There is a story. It is said that when Hua Tuo was young, he went up a mountain to collect medicine. When he climbed halfway up the mountain, he found a cave. In the cave, two elderly Sages with white hair and long beards were talking about medicine. He stood outside the cave and listened attentively. Later, the two Immortals not only taught Hua Tuo many wonderful medical skills, but also passed him a set of fitness exercises that imitated the postures of the tiger (虎 - Hu), deer (鹿 - Lu), bear (熊 - Xiong), ape (猿 - Yuan), and crane (鹤 - He). These exercises are now recorded in the famous book entitled "Five Birds and Beasts Play" (五禽戏 - Wu Qin Xi). Due to the different living habits of these five animals, their activities have their own characteristics. They may be majestic and bold, or light and agile, calm and heavy, or changeable and unreasonable, or fly high independently. People are advised to imitate their postures as a form energy-boosting exercise, which indirectly exercises joints and viscera. It is through the movement of the limbs that the circulating energy of the whole body can flow smoothly, so that diseases are cured for longevity attained. Chinese medicine believes that ‘Wu Qin Xi’ is an effective exercise for health preservation. Modern medicine has also proved that ‘Wu Qin Xi’ is a set of medical gymnastics that stretches the muscles and joints of the whole body. While exercising the joints of the whole body, it can not only improve lung function and heart function - improving the oxygen supply to the myocardium - but also improves the cardiac excretion power which promotes the normal development of tissues and organs. As far as ‘Wu Qin Xi’ is concerned, it is not a set of simple gymnastics, but a set of advanced health-generating Qigong (气功) methodology. In this set of health-generating qigong, Hua Tuo organically combines the movement of the limbs with breathing, relaxation, correct posture and advanced awareness - and through the guidance of correct ‘intention’ - the body's rebellious qi and impure blood are returned to a normal and ‘pure’ state that promotes health. The older name for this type of profound exercise is ‘Dao Yin’ (导引) which emphasises ‘stretching’ the inner and outer body, whilst ‘guiding’ the inner and outer energy with an exact precision that builds health and a robust strength of mind and body. This is why ‘Taiji (太极), Xingyi (形意), Bagua (八卦) - and other fitness techniques of later generations - all have some association with this method.
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_60ca1b670102vvr6.html
跟着动物学功夫---名医华佗五禽戏
转载2015-09-22 21:38:38
东汉末年在我国诞生了三位杰出的医学家,史称“建安三神医”。其中,董奉隐居庐山,留下了脍炙人口的杏林佳话;张仲景撰写《伤寒杂病论》,理法谨严,被后世誉为“医圣”;而华佗则深入民间,足迹遍于中原大地和江淮平原,在内、外、妇、儿各科的临证诊治中,曾创造了许多医学奇迹,尤其以创麻沸散(临床麻醉药)、行剖腹术闻名于世。后世每以“华佗再世”、“元化重生”称誉医家,足见其影响之深远。
华佗不仅是位了不起的医学家,同时又是一位了不起的养生专家,《后汉书·华佗传》有华佗“年且百岁,而犹有壮容,时人以为仙”的记载,也有说他寿至一百五六十岁仍保持着六十多岁的容貌,而且是鹤发童颜的记载。他的弟子吴普、樊阿等也都活到了100多岁。那么神医华佗的养生秘诀是什么呢?
有这样一个故事,据说华佗年轻时一次上山采药,爬到半山腰时发现了一个洞穴,洞内有两位白发长须的仙人正在谈论医道,他就站在洞外听,直听得入了神。后来两位仙人不仅向华佗传授了许多奇妙的医术,还传给他一套健身功法,模仿虎、鹿、熊、猿、鹤的姿态去运动,这就是著名的“五禽戏”。由于这五种动物的生活习性不同,活动的方式也各有特点,或雄劲豪迈,或轻捷灵敏,或沉稳厚重,或变幻无端,或独立高飞。人们模仿它们的姿态进行运动,正是间接起到了锻炼关节、脏腑的作用。而正是通过肢体的运动才得以全身气血流畅、祛病长生。中医认为,五禽戏是一种行之有效的养生运动。现代医学也研究证明,五禽戏是一套使全身肌肉和关节都能得到舒展的医疗体操。它在锻炼全身关节的同时,不仅能提高肺功能及心脏功能,改善心肌供氧量,还能提高心脏排血力,促进组织器官的正常发育。就五禽戏本身来说,它并不是一套简单的体操,而是一套高级的保健气功。在这套保健气功里,华佗把肢体的运动和呼吸吐纳有机地结合到了一起,通过气功导引使体内逆乱的气血恢复正常状态,以促进健康。后代的太极、形意、八卦等健身术都与此有若干渊源。
东汉末医学家华佗所处的时代,是阴阳五行学说盛行的时代,“阴阳五行学说作为解释世界上一切事物的解释模式,最终在医学中被固定和继承了下来,而在其它领域则已逐渐消失。其原因是阴阳五行学说较为正确地说明了那些生理通病理现象。”所以,华佗编创五禽戏,应该是受到五行理论的启示,是五行理论在养生实践活动中的具体应用。其次,依据《内经》五行归类法,分析动物的形神特征,选取五种具有特殊意义的动物作为模拟对象。华佗对《黄帝内经》研究甚深,精通中医五行学说和经络、脏腑和气血理论。华佗说:“阴阳者,天地之枢机;五行者,阴阳之始终。非阴阳则不能为天地,非五行则不能为阴阳。故人者,成于天地,败于阴阳也,由五行逆从而生焉。天地有阴阳五行,人有血脉五脏。华佗意识到运动可以通达内外,通过对形体的“动摇”,就可以使脏腑内的“谷气得消”,使“血脉流通,病不得生”,所以,他依据《内经》五行归类法,在选择五禽的时候,从分析动物的形态与动作特征入手,有针对性地选取具有特殊意义的动物及其特征性的动作作为模拟的对象,每一禽戏归属五行的某一类,主一脏之调养。根据中医学的脏腑学说分析,从“五禽五脏对应图”来看,虎、鹿、熊、猿、鸟五种动物分属于木、水、土、火、金五行,对应于肝、肾、脾、心、肺、五脏。人们模仿它们的动作和神态进行锻炼,正是间接地起到了锻炼脏腑的作用,所谓“超乎象外,得其寰中”是也。这里清楚地阐明了五禽戏的健身作用机理:通过肢体的运动以使周身肌肉、肌腱、骨骼、关节功能加强,旺盛精力从而达到强身健体功能;同时还可以调节肝、肾、脾、心、肺等内脏,起到开胸理气、疏经通络、祛病长生的健身作用。现代医学研究证明,五禽戏是一种行之有效的锻炼方法。它能锻炼和提高神经系统的功能,提高大脑的抑制功能和调节功能,有利于神经细胞的修复和再生。它能提高肺功能及心脏功能,改善心肌供氧量,促进组织器官的正长发育。同时它还能增强肠胃的活动及分泌功能,促进消化吸收,为机体活动提供养料。