7 Small Tips for Traditional Chinese Medicine Health and 8 Taboos to Remember

While modern medicine is more prevalent in today’s society, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) represents the essence of thousands of years of Chinese culture. Many still hold deep respect for TCM and its health practices. Let’s explore seven ancient TCM health tips:

Small Tips for Traditional Chinese Medicine Health

1. Back: Frequent Back Patting for Vitality
   Patting the back is particularly suitable for middle-aged and elderly individuals. The back is rich in spinal nerves and acupoints related to internal organs. Patting the back stimulates these acupoints, enhances the function of the nervous and meridian systems, boosts endocrine function, strengthens the immune system, and improves resistance to illnesses. This practice can also relax muscles, prevent chronic lower back pain and muscle strain, promote blood circulation, enhance skin nutrition, and accelerate skin metabolism. The technique should be gentle, with rhythmic patting and tapping at a rate of 60-100 times per minute, 1-2 times daily, and each session lasting 30-50 minutes. People with severe heart conditions should be cautious.
   
2. Face: Frequent Facial Massage for Blood and Qi Balance
   Facial massage, also known as “bathing the face,” can invigorate Yang energy. Rub your hands together to generate heat, then gently rub your face with your palms about ten times. Alternatively, you can use both hands to lightly rub or tap your face for 1-2 minutes, 2-3 times daily. Since many of the acupuncture meridians start in the head and face, facial massage helps clear meridians and has a beautifying effect. Each morning, rub your hands together, and use your middle finger to rub from the sides of your nose, spreading to the forehead, cheeks, and down to the chin. This practice enhances facial complexion, reduces wrinkles, prevents facial nerve paralysis, and improves peripheral blood circulation, especially around the ears.
   
3. Eyes: Regular Eye Exercises for Clarity
   In TCM, rotating the eyeballs is called “eye exercises” or “yunjing.” Close your eyes and slowly rotate your eyeballs from left to right 6-10 times and then from right to left 6-10 times. Keep the rotation slow, then close your eyes briefly and suddenly open them. Maintain a steady pace, with 2-4 beats for each direction. This exercise is suitable for middle-aged and elderly individuals with eye discomfort or disorders, and it can help maintain clear vision.
   
4. Back: Keep the Back Warm and Pain-free
   The back is considered the source of Yang energy in TCM, housing the Governing Vessel meridian and the Bladder meridian. Keeping the back warm helps Yang energy flow smoothly through the meridians, preventing and treating illnesses. You can use massage and sun exposure as daily practices. Traditional Chinese medicine suggests that the back is where the Governing Vessel meridian resides and where the Bladder meridian is located. Hence, keeping the back warm is essential for preventing colds and maintaining kidney and lumbar health. Middle-aged and elderly individuals should exercise and nurture their backs. When getting up in the morning, cover your back with clothing, and strive to keep it warm to prevent cold exposure.
   
5. Abdomen: Regular Abdominal Massage for Digestion
   The abdomen houses the stomach and intestines, making regular abdominal massage beneficial for digestion. In TCM, it’s called “moqifu” or “mo shengmen.” This involves rubbing the abdomen around the navel area in a clockwise direction. Lie on your back with your legs straight, toes pointing upward. Rub your hands together, overlap them, and use the palm of your hand to make small, medium, and large clockwise circles around the navel, performing 12 rotations for each size. Regular abdominal massage helps alleviate bloating, aids in food digestion, and can benefit kidney health and prevent constipation.
   
6. Limbs: Frequent Limb Exercises for Strength
   Regular limb movement not only exercises muscles and bones but also promotes the circulation of qi and blood throughout the body, enhancing overall health. One exercise involves clenching your fists along with your shoulders and rotating them forward, first inward and then outward in a downward direction. Perform 20 rotations for each direction. Alternatively, sit down and lift your left foot forward, slowly extending it with toes pointed upward. As you reach full extension, push your heel forward and down in a pumping motion five times before repeating with the right foot. This exercise helps maintain joint flexibility and is particularly beneficial for preventing shoulder-related issues in middle-aged and elderly individuals.
   
7. Skin: Dry Body Rub for Youthful Skin
   Rubbing your body with your palms or a dry towel while massaging the entire body can open meridians, invigorate qi and blood circulation, and help prevent aging and diseases. This practice is known as “gan mu yu.” Start from the Baihui acupoint on the top of your head and proceed in a sequence: face, shoulders and arms on both sides, chest, abdomen, and then the back, followed by the left and right legs. This routine promotes smooth qi and blood circulation throughout the body, relaxes muscles, and keeps the skin hydrated and elastic.

Taboos to Remember in Traditional Chinese Medicine Health

1. Waiting Until Old Age to Focus on Health: Health practices should begin from childhood, just as machines require maintenance from the beginning. Waiting until old age may reduce the effectiveness of health efforts.
   
2. Seeking Treatment Only When Ill: Preventive health measures are essential. Regular check-ups and maintenance should be prioritized over seeking treatment only when ill.
   
3. Skipping Meals Until Hungry: Irregular eating habits can negatively impact health. Regular and balanced nutrition is crucial for overall well-being.
   
4. Drinking Only When Thirsty: Dehydration can occur before feeling thirsty. Regular hydration is essential to avoid issues like constipation and urinary stones.
   
5. Holding Back Bowel Movements: Delaying bowel movements can lead to health problems, such as constipation and self-intoxication from absorbed toxins.
   
6. Neglecting Proper Sleep: Consistent and adequate sleep is vital for maintaining physical and mental health. Irregular sleep patterns can lead to insomnia and other health issues.
   
7. Only Resting When Exhausted: Rest should be a regular practice, not something saved for when you are already fatigued. Avoid overexertion to protect your physical and mental health.
   
8. Waiting Until Overweight to Take Action: Preventing obesity is easier than trying to lose weight later. Avoid excessive eating and prioritize maintaining a healthy weight over drastic weight loss measures.