People constantly ask me how it is that a 38 year old guy looks like a 25 year old. Well there is a reason for it and I’ll share my secret.
It all started when I was 18 (yes! 20 years ago) and in my first year of college. I was told there was a guy who taught martial arts in the park on Saturday morning,
At the time, I was reading books on Yoga, Zen, Taoism, and eastern religions. When I went to the park and the teacher taught Tai Chi, Qigong, and other eastern martial arts that involve moving meditation, breathing, and relaxing. I was soon on my way to finding bliss in moving meditation and learning on Taoist health exercises and the importance of discipline and longevity.

At that time, my teacher suggest I read more books on the subject. One book in particular, “Taoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male Sexual Energy” captivated me since the topic discussed human sexuality explained by Taoist through several thousand years of research and meditation. In the book, the author Mantak Chia discusses the importance of the man to not lose his seed through ejaculation by means of masturbation, wet dreams, and being over sexed in mind and body. This causes a weakness in the body and “chi” energy and drains the body of its vital essence called “jing” or hormones that cells need to maintain balance. The book describes breathing exercises and meditations to conduct to prevent the release the essence energy during sexual intercourse which in turn helps strengthen the “chi” energy. Lastly the “jing” and “chi” mix to assist the brain and nervous system’s “Shen” or mind/spirit energy. Shen is described as ability to be resilient in the mind, strong memory, clear thinking, with better control of emotional and wisdom mind. Taoist call Jing, Chi, and Shen the “3 treasures”. So basically guys- don’t spill your seed, doesn’t the Bible talk about that?

Mantak Chia’s wife wrote a similar book on practices for Women. This book is called “Healing Love through the Tao: Cultivating Female Sexual Energy” . These practices were originally handed down from monks and nuns who studied these mediation arts and the alchemy of the body to obtain immortality and enlightenment. The practices help the adept to control urges during vows of celibacy. Some phenomenon in these nuns was the complete cessation of the menstrual period.

Along with the book readings, my teacher also taught about diet and how this affects the CHI energy. There are food that damage the CHI and food and herbs that nourish the CHI. Water is an important factor in the health of your skin. Daily exercise is important in the elimination of toxins in the body. Tai Chi, the most practiced healing marital art in the world, practiced by millions in parks in the morning in Asia, is practiced daily to promote the circulation of jing, chi, and blood in the body. Pain is the result of broken and interrupted flow of chi in the passage ways called meridian. The Chi in the meridians can be positively affected by acupuncture, massage, qigong, Tai Chi, meditation, herbs, and mind. Side note: Tai Chi however has nearly lost it martial arts prowess. Early generation Tai Chi fighters used it successfully in challenges, later generations after the gun, taught it mostly for health, though some still can use it for fighting. Today you will find many Tai Chi practitioners that can’t throw a punch, a rare few will show up and fight in San Shou competitions with it.

A stress combating lifestyle will keep you young and fit. Massage, herbs, acupuncture, meditation, diet, and exercise help promote the preservation of youth. Understanding the body energies and building sensitivity to your Chi energy is only the beginning. How CHI reacts to emotions, foods, weather, and other external stimulus and finding balance to that stimulus by maintaining the discipline of CHI awareness is up to you. As my Chinese doctor would often say, “Chi is the most important thing.”