Longevity and Body Shape in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Physiognomy

Longevity and Body Shape in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Physiognomy

People can be fat, thin, tall, short, black or white. These are physiological phenomena, but they are also related to mental state and the occurrence of diseases. If we regard these innate factors as unchangeable causes, it would be an unrealistic fatalism.

1. Longevity

The longevity body has the following characteristics:

(1) Harmony of body shape and qi: Regardless of height, weight, or body shape, if the body shape and qi are in harmony, then it is a condition for longevity. A strong body, energetic spirit, great strength and proper diet are all signs of harmony between form and qi. If a person is fat and tall, but weak and eats little; or if a person is small and thin, but eats a lot, it is said that his body and qi are not in harmony.

(ii) Unity of form and spirit: The body and mental activities are highly coordinated. The eyes are steady, rooted and powerful; the behavior is serene and orderly. Being physically tired but not exhausted and being in high spirits is called the unity of body and spirit. The soul and spirit are flying around, the spirit is not staying in the body, the body and spirit are separated, which is called the body and spirit cannot be united. In order to achieve the unity of body and spirit, people have practiced Qigong since ancient times. Although physical exercise consumes a lot of physical energy, it can achieve a high degree of unity between body and spirit.

(3) Maintain a regular diet and daily routine: Eat at regular times and in regular amounts, eat light and fresh food, and mainly eat a variety of foods. Not too cold, not too hot, not too addicted to tobacco or alcohol, not too sweet and fatty, and eat in moderation. Don’t eat too much at night, don’t feel empty in the morning, don’t run or carry anything after eating, and don’t overwork yourself mentally or physically. Go to bed early and get up early, breathe fresh air, exercise regularly, wear simple and elegant clothes, which should be soft and comfortable, and use cotton as underwear. Your appetite, visual desire, auditory desire, and sexual desire should be appropriate and reasonable. Adapt to the cold and heat, regulate diet, live in a comfortable place, eat and drink in moderation, and have regular bowel movements and urination.

(IV) Demeanor: The demeanor of a long-lived person is mainly rooted, spirited, and steadfast. His eyes are bright and move freely, his spirit is focused, and his expression is generous and harmonious. Depression, impatience, irritability, fear, arrogance and a gloomy expression are not signs of longevity.

(V) Body shape: The body shape is well-proportioned, the muscles are soft and plump, the skin is firm, the bones are straight, the philtrum is deep and straight, the breathing is natural, the face is high and thick, the chin is square, the upper, middle and lower parts of the face are high and not sunken, and the bones are tall, which indicates the body shape and face shape of longevity.

(VI) Complexion: Everyone has his or her own normal complexion. Regardless of skin color, as long as it is bright, moist, subtle and slightly yellow, it is the color of longevity. Brightness indicates strong vitality; moisture means sufficient essence and blood; restraint is a manifestation of the coordinated and balanced activities of the five internal organs, Qi and blood of the body. Fat, thin, tall, short, black or white are all innate endowments, determined by genetics. The occurrence of many diseases is related to genetic genes, but acquired conditioning is the main one. Therefore, we cannot regard these innate factors as unchangeable causes. If we do, it would be fatalism that is not in line with reality. It is a reflection of the essence, energy and spirit being full and stored inside rather than leaking out, and is therefore a sign of longevity.

(VII) Ears, hair, eyes, and teeth: Ears, hair, eyes, and teeth are nourished by Qi and blood, especially by the essence and Qi of the kidney. The ears and eyes are smart, the hearing is sharp, the vision is clear, the eyes are bright, the earlobes are solid and large, the ears are drooping, the earlobes are shiny and rosy, and the eye slits are long and curved (visible when closing the eyes when sleeping). The hair is dense, black, soft, shiny, moist and strong. The teeth are strong and bright. These phenomena are good signs for longevity.

Being born into a longevity family, living in a place with beautiful soil and water, having parents who are not close relatives, and having the five elements and body shape and spirit in harmony are important factors for longevity.

(8) Judging longevity from the skin: People with plump bodies, full muscles, and soft and thick skin will live long. A full body is a manifestation of a strong spleen and stomach, which is the foundation of the acquired constitution. If the spleen and stomach are strong, all the internal organs will be strong, and the vital energy will be full. The lungs control the skin. The skin is soft and thick. It not only has a strong function of defending against external pathogens and a good function of dispersing and releasing qi, but also can fully discharge the foul air in the body. Moreover, the skin is a reflection of the aging of the human body. The aging of the human body is first seen in the skin. For example, bright, moist, and smooth skin reflects sufficient Qi, blood, and body fluids, and displays strong vitality, and therefore is a sign of longevity. If the skin is dry and weak, and wrinkles appear on the face, regardless of age, these are signs of aging. Brown spots appear on the skin, called age spots, are symptoms of brain aging. If the body is plump but the skin is thin and tense, it means the muscles and skin are disproportionate, and it is a sign of short life. The relationship between muscles, body shape and skin, from the perspective of the internal body, is the relationship between shape and Qi. Thin and weak skin is a manifestation of weak Qi, and a full body shape is a manifestation of strong form. When Qi is weak and form is strong, the shape does not match the Qi, and thus the person will have a short life.

9. Those with a full body and firm and well-proportioned muscles live long: A person with a full body, symmetrical and balanced from top to bottom and from left to right, with firm and plump muscles and obvious texture and lines, will live longer. Muscles are nourished by the spleen and stomach. A strong spleen and stomach will result in plump, strong, full and powerful muscles. The spleen and stomach are the foundation of acquired constitution. If the spleen and stomach are strong, all the internal organs will be strong, the positive energy will be strong, and it will not be easily harmed by the evil energy. It is a sign of longevity. Although the body is plump, the bones and flesh are loose, the muscles are not firmly divided, have no divisions, are flat and soft. This phenomenon is called brittle meat. This is a manifestation of longevity.

People who lack labor and exercise for a long time have significantly reduced blood circulation in their muscles, resulting in muscle hypoxia, a series of metabolic disorders, and gradual muscle atrophy and loss of strength. Some people figuratively call this muscle hunger. Intellectuals have suffered from muscle hunger since ancient times, and in modern times, more and more people feel the threat of muscle hunger.

Due to muscle hunger, all tissues and organs in the body are seriously threatened. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle pointed out that the most likely thing to weaken a person and damage his health is to lack physical activity for a long time. This is because muscle tissue has a significant impact on the entire body. The human body has about 600 pieces of muscle tissue, which only account for 20% of the body weight of a newborn.

The elderly only account for 30%, and middle-aged people account for 40% of body weight. Some people have conducted animal experiments: rabbits, black chickens and nightingales were kept in cages since they were young. Outwardly, they developed normally, but they had poor appetite. When they grew up a little, they were all released back into the vast world. As a result, the rabbit died after just jumping a few times, the black chicken flew into the sky and turned half a circle before falling to the ground, and the nightingale died as soon as it sang its first song. The autopsy showed that the rabbit and nightingale died of heart rupture, while the black chicken died of artery rupture. This shows that the lack of activity and exercise makes the cardiovascular system unable to withstand the impact of suddenly increased blood pressure. Patients who receive long-term clinical treatment often experience cardiac and vascular dysfunction, deterioration of renal and intestinal function, thrombophlebitis, bone structure destruction and devitalization. People who lack physical activity for a long time will suffer from decreased muscle strength, dysfunction of the neurohumoral regulation system, disrupted sleep rhythm, a 70% reduction in heart function, decreased reserve capacity, tissue hypoxia, metabolic disorders, and susceptibility to arteriosclerosis; gastrointestinal and renal dysfunction can lead to ulcers and stones. It can be seen that lack of muscle movement will accelerate the entire aging process, and both physical and mental work abilities will be greatly weakened. Lack of physical activity for a long period of time may cause the flesh to become brittle, and brittle flesh is a sign of short life.

(10) Those who have a full body and strong pulses will live long: Those who have a full body and a full and strong pulse will live long.

People who are obese and have thin pulses will die young. A person with a plump body and plump pulses has sufficient blood circulation, and a strong pulse indicates a strong qi. This is a sign of harmony between body and qi, and so the person will live a long life. If the body is plump but the pulse is thin and weak, this means that the form and qi are not in harmony, which will lead to premature death. Those who weigh more than 200kg are said to be of strong physique, and their pulses will be weak and relatively small. When the body is in good shape, the consumption is very great, but insufficient qi and blood is inconsistent with this. Therefore, none of the extremely overweight and obese people in the world can live beyond 40 years old.

It is a well-known fact that fat people often suffer from qi deficiency, phlegm and diseases. Obesity is the increase of fat tissue in the body while muscle tissue does not increase or even atrophies. Obese people have a large accumulation of fat in their bodies, which puts extra burden on various organs of the body, increases oxygen consumption, and increases the burden on the heart. Due to the excess abdominal fat, the diaphragm rises, respiratory movements are restricted, and respiratory function weakens. Therefore, fat people often feel shortness of breath, fatigue, decreased work ability, sweating, and fear of heat. In severe cases, the patient may become slow in movement, have difficulty walking and moving, and even lose the ability to work. Obese people, due to lipid metabolism disorders, develop hyperlipidemia, and are therefore prone to high blood pressure (2 to 3 times higher than people of normal weight), arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease (5 times higher than thin people), and diabetes (2 times higher than normal weight). If your weight exceeds the normal standard weight by 30%, your mortality rate is 50% higher than that of people with normal weight.

(11) If the foundation of a wall is low and does not reach the ground, the person will die before the age of thirty. If someone suffers from an additional illness, he will die before the age of twenty.

The bones around the ear are flat, low and narrow, and even wider than the chin. Such people will die before the age of 30. If they suffer from illness, they will die before the age of 20.

Low foundation is a sign of brain maldevelopment, which may be caused by empty cerebral marrow or congenital deficiency, imperfect organ function, low intelligence, and prone to epilepsy, so the life span will not be long. If the forehead is not broad, the Mingtang is narrow, the cheek and the ear gate are narrow and unclear, the face is low and narrow, the chin below the ear is flat and sunken, and the earlobe and the upper corner of the ear are turned outward, then such a person is also a sign of short life.

The above is what the editor of Dream Interpreter introduces to you about the longevity shape and body shape in traditional Chinese medicine and physiognomy. I hope it can help you. If you want to know more information from physiognomy classics, please continue to pay attention.