Marrying Philosophy and Health

Hi everyone,

Over the last 30 years I have always applied what I was learning from life to my philosophy of life, and vice-versa. Here is a brief idea of how I apply my philosophy of life to maintaining my health:

I view life as flow. These are ideas that are borrowed from Heraclitus and Eastern philosophies particularly, but not limited to, Daoism. How do I apply this to life.

The analogy that I use is the automobile.

1) The chief ingredient for maintaining a smooth flowing car is the oil. The oil lubricates (nourishes the parts), and removes debris. This is analogous to the blood and fluids in the human body. The blood and fluids must be kept clean and smooth flowing throughout the body in order to keep all aspects clean and nourished. Stagnation in the body can be felt as pain. When I feel pain, I realize that the blood is not smoothly flowing and I use stretching and self-massage to get the blood (oil) flowing again.

2) In order to move the oil in you have to move the car. To do this, you need clean gasoline. I do not put hydrocarbons and other component parts in my tank. I put in clean gasoline. The same with my body. I do not put vitamin pills, chemicals, junk stuff in my body. I put in clean, natural food. The human body is design to operate most efficiently and mostly healthy when it is fueled by clean natural food. The best of which are vegetables, grains, and fruits. Fresh food.

3) And, like a car, I enjoy moving, because without moving the oil does not get to the parts, and my body does not get the blood in the way it needs it. Blood must constantly move through the body, be warm, and energetic. I play sports, dance, do yoga and taiji, or simple stretching and qigong exercises throughout the day. Very simple. Nothing extraordinary.

As a result, I am in excellent health at 57, have not been to a physician since I was 30, and have not taken any drugs of any sort since my late 20s.

Food for thought. :bigsmile:

Rich