Taoist yoga
| Tao yin | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 導引 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Literal meaning | "guide and pull" | ||||||||||
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| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | dǎoyǐn |
| Yue: Cantonese | |
| Jyutping | dou6 jan5 |
Tao yin (sometimes referred to as Taoist yoga) is a series of exercises (mainly in lying and sitting positions, but also in standing positions) practiced by Taoists to cultivate ch'i, the internal energy of the body according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. The practice of Tao Yin was a precursor of qigong, and was practised in Chinese Taoist monasteries for health and spiritual cultivation. Tao Yin, is also said to be a primary formative ingredient in the well-known "soft style" Chinese martial art, T'ai Chi Ch'uan.
The main goal of Tao yin is to create balance between internal and external energies and to revitalize the body, mind and spirit, developing strength and flexibility in muscles and tendons.
A painted scroll on display at the Hunan Provincial Museum and known as the Daoyintu found in tomb three at Mawangdui in 1973 and dated to 168 BC shows coloured drawings of 44 figures in standing and sitting postures doing Tao yin exercises. It is the earliest physical exercise chart in the world so far and illustrates a medical system which does not rely on external factors such as medication, surgery or treatments but internal factors to prevent disease.
The images include men and women, young and old. Their postures and movements differ from one another. Some are sitting, some are standing, and still others are practising Daoyintu or exercising using apparatuses.
Translation of the texts covering the document show that the early Chinese were aware of the need for both preventative and treatment based breathing exercises. The exercises can be divided into three categories:
A typical Tao Yin exercise will involve movement of the arms and body in time with controlled inhalation and exhalation. Each exercise is designed with a different goal in mind, for example calmative effects or expanded lung capacity.
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