Wudang Blog / Training

Detoxing has always been a popular topic for Wudang Taoist practitioners. Cleaning your body from the inside is important for living a long and healthy life. Since the blood flow interconnects with the flow of Qi. Having good blood quality and healthy organs increases the potential of internal power and raise the awareness of your health. Once your body is cleansed your mind can be at ease and your body can save energy.

Our bodies are no super machines and once we overdid it the process can hardly be reversed. Most people do not realize how serious this problem can be, toxins in your body will not show immediately but can be very problematic in years to come.

What is toxic to our bodies?

The first thought should be how to utilize your energy: eating, drinking, breathing. Being mindful of only one of these things and neglecting the others will not lead to becoming healthy. Eating, drinking and breathing are all equally important, and should all be equally prioritized. All of these involve a different section in your body and therefore has a different detoxification process. For example: smoking and eating junk food are still toxic for the balance of your energy, even though they both involve their akin bodily function (breathing and eating).

Changing your life style is important when you know the way you are living is not healthy. Your body will not compromise with your habits, thus will react accordingly to what you put in it or how you treat it.

Be patient and be mindful

The body is a very strong and has had to develop a lot to come to where it is now. Most of the damage can be undone if you're patient and give your training the time that it needs. The Taoist secret to detoxification is no magical formula and can be learned through natural understanding by allowing yourself to feel the impact of your actions on your own mind and body. The Taoist way is self experience through the changes on your body under the current circumstances.

Modern times are difficult and a lot of things will try to fool your body. Chemical substances, food/taste enhancers, stabilizers and genetically modified foods are often used today to make people eat food from big brands and companies. Some have additive properties, some are superior in some way to their natural competitor. Do you simply ignore the fact that this food is unhealthy because everyone is eating it?

Don't make it harder for yourself

Most food is making digesting harder for you than needed. The key is to eat "light food". Spices, salt, fat in excess can make the digestion process harder on your organs; the way you cook is important for your stomach. Don't overcook, but rather, keep your vegetables lightly cooked instead - especially in preparing steamed meal. This type of cooking is very popular in Wudang and also very effective in making digestion easier on your stomach.

Take in mind:

• Drinking a lot of water while eating will reduce the stomach acid and delay your digestion.
• Avoid combining a lot of sugar with alcohol. Doing so will make your pancreas happy.
• Don't sit in a chair too often or too long. Stand up and stretch once per hour.

You should consider:

• Consume more alkaline based foods, especially if you have hick ups or bad breath in the morning. Certain foods are considered acidic, alkaline or neutral: Acidic: meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, grains and alcohol. Neutral: natural fats, starches and sugars. Alkaline: fruits, nuts, legumes and vegetables.
• Make an effort to expose yourself to clean air as often as possible.
• Daily Qi Gong exercise to increase the blood flow/quality and improve your body's natural ability to detoxify itself.

Putting additional stress on your internal organs will reflect on the outside as well, and if totally ignored can even make you sick.