One key focus of Chinese Medicine is the idea that disease prevention is the superior form of medicine. The theories and methods of disease prevention are known as Yang Sheng 養生/养生, literally Nourishing Life.
Despite Yang Sheng featuring prominently in the early Chinese medical literature, the curricula of modern schools of Chinese Medicine schools in both Asia and the West pay scant attention to it. A key focus of the Institute of Classical Asian Medicine is the importance of Yang Sheng cultivation for both physician and patient. The modern word doctor comes from the Latin, docere - to teach. A doctor's first duty should be teaching a patient how to both return to health and to stay healthy. Furthermore when we take responsibility for our own health any treatments we receive will be far more effective.
Qigong Body-Mind Cultivation
Qigong 氣功 is the practice and skill (gong 功) of working with the vital breath (qi 氣). Qigong is actually a modern term coined in the 1950s. It was created as an umbrella term for a variety of body and mind cultivation techniques that combine posture, mindful breathing, and visualization.
We offer regular weekly Qigong classes, in the classical tradition of Chen Tuan passed down through the modern master Hu Yaozhen. We also offer intensive seminars for both the general public and as continuing medical education for professional acupuncturists and Asian medicine practitioners. Click here to read more about Qigong.
Qigong and other cultivation techniques are also closely associated with Chinese Daoism. To read more about Daoism please visit the Ma Jou Miu Temple of New York website.
Taijiquan (T'ai Chi Ch'uan)
Taijiquan 太極拳, or Taiji for short (also spelled T'ai Chi Chuan and T'ai Chi), is one of the main internal martial arts (neijiaquan 內家拳) of China. Taiji was first developed in the early 1600s by Chen Wangting, a member of the Chen family of Henan Province, China. As one of the internal martial arts it incorporates methods of fighting (both with and without weapons) and breathing or meditation techniques to create an art useful for both self-defense and health preservation. While Taiji was originally a secret method of the Chen family, starting in the 1800s it was taught to outsiders (the first being Yang Luchan) who helped spread Taiji first throughout China and then the world.
More recently, Taiji has been the object of modern research which has shown that regular practice has numerous health benefits. For example, some studies have shown that Taiji improves balance and diminishes risk of falls in elderly patients. Other research shows that Taiji practice can improve cardiovascular function, bone density, knee pain, and even mood.
We offer instruction in the Hunyuan Chen Style of Taijiquan. Dr. McCann is a 12th generation lineage holder in Chen Style Taiji, and a 3rd generation lineage holder in Hunyuan Chen Style Taiji. Click here to read more about Taiji.
Seasonal Health
According to Chinese Medicine, one of the most effective ways to stay healthy is to adopt a lifestyle that harmonizes with the changing seasons. As the weather changes, so too should our diet, our sleep patterns, and our daily activities. Here are some articles about seasonal health.
ARticles about yangsheng
The Song of Preventing Diseases in the Four Seasons (Translation and Commentary)
This is a basic Qigong that can be practiced alone, or as a preliminary exercise for other practices.
Paida Gong exercises are a series of Qigong postures for each of the 12 channels - this demonstrates Lung Channel. These exercises are from the lineage of Hu Yaozhen as passed down to the modern Hunyuan system. For detailed instruction please join our classes.
To read more about Yang Sheng practices in general please visit Qigongandlongevity.com
To see our classes please click here