ABSTRACT
Good health was considered the greatest blessing in ancient Chinese texts(Yiu 1984) such as Sheung Shu ( ), the oldest Chinese history, which was recorded in the Zhou Dynasty (1027-221 BCE) (Lau 1978). Traditional Chinese Medicine embraces the fundamental concept of qi as the vital energy which permeates our lives. Historically, health was combined with bodily integrity and moral living. For an individual, vigour in health commonly refers to exuberant and resilient strength of body or mind. In Sun Yat-sen’s view, a balance between the physical and moral integrity of a nation’s people lays the foundations for a strong and healthy nation (Sun 1963). In the book Nei Jing (or Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Internal Medicine), the strength of a human body
is referred to as the essence of life – the foundation of man. Many references in Nei Jing, the first Chinese medical classic (Tang Dynasty 618-907 CE) reflect the Tao’s yin and yang concepts of balance, following nature, and preserving vitality in traditional Chinese health care. For example, good health was achieved through yin and yang balance producing a strong body and spirit:
If the yin and yang energies of a man are kept in a state of equilibrium, his body will be strong, his spirit sound. If his yin and yang energies fail to balance, his vital energy will decline until finally exhausted.
