In common with all the various European Dao Yin Associations, the Honorary President is Professor Zhang Guangde himself. Sure, the author thought, why not re-imagine whole practices and rituals that have been around for hundreds of years, take time, effort and expertise to learn and make them into one minute exercises for simple minded westerners who are always excited with Eastern mystical stuff? Distilled from the powerful ancient wisdom of Chinese medicine; our award winning products, gua sha tools and teachings are the solution to better beauty, better health, a better body and a better mind. We also offer intensive seminars for both the general public and as continuing medical education for professional acupuncturists and Asian medicine practitioners.

As one of the internal martial arts it incorporates methods of fighting (both with and without weapons) and breathing or meditation techniques to create an art useful for both self-defense and health preservation.The English Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong Association was formed by Mark Atkinson in 1999 at the request of Professor Zhang Guangde, creator of Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong. The Daoist scholar Ge Hong's 318 CE Baopuzi ("Master Who Embraces Simplicity") describes many techniques of yangsheng (養生) and changsheng (長生, "longevity"), which Ware (1966) translates as "nurturing of life" and "fullness of life".

CE Lunheng ("Critical Essays") criticizes many Daoist beliefs particularly yangxing (養性, "nourishing one's inner nature") (Despeux 2008: 1149).The Lunheng only uses yangsheng once; the "All About Ghosts" (訂鬼) chapter explains how heavenly qi (tr.

Although the Zhuangzi considers physical calisthenics inferior to more meditative techniques, this is a highly detailed description (Engelhardt 2000: 75). In the Sui (561-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, Daoist and medical circles transmitted essential yangsheng techniques for gymnastics and breathing (Despeux 2008: 1149). The aim is to balance and support the energy of our mind and body – the Taoists refer to this energy or lifeforce as ‘qi’ or ‘chi’. It feels like a guide book on practical tools and tips to keep the mind and body healthy with the wonderful backdrop of Chinese traditions. Collins, Roy and David Kerr (2001), Etymology of the Word “Macrobiotic:s”[ sic] and Its Use in Modern Chinese Scholarship, Sino-Platonic Papers 113.Qi is a complex concept referring to air or vapour, breath, and the primordial matter-energy constituting everything in the universe; in the practice of yangsheng it retains these connotations while also indicating the energy that animates and sustains living things. In my early wanderings around the city, I was intrigued by elder Asians practicing elegant, synchronized movements in parks.