthies” where they encounter the Queen Mother of the West who showers them with food and wine. She then gifted the king with Tianshan Snow Lotus when asked for the elixir of immortality. It is said to remove cold phlegm; eliminate cold and warm the uterus by strengthening yang, treats women with irregular menstruation and uterine bleeding, and fi nally nourishes blood. Of course, it is thought to extend life.

Th e roots, stems and leaves of the Snow lotus do contain polysaccharides, but are also rich in alkaloids, fl avonoids, volatile oils, lactones, and steroids. Its fl ower buds are richer in trace elements and amino acids, etc., which can promote blood circulation, relieve cold, remove damp, and nourish the tissues.

Figure 2

Ginseng (Renshen, 人參)

Potentially the most popular tonic herb in the world. Ginseng has great medicinal value as it improves long-term fi tness and prolongs life. Legend suggests that it has a history of 4,000 years of medicinal use in China, but we know for sure that it is a superior herb in Shen Nong’s BCJ. Sold fresh, dried and steamed, the age of the roots is essential to achieving the greatest tonic potential; 6-8 years of age is really the minimum for consumable ginseng root, but the older the better. Ginseng over 12-years of age is said to have more adaptogenic and immune boosting properties. From the TCM perspective, Ginseng is said to supplement the fi ve zang, calming the spirits of hun, po, and essence. It opens the heart, 心, and boosts wisdom. Consumed over a long period of time, it also lightens the body and extends the years. Pharmaceutical research suggests that it has anti-cancer potential, and reduces the deleterious side-eff ects of conventional cancer therapies.

He Shou Wu tonifi es the liver and kidneys, nourishes blood, and augments essence. Traditionally it should be cooked with black bean juice, steamed and dried; otherwise, it functions as a laxative. It is mild or slightly warm in nature, bitter, sweet and astringent in taste. Shouwu detoxifi es, eliminates carbuncles and sores. It can improve and even reverse the signs of aging in the elderly, and is especially appropriate for those who could not otherwise digest tonic herbs. It is used for blood defi ciency, dizziness, tinnitus, early greying hair, low-back and knee weakness, numbness, uterine bleeding, chronic malaria and physical weakness.

In a modern context, Shouwu can also expand the coronary arteries, lower blood lipids, and promote the production of red blood cells. Th erefore, it has preventive eff ects on coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, anemia, cognitive decline, and signs of premature aging. Poria (Fu Ling, 茯苓)

Though featured prominently in the aforementioned Wufuxu, in modern TCM usage Poria has primarily been relegated to its functional aspect of relieving edema. However, in this important Daoist text, “Fuling is a mushroom or excresence like growth on tree roots considered a transformed resin, which is peptic, nutrient, diuretic and quieting.” It is often grouped with other herbs such as tianmendong, bai zhu, baishu, gouji, weirui, bianxu, song, kui, huma or jusheng, huangjing and daji. It is suggested that fuling is “diuretic and tonifying, removes stale qi and digestive remnants, while enhancing qi.” Th is is confi rmed in another Daoist text, Th e Way to Give Up Grain, based on the Scriptures of Great Clarity (太清經斷榖法, Taiqing jing duangu fa) which refers back to the Wufuxu, and by Sun Simiao in his Qianjin fang (千金方) in which he concurs that fuling is an herb essential for longevity.

Ganoderma (Ling zhi, 靈芝)

Ganoderma has been regarded as a symbol of good fortune, beauty, and longevity since ancient times as evidenced by its inclusion in sacred art, and non-medicinal literature. Th ere are six species of lingzhi mentioned in Shen Nong’s BCJ: purple, red, blue, yellow, white, and black, with no other reference to species. According to the Chinese mycologist Zhao Jiding (趙繼鼎), green zhi refers to Coriolus versicolor, red zhi to Ganoderma lucidum, yellow zhi to Laetiporus sulphureus, white zhi to Fomitopsis offi cinalis, black zhi to Amauroderma rugosum or Polyporus melanopus, and purple zhi to Ganoderma sinense.

Th e Chinese term zhi (芝) can be defi ned as “fungi or mushroom”, and is best exemplifi ed by the medicinal língzhi; however, in Daoism it refers to supernatural plants, animals, and mineral substances that were said to confer instantaneous immortality (仙) when ingested (Pregadio). Th ere is much discussion amongst scholars (Steavu, Strickman, Needham) that lingzhi in Daoist texts does not refer to ganoderma species, but rather refers to a hallucinogenic mushroom species or are coded texts for alchemical practice. For the layperson, ganoderma does confer many tonic eff ects on those who ingest it. Th e nature and fl avor are sweet and neutral. It boosts heart qi and unbinds the chest, increases wisdom and staves off forgetfulness. Like many of the herbs in this group of nine, when consumed over a long time, it lightens the body, staves off aging, extends the years and makes one an immortal.

In modern research, ganoderma is studied for its immune modulating potential as it primarily contains polysaccharides, sterols such as ergosterol, triterpenes, water-soluble proteins and various enzymes. Th ere have been positive outcomes in studies related to cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, digestive, nerve, endocrine, and respiratory diseases. It is especially eff ective in preventing and treating tumors, liver diseases, treating insomnia and the eff ects of aging.

Pearl (Zhen Zhu, 珍珠)

Often used as a beauty herb, pearl serves to calm the spirit and sedate the heart, especially appropriate in situations where a person or patient is easily frightened. Pearl can calm the nerves, improve eyesight, and clear mental fog. Modern research also shows that pearl can improve immunity, delay aging, remove spots and whiten the skin, and supplement calcium. It may also relieve shock, and be suitable

for palpitations, epilepsy and convulsions. Not often used in TCM, it is a wonderful, gentle tonic herb when used appropriately.

Cordyceps (Dong cong xia cao, 冬虫夏草)

Arguably one of the most expensive herbs on the market, Cordyceps is the corpse of the moth of Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc. Also known as “winter worm-summer grass,” it primarily grows in high-altitude forest meadows in Sichuan, Yunnan, and Gansu, and also in Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. Of course, there are many species of fungi that invade their host. Known as endoparasitoids, they invade the body of insects and emerge as adults, killing the host in the process. Within Chinese medicine, cordyceps are yang tonics, that tonify kidney yang and augment essence. Th ey also tonify the lungs to stop coughing and wheezing.

In modern research cordyceps is said to regulate the immune system increasing the number of immune system cells including phagocytic and natural killer cells, while also enhancing their functions. In vitro, Cordyceps extract has clear inhibitory and cytotoxic eff ects on tumor cells. Th is function is thought to be related the constituent cordycepin. In recent years, it’s been noted that Chinese athletes take cordyceps while training as it can increase mitochondrial energy output, reduce fatigue, and works to dilate bronchial tubes. Cordyceps may also be hepatoprotective in cases of liver fi brosis and viral hepatitis. It has positive eff ects on the kidneys, reducing the eff ects of chronic kidney disease, improving kidney function, and reducing damage from toxic substances. Studies show that it is also antiviral, reduces cholesterol, and regulates hematopoietic function. For the vast majority of users, wild cordyceps are unattainable due to their cost; however, cultivated cordyceps are aff ordable and attainable. Sold as Cordyceps militaris, these fruiting bodies can be cultivated, and the nutrient blueprint is similar to sinensis.

Cistanche (Rou Cong Rong, 肉苁蓉)

Sometimes referred to as “desert ginseng,” Cistanche is a yang tonic of tremendous value. It has been utilized in traditional herbal formulations in North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Sweet, salty and warm, it tonifi es the kidneys, strengthens or augments yang essence and yin. Th us, it is also moistening, aiding those who are qi and blood defi cient. A Ming dynasty text, Th e Treasury of Words on the Materia Medica (本草汇言 倪朱谟) states that cistanche “tonifi es essence and blood, that it is a neutral tonic and warms without heating (Bensky et al.).” It also nurtures the fi ve zang, and if taken for a long time, it lightens the body. In modern pharmacology, it is neuroprotective, immunomodulatory, anti-oxidative, anti-infl ammatory, hepatoprotective, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and has anti-tumor properties (Gu et al.).

Chinese medicine theory very specifi cally states that essence or jing is fi xed at birth, and once depleted there is no more. Yet looking at these tonifying herbs we see many instances where the herb is said to augment essence, to nourish kidney yin and yang, and to tonify blood which simultaneously transforms and nourishes essence. Is this an excuse to ignore a healthy lifestyle? Of course not, in both Daoism and Chinese medicine longevity starts with a healthy lifestyle and smart dietary choices. Only then should we look at supplementation with herbs and formulas. Can we take these herbs without concern for constitution, time of year, lifestyle and diet? No, it’s always best to speak with trained herbalist, one who is well versed in the knowledge of not just Chinese medicine, but also Daoist nutritional practices.

References:

www.a-hospital.com/w/九仙草 • baike.baidu.com/ item/中华九大仙草 • classicalchinesemedicine. org/single-herbs-shichangpu/ • daydaynews.cc/ en/health/396563.html • Arthur, S. Early Daoist Dietary Practices: Examining Ways to Health and Longevity, Shawn Arthur. Lexington Books (2015) • Gu, C., Yang, X., & Huang, L. (2016). Cistanches Herba: A Neuropharmacology Review. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/ fphar.2016.00289 • Kohn, L. Daoist Dietetics. Th ree Pines Press (2010) • Pregadio, F. Th e Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism: 2-Volume Set. Routledge (2011) • Steavu, D. Th e Marvelous Fungus and the Secret of the Divine Immortals. Micrologus XXVI, 2018. https://www.eastasian.ucsb.edu/wpcontent/uploads/Steavu.Marvelous.Fungus.pdf • Wilms, S. Th e Divine Farmers Classic of Materia Medica. Happy Goat Productions (2017).