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How to look younger than your age: Oriental methods of healing the body

Who among us does not want to stay young, healthy and beautiful for many, many years? I don't think there are any. However, the lifestyle and living conditions of most modern people are unlikely to contribute to this. Every day, our body is exposed to many stresses, adverse environmental factors, and an unhealthy lifestyle. Of course, this does not pass without consequences - sooner or later diseases appear, the body ages not at a physiological, but at an accelerated pace.

That is why every year a variety of healing systems are becoming more and more popular, which, as their creators and admirers say, help to preserve youth and save a person from diseases. There are many of them, and almost each of them has its pros and cons, as well as restrictions on its use.

The first step to health is lifestyle

Yes, everything is very banal: not a single health-improving practice will lead to the desired result, if at the same time you overwork, eat anything, drink little and move.

So, when we talk about a healthy lifestyle, we mean:

1. Compliance with the regime of work and rest:

  • overwork should be avoided;
  • allocate 7-8 hours for a full night's sleep;
  • before going to bed, do not load the nervous system with work and even thoughts about it, feelings for any reason, emotional films or TV programs, computer games.

2. Proper nutrition:

  • complete, balanced in terms of essential nutrients - proteins, fats and carbohydrates, vitamins and microelements;
  • fractional - 5-6 times a day at regular intervals;
  • cooking methods - baking, steaming, stewing, but not frying, smoking or salting;
  • recommended products are natural, with high nutritional value;
  • carbohydrates - in the first half of the day, in the second - mainly protein and non-starchy vegetables;
  • do not eat 2 hours before bedtime;
  • excessively high-calorie foods - fast food, animal fats, easily digestible sugars - should be excluded from the diet or at least sharply limit their amount.
  • to maintain the body's water balance, you should drink 30-40, and those who want to lose weight and up to 50 ml of pure water per 1 kg of body weight per day, and teas, coffee, compotes, soups and other liquids are not taken into account;
  • should not drink while eating; right - drink a glass of water 15-20 minutes before meals and 30-45 minutes after.

4. Regular physical activity:

  • for any organism, regardless of its state of health, movement is vital;
  • the nature of the loads varies depending on the general state of health: healthy or relatively healthy people can practice almost any kind of sport, for people with any diseases, some types of physical activity are contraindicated - they are recommended just walking or, for example, cycling; even bedridden persons need physical activity - specialists develop for them complexes of special therapeutic and preventive exercises called "exercise therapy" or "physiotherapy exercises";
  • of course, if you previously led a sedentary lifestyle, you should not rush into sports “with your head” - the load should be increased gradually.

Even without doing any special practices, but following the above recommendations, after a while you will notice that you feel better and look younger. And all because the right lifestyle - good rest, healthy nutrition, physical activity - normalizes metabolism, activates blood flow, promotes the rapid elimination of toxic metabolic products, and these mechanisms form the basis of our health, maintain beauty and youth.

Recovery methods

The most common healing methods today are:

  • yoga;
  • slats;
  • system of Porfiry Ivanov;
  • breathing exercises Strelnikova;
  • Norbekov system;
  • animal therapy;
  • aromatherapy.

In this article, we will consider in more detail the healing systems that came to us from the countries of the East.

Yoga

This practice comes from India and has a thousand-year history. Long-lived ancient Buddhist monks knew how, with the help of yoga, to correctly distribute vital energy and completely subordinate the body to the mind. They believed that all physical and spiritual illnesses of a person arise due to the fact that the energy of life, prana, is not properly distributed in the body.

Therefore, in order to expel the disease, it is necessary to do certain sets of exercises, or asanas. Their regular correct implementation - the necessary posture, special breathing, focusing attention on a certain point - leads to the restoration of physical health and the disclosure of mental abilities inherent in a person. Figuratively speaking, yoga heals both body and soul.

Yogis over the centuries of their practice have developed many harmonious complexes of asanas that capture every muscle of the human body. Moreover, the load on the muscles during these exercises is distributed so evenly that they do not overstrain - the person does not suffocate, does not sweat and does not feel tired.

Various asanas improve the activity of the circulatory, digestive systems, musculoskeletal system, and normalize metabolic processes in the body. A person who has comprehended this practice normalizes sleep, activates the body's defenses, increases resistance to the effects of adverse external factors - stress, cold, heat, and others. In addition, the asana practitioner becomes calm, learns to control his emotions, think logically and clearly, and easily concentrate on anything.

Everyone can practice yoga - there are no contraindications to doing it. The only thing is that breaks in training should be done by women during critical days and in late pregnancy.

If you decide to do yoga, you should realize that these are not just exercises, but a whole scientific system, which should be practiced after carefully familiarizing yourself with the methodology.

It is important in yoga and the quality of food taken (a balanced diet rich in plant foods - raw nuts, fresh vegetables and fruits, salads from them, with a minimum of spices and seasonings). After eating, a person should not feel that he has overeaten - it is important that the stomach is no more than 85% full. Eat slowly, chewing food until it is completely crushed.

We must not forget about the water! Yoga practitioners (in fact, like everyone else who does not practice it), should consume at least 2.5 liters of pure water per day. Compotes, teas and milk do not count.

To improve your health and rejuvenate your body, you should regularly (5-6 times a week for 30-45 minutes) perform only a few asanas. In a number of diseases, breathing exercises, or pranayama, mudras (such positions of the human body in which vital energy circulates through closed channels), meditation and concentration are added to physical exercises.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda is the ancient Indian system of medicine, such a foundation that forms the basis of all other medical areas. According to this teaching, each person during his life accumulates toxins and various poisonous substances in the body and mind. As a result, negative emotions arise that have a devastating effect on the internal organs. Thus, under the influence of fear, the function of the kidneys is disturbed, and anger negatively affects the liver and other digestive organs. Because of this, toxins accumulate in the digestive tract, which penetrate into many organs and accumulate in them, causing certain diseases. Under the influence of diseases, the body is gradually destroyed, and the harmonious development of the personality is also disturbed.

Ayurveda divides all human diseases into 7 categories:

  • genetic, or hereditary;
  • congenital;
  • resulting from trauma;
  • constitutional;
  • infectious;
  • seasonal;
  • natural.

The philosophy of this healing practice is based on the harmony of the 5 primary elements of the Universe - air, water, earth, fire, ether, which are combined in each of us in all possible combinations, determining the characteristics of physiology and personal qualities of a person.

The Ayurveda approach to healing, strengthening the body is unified and includes 3 stages:

  1. Assessment of the constitution of the subject, determination of the ratio of primary elements in his body.
  2. Search for the cause of the imbalance of these primary elements, as a result of which the disease arose.
  3. Therapeutic measures to restore this balance.

Diagnosis and treatment of diseases in Ayurveda is carried out exclusively by a specialist - an Ayurveda master, who received his knowledge in the process of long-term training in a special Ayurvedic center.

The doctor conducts a detailed survey and examination of the patient, and then, based on the data obtained, develops an individual treatment regimen. A wellness program, as a rule, includes proper nutrition (according to the dogmas of Ayurveda), daily routine (it is not the same for everyone, but depends on the individual compatibility of the primary elements), familiarizing the patient with the Ayurvedic philosophy of life - an irrepressible desire to heal and always be healthy.

Diagnosis can be octahedral (checking voice, tongue, eyes, skin, appearance, pulse, stool and urine) or decahedral (studying the physical and mental constitution, physique, body size, vitality of body tissues, pathological conditions, ability to perform physical exercises and digestion of food, age-related changes, adaptation of the body) examination - Ashta-bidhu and dasha-bidhu, respectively.

Ayurveda not only expels diseases, but also prevents their occurrence. The specialist prescribes to the patient a special diet with regular use of special herbs, essential oils and other natural preparations. The result of following this diet is the complete cleansing of the body from toxins that destroy it, and, as a result, the normalization of metabolic processes, getting rid of psychoneurological and skin diseases, diseases of the digestive tract, musculoskeletal system, other organs and systems.


Reiki

The Reiki (or Reiki) system of natural healing came to us from Japan. This is the oldest system of healing by the laying on of hands, during which the universal energy of life enters the body of the patient or is redistributed in it.

Ancient sources of knowledge about health and healing say that it is no coincidence that when something hurts, we try to lay a hand on this place - we unconsciously strive to send energy to the diseased organ for its recovery. During a treatment session, the Reiki healer puts his palms to certain places on the patient's body for a while.

It is noteworthy that according to the teachings of Reiki, in the process of treatment, the effect is not on a specific organ, but on the whole organism as a whole - the flows of vital energy enter the body, clear the channels, helping to remove toxic substances accumulated in the body, bring the body into a state of harmony and soul.

The main source of disease, according to Reiki healers, is our negative thoughts. The task of the healer is to help a person discover thoughts and emotions that destroy his body, as well as give advice on how to eliminate them. The patient will have to deal with them on their own.

The main principles of Reiki, putting thoughts and emotions in order, contributing to the healing of the body, are the following dogmas:

  • Do not get mad;
  • don't worry;
  • honor your parents, teachers, all those who are older than you;
  • be honest;
  • always be kind to all living things.

The Reiki system is an alternative method of treatment, it does not exclude traditional medicine, but can be used in parallel with it. That is, a person tries to change the way of thinking, drives away negative emotions from himself, while simultaneously taking certain medications prescribed by a traditional medicine doctor. Thus, the healing process is accelerated - a person recovers faster.

In addition, reiki gives the person practicing it emotional peace, peace of mind, good sleep, and allows you to see new, bright colors of life.

Modern science, unfortunately, rejects the concept of the existence of vital energy, considering the Reiki system to be pseudoscientific. However, today there are many followers of this system, allegedly confirming its effectiveness. So it's up to you to choose.

qigong

The name of this Eastern practice comes from "qi", which means "energy of life", and "gong", or "manage", that is, literally "qigong" means "control of life energy". This is a Chinese healing technique known since ancient times (there are more than 7 thousand years), designed to give the practitioner vitality, well-being, health and longevity.

Chinese philosophy says that our entire world, every object and every living being in it is filled with qi energy. It not only circulates in each of them, but also interacts with the qi of neighboring objects.

As for a person, it is believed that qi in his body moves along special lines that run along the body - meridians, and accumulates in energy centers, or dantans. There are 3 such reservoirs: the upper one is located in the head, the middle one is in the sternum, and the lower one is located in the abdominal cavity. The 2 upper reservoirs are responsible for our consciousness, the spiritual world and creative abilities, and the lower one is directly responsible for the physical state of the body.

The task of qigong is to fill the lack of qi energy, filling all the dantans with it. Normalizing, strengthening the circulation of energy, we increase the vitality of the body, fight diseases.

There are no contraindications for this system of healing. It can be practiced by people of any age in any state of health.

Complete relaxation combined with deep breathing helps to open the meridians, and special movements of the body and the power of thought help move energy through the channels. Qigong requires performing special physical and breathing exercises (they have been developed for thousands of years, and there are many of them) while mentally concentrating on your body, breathing and sensations, not thinking about worries and troubles. For classes, it is recommended to choose loose, non-constricting clothing, and conduct them to the calm, relaxing music of the East.

The most suitable time for qigong classes is considered to be early morning, and the place is fresh air, surrounded by cypresses and pines (these trees in the countries of the East are considered symbols of strength, longevity, physical and moral stamina).

Classes do not require a lot of time - it takes less than half an hour to complete a complex of fairly simple exercises. It is important to perform the exercises technically correctly (we are talking about physical actions, and about breathing, and about the way of thinking), regularly, gradually increasing the duration of each of them.

The result of the classes is the cheerfulness of the body and spirit, good mood, activation of the functions of internal organs, resistance to stress and other adverse factors, rejuvenation of the body. Among the effects of qigong are a decrease in blood pressure, a slowing of the pulse, saturation of every cell of the practitioner's body with oxygen, and stimulation of brain activity.

This healing system is a national treasure in the PRC, research in this area is funded by the state. Many Chinese clinics use qigong both for the treatment of serious somatic diseases and for the rehabilitation of patients. Qigong gave rise to martial arts such as tai chi and wushu. New schemes and sets of exercises are constantly being developed that combine various types of qigong techniques in order to treat various diseases.

In China, in almost every park or square you can see people - both young and old - practicing qigong. And in recent years, due to its effectiveness and compatibility with other traditional and non-traditional methods of treatment, this healing system has conquered other countries of the East and even the West.

wushu

Wushu is a special, incomparable system of martial arts from ancient China. This is a whole art that combines combat techniques and complexes of physical exercises, the result of which is spiritual and physical self-improvement. Through regular training, the student soon becomes aware of his inner self and purpose.

Many centuries ago, Taoist monks noticed animals that lived near water bodies, drew attention to their greatness and grace. This became a prerequisite for the creation of "animal" wushu styles - there are 5 of them today: the style of a dragon, tiger, leopard, crane, snake. Initially, this art was a system of knowledge that helped a person survive in any conditions, trained the ability to quickly make decisions, respond to what is happening.

Today, the practice of wushu has many styles that combine certain techniques and techniques. All these styles are combined into 2 large groups - internal and external. The purpose of the internal ones is to develop the flexibility of the body and the ability to control one's qi - life energy, and the external ones are designed to improve strokes and train muscle strength. Wushu masters believe that personal harmony is possible only in the conditions of the unity of the internal and external, that these styles are inextricably linked with each other.

Different schools of wushu offer different styles of wushu, emphasizing kicks, arm movements, or other characteristic movements.

Common to all existing wushu schools is the principle of ordering energy, coordinating the work of the body and spirit, and the way of thinking. The techniques of this art develop the hidden abilities of the human body, promote healing and self-improvement.

In fact, wushu gymnastics is a complex of physical and breathing exercises that do not imitate movements in battle, but are performed slowly, smoothly and gently (to prevent sprains).

There are a number of rules that should be observed if you decide to take up wushu:

  • practice preferably in the early morning or in the evening, emptying the intestines;
  • exercise an hour and a half after eating or an hour before it, but not on an empty stomach or a full stomach;
  • choose comfortable, non-restricting clothing made of natural, breathable fabric for classes;
  • during training, you should stand facing north (according to the traditions of ancient China);
  • increase the load gradually, avoid overwork;
  • practice, observing the principle of regularity - 2 times a week and more often.

Wushu does not require any special physical preparation, it can be practiced by people of all ages, even children, for whom, due to imperfect coordination of movements and insufficiently developed motor skills, a simplified set of exercises should be selected.

Read about the rest of the healing methods we have listed that we did not have time to describe in this article.

Program "Secrets of time", edition on the topic "Qigong":

Informative film "Ayurveda - the art of living":