Anti-Aging Secret Promotes Longevity
What anti-aging secret do qigong masters possess that enables them to live well beyond the average life expectancy? Many Chinese legends tell of famous qigong masters who enjoy longevity that extends well beyond the average human life span: Lao Tzu, Peng Tzu, Ge Hong, even Huangdi, the legendary Yellow Emperor… just to name a few.
One story that is most interesting because there appears to be actual eyewitness accounts to support his age, concerns the life span of Li Ch’ing Yuen (also phonetically spelled Li Qing Yuan).
Li was born in 1677 in Guizhou province and trained in qigong and traditional Chinese medicine since a young child.
He outlived twenty-three wives and eleven generations of descendants! It was said that he had excellent eyesight and was in vibrant health even at the age of 248 years!
Li wrote a book called Chang Sheng Zong Jue (A Complete Discourse on Longevity), and he used to give university lectures on health and longevity. His secret to longevity? Daily qigong practice, in addition to a spare vegetarian diet and regular consumption of Chinese herbal tonics.
Many people reportedly knew him during his life time. In 1927 General Yang Shen reportedly met with Master Li and was impressed with his ruddy complexion and healthy appetite.
Leader of the Nationalist government, General Chiang Kai-shek saw a photograph of this famed qigong master taken just before his death and asked to meet with him, but by the time Chiang’s envoy located Li, he had already died.
On Saturday, May 6, 1933, the New York Times published an article on Li Ch’ing Yuen’s long life. He died in 1930, which would have made him 253 years old! At midcentury, China’s average life expectancy was only around 35 years, but even in today’s standards, this kind of longevity would have made front page news!
How Does Qigong Slow Down Aging in Practitioners?
One of the greatest health benefits of qigong is that it boosts the production of very important anti-aging hormones called Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in the adrenal glands.
DHEA is responsible for the body’s ability to heal and regenerate itself. Research studies have shown that DHEA has anti-obesity, anti-cancer, anti-tumor and anti-aging properties. Unfortunately, the production of this hormone declines with age — as much as 90 percent.
DHEA is also responsible for the level of cognitive ability. The greatest concentration of DHEA is found in brain tissue. Low levels of DHEA appear to cause age-related degeneration, resulting in diseases such as Alzheimer, the loss and/or damage of neuronal cells, and the loss of long-term memory.
Since qigong is a yogic exercise that boosts the natural production of DHEA, it is little wonder that qigong can increase cognitive ability and reduce aging in practitioners!
Since the discovery of DHEA anti-aging properties, health food stores have been quick to market DHEA supplements, promoting the idea of eternal youth in a bottle!
Unfortunately, not only do these supplements contain little, if any, of the anti-aging properties otherwise found in naturally occurring DHEA, worse they also have potentially serious side effects, including irritability, depression, increase in hirsuteness in women and breast growth in men.
Perhaps you won’t live to be 200 years old. But given today’s average life expectancy hovering around 80 years, to extend your life span an extra twenty years or more would still be a bonus. Can you think of a better reason to practice qigong for life?