As you mature in body and mind, you become wiser, more confident, increasingly tolerant and resilient. Yet, instead of celebrating these attainments, Western thinking often represents age as something to be feared or reviled. This negative over-arching perspective may leave you feeling less visible or valid as time passes. In response, an increasing number of people are turning to Eastern philosophies, devotions, medicines, disciplines and martial arts to learn and enjoy a more holistic approach to ageing.

Taoism

“To be soft and flexible is the way of life.”

Tao Te Ching

Taoism offers a way of life and, with it, the opportunity to experience a supreme state of being. This is distinct from the worship of a supreme being. First emerging from the ancient Chinese sages around 5000 years ago, Tao means “the way or path” — a journey though life that is in balance with nature, communing with nature rather than trying to conquer her. In Taoism there is no separation between mental and physical health. The belief is that only a strong, healthy body can house a strong, healthy spirit.

Yin and yang form a foundation principle in Taoism, which is congruent with its respect for the natural world. The original Chinese ideogram for yin is “the shady side of the hill”, representing darkness and passivity. Its qualities include softness, yielding and contraction and it is symbolised by woman, earth and water. Yang is referred to as “the sunny side of the hill” and it represents activity and light. It is associated with expansion, hardness and resistance, and is symbolised by man, heaven and fire.

Despite their polarity, yin and yang are interdependent, in a state of constant interaction and potentially interchangeable. The principles of yin and yang apply to everything, from the movement of the planets to the movement of our cells. They govern Taoist dietary principles, healing arts and the very concept of disease, which is viewed as an imbalance in yin and yang.

A path to longevity is perhaps Taoism’s greatest gift. In Taoism, a normal human lifespan is considered to be 100 years, with 150 years representing a long life. Skilled Taoists have been reported to live beyond 200 years. Over the millennia, Taoist instructions on how to age well and live a long life have been recorded, including guidelines in the following areas:

• Diet:Enjoy a largely vegetarian diet including a high consumption of raw fruits and vegetables, which purify the vital organs. Eat fresh, low-fat and high-fibre foods, avoid excess protein and, if you consume alcohol, do so moderately.
• Purification:Purifying your body supports physical health and enables spiritual wellbeing. It is a key principle of Taoism and is perhaps the most important factor in longevity. Poor dietary habits, alcohol and other drugs and environmental pollution age your body and mind and encourage chronic disease. Taoism suggests daily breathing exercises and good dietary practices to defend against pollutants. Also recommended is fasting one day a week and a seven-day fast each year to purify the body and rejuvenate the spirit.
• Exercise and breathing: The nutrition provided by breathing exercises is considered in Taoism to be even more important to health and longevity than nutrition from your diet. There are two basic types of breathing: cleansing and energising. Breathing, too, is based on balancing yin and yang and creating harmony of the Three Treasures — essence, energy and spirit. One of the most famous Taoist breathing exercises is the Bellows Breath, to purify the lungs and bloodstream. Taoism recommends you follow a regular regime of physical exercise and deep breathing once or preferably twice a day. Exercise, especially martial arts, keeps the body’s fluids, such as blood and lymph, and its vital energy circulating.
• Sexual energy: Taoists view sex as a powerful means of encouraging and exchanging vital essence and energy. To facilitate longevity, men are instructed to establish a regimen of ejaculation control that is based on factors such as their age and physical health and women are encouraged to support them in this.

  Taoism also employs modalities such as the use of herbal medicine (such as panax ginseng), nutritional supplementation, acupuncture and massage to regulate the vital organs and enhance longevity.