Introduction of - The Complete System of Self-Healing - Internal Exercises

We spend our lives fulfilling two basic physical needs to maintain,

nourish, revitalize, and prolong our lives. These are:
1 . Consumption (eating, drinking, etc.)
2. Motion
a. Mind "movement" (thinking)
b. Body ''movement'' (breathing and other functions of the internal organs and external limbs)
c. Sex
Life will cease if either of the two basic conditions is not fully or properly
satisfied. Without consumption of nutrients, life is expected to cease within
ten days. Without proper consumption of nutrients, life will shorten.
Without motion, the body will atrophy. Without proper motion, the body
will weaken. It was with this last consideration in mind that the ancient
Taoists created the Tao of Revitalization, the philosophy and method of
thinking, breathing, and moving.
Tao of Revitalization is a system of many mental and physical movements, called Internal
Exercises. The Internal Exercises heal and energize
the internal organs-the keys to youth, immunity against disease, and ttue
health-through deceleration, smoothness, quietness, precision, naturalness, and an internal
emphasis.
The Internal Exercises are the very opposite of external exercises. While
external exercises such as football, boxing, gymnastics, weight-lifting, Hatha
Yoga, and martial arts may produce an attractive outer figure, they often do so
Introduction
by depleting the energy of the internal organs, thereby causing not only any
number of illnesses, but also premature aging. The fatigue, stress, strain, pain,
and contortions associated with the external exercises disrupt the delicate
organic functions. Since responsibility for the body's regenerative processes
and defenses against disease-causing agents lies in the
internal organs, disrupt
ing their functions will
impair the body's ability to replace old or worn cells
and fight offgenns and viruses. The internal organs do what thick muscles can
not do: protect the body against age and disease. The Internal Exercises, in
tum, protect, heal, and energize the organs. And when internal organs are
healthy, attractive figures naturally result.
The creator of this system of movements was the Yellow Emperor, who
was also a father of Taoism, the science and philosophy of life and
longevity. His original, untranslated name for the Tao of Revitalization is
Yang Sheng Shu. One can define the latter term as the achievement of a
happy, healthy, and long life through the utilization of mental and physical
movements to prevent and correct all ailments, reverse the aging process,
and improve all functions of the body.
Tao of Revitalization has a six thousand year long history of success.
Upon realizing its enormous medicinal potential, the Yellow Emperor gave
the Tao of Revitalization the title ''The Foremost ofTherapies''. In the Tao
Te Ching, Lao-Tse called it the ''best therapeutic method for promoting
and prolonging life''. Its reverent and faithful practitioners are multitudinous . And it was effective
even when its expansive teachings were fragmented and disarranged.
Many versions of the Tao of Revitalization exist, each with appropriately descriptive names.
These names, however, do not reflect the true
meaning and function of the Tao of Revitalization . One version is Tao-Yin,
which means the utilization of thought, tools, and certain body movements
to guide the flow of energy to heal ailments of all kinds. Presently , this
version of the Tao of Revitalization is immensely popular in Japan. Do-in,
as it is called in Japan, is taught in Do-in clubs which are organized in every
city, village, and neighborhood. Club members meet once or many times a
week to help and encourage each other in the practice of selected methods
of Do-in, thereby preventing and treating diseases. The form of Tao of
Revitalization that is popular in China is Chi-Kung, also called Nei-Kung.
The term Chi-Kung translates to Breathing or Energizing Exercises . The
term Nei-Kung translates to Internal Exercises.
In China, a scientific study was conducted on Chi-Kung therapy by Dr.
Pao Ling. His work, published in Guolin Research Report, involved 2,873

terminal cancer patients who took part in an experiment wherein Chi-Kung

therapy was used to treat their afflictions . Within a six-month period, about
12% of the patients were cured and about 47% showed significant improvements in their
conditions . About 41% showed no improvement. Another
experiment involving school children was conducted to test one part of
Chi-Kung-the eye exercises. Their exercise routine was accompanied by
music and instructional intercom announcements . As results of the exercises, farsightedness,
nearsightedness, and other eye problems became a
rare affliction. Other experiments conducted on Chi-Kung therapy demonstrated tremendous
and rapid efficaciousness against sinus allergies,
hemorrhoids, prostate problems, and aging . In the hospitals, clinics, and
health organizations of China, Chi-Kung therapy reigns supreme above
other treatments, such as chemotherapy, surgery, and acupuncture . Its
effectiveness was found to lie in its ability to cure and prevent disease.
In the U. S. , a scientific study was conducted on the Internal Exercises by
Dr. Cecilia Rosenfeld. After practicing the Internal Exercise and experiencing an immediate
improvement in health , Dr. Rosenfeld decided to
prescribe these exercises to her patients. Internal Exercises were taught to
her patients, and within one week, about 80% of the patients showed
positive results. Then eight nurses were hired, taught about the Internal
Exercises, and trained in the instruction and supervision of patients.
Afterward, several patients were assigned to each nurse after the patients
were examined and given a prescription of specific Internal Exercises.
Most patients reported that they experienced immediate improvements in
health, without feeling pain or discomfort, and the nurses themselves
reported that they had boundless energy even after a day of performing and
demonstrating the exercises. As one nurse explains: "It used to be that a
nurse's life was miserable. Every day all we saw was sickness, suffering,
pain, and death. We heard only complaints. The patients never called the
nurse to say 'Isn't it a nice day?' After working eight hours on our feet, we
felt as if we were ready to die. But now, since we started using these
exercises-a hundred times a day-we feel as if we're ready to jump
through the roof at the end of the day! We have so much energy we can't
stand it anymore!''
As a result of this study , the Internal Exercises became a subject of study
for many universities, colleges , medical schQols, hospitals , and the general
public.
What underlies such miraculous results?
Prevention, a principle of the Tao of Revitalization, is one key to the

Internal Exercises' efficacy: if minor health problems do not develop,

major health problems do not develop , and if major health problems do not
develop, we will not die. So the primary purpose of Tao of Revitalization is
to help people increase their lifespan .
Therefore , Tao of Revitalization is not a sport . It is not designed to
provoke competition and strenuous movements, increase stress or tension,
deplete energy , or, in other words, decrease one's lifespan . Neither is it a
fonn of martial art. Unlike Kung Fu, Karate, etc . , it involves neither
strenuous movements nor tension. Although the movements in T' ai Chi
Chuan appear slow, they actually build tension , for T'ai Chi Chuan was
originally designed for combat. However, one aspect of T'ai Chi Chuan,
that of the unification of mind and body , is similar to that of the Tao of
Revitalization . Further, Tao of Revitalization is not Hatha Yoga in that it
does not overwhelm the body with a series of twisting , bending, or
stretching poses and motions. Lastly , Tao of Revitalization is not another
fonn of meditation , because the objective of the most popular fonns of
meditation is to ''empty'' the mind-inactivate the mind . The mind cannot
be emptied , for directing it to do so is itself an activation of the mind.
In the Tao of Revitalization , the emphasis has been lifted to internal ,
rather than external , development . Initially the Tao of Revitalization
involves physical movement, but as one's practice gradually becomes
refined , one's concentration upon physical movement will be reduced and
one's concentration upon internal movement will be increased . One will
become still externally, but alive and active internally . Anything that does
not meet these principles is not Tao of Revitalization .
Its strength also lies in Tao of Revitalization's flexibility . Anybody,
regardless of age , health , or condition , can practice the exercises of his or
her choice anytime , anywhere. No equipment is necessary. The most basic
of metabolic processes , breathing , can be transformed by the appropriate
Tao of Revitalization techniques into a powerful therapy. The conscious
state of mind and body movement are also potential therapies .
The heartwanning benefits so immediately reaped from a sincere and
selfless application of any of the exercises are enough to instill within us a
kind of fervor which of itself will move us forward along the path of greater
understanding, longevity , and spiritual development.
When you do external exercises,
you must do internal exercises.
When you do internal exercises.
you may forget to do external exercises.