Daoist Dragon Gate Sect: Seated Practice for Longevity and Agelessness

This is a complete system of practices—done a little each day and repeated regularly, they keep qi and blood flowing briskly throughout the body, prevent physical aging, and let you live out your full lifespan in good health. The system was put together by Chen Xiyi, the great Song-dynasty master of daoyin (guide-and-pull exercises), and consists of twenty-four practices that work powerfully as a set. Together, the twenty-four practices stimulate every meridian in the body, so qi and blood circulate freely to every corner, keeping you healthy and warding off aging.

This is a remarkably complete practice system, and its results are so good that it has been handed down among Daoist practitioners of daoyin for a very long time. Because the set has been transmitted for nearly nine hundred years, and most of the practices are performed while seated—built around seated work, in other words—experts call it the "Chen Xiyi Seated Exercises." In this book we refer to them as the "Longevity Seated Exercises."

Now let me explain how to perform this series of seated practices for the prevention of aging. They aren't aimed at treating any specific ailment or age-related condition; their premise is preventing aging and maintaining youth and health. So if possible, anyone who's reasonably confident in their health need only do a little of this practice each day from age thirty onward, and by the time they reach their fifties or sixties, they'll find themselves younger and healthier than the people around them—free of illness as well, of course. Ideally, you'd take all twenty-four Longevity Seated Exercises as a single set and do them once a day. That's how dedicated daoyin practitioners approach it. But if you've never practiced daoyin before and try to do all twenty-four exercises at once, your body will almost certainly react strongly—you might feel pain or run a fever. You don't need to be that thorough. For most people, doing a portion each day brings excellent results.

Once you've tried them, you'll see that every exercise in this set is highly effective, so you can also spread the twenty-four exercises across the four seasons, doing six per season, to achieve the same anti-aging effect. Be sure to follow the order below.

Spring practices (February, March, April): Longevity Seated Exercises One through Six.

Summer practices (May, June, July): Longevity Seated Exercises Seven through Twelve.

Autumn practices (August, September, October): Longevity Seated Exercises Thirteen through Eighteen.

Winter practices (November, December, January): Longevity Seated Exercises Nineteen through Twenty-Four.

When you actually practice, observe the general cautions for doing daoyin. If possible, in addition to the Longevity Seated Exercises, it's a good idea to do Leg Practice Two once a day as well—the effect will be even greater.

For those whose bodies are unwell due to aging or illness, first choose the practices you need from among the daoyin items designed to treat aging and discomfort, then follow up with the Longevity Seated Exercises. The number of repetitions given for each exercise is only a guideline; there's no need to worry about hitting the count exactly, and don't force yourself. Best to do only as much as feels comfortable.

In the breathing methods of the Longevity Seated Exercises, much can't be conveyed in words, so this text covers only the essentials. We hope you'll work with them carefully.

Spring

Longevity Seated Exercise One

Stack the palms of both hands and press down on the thigh; holding this posture, twist the upper body. This relieves soreness and pain in the back and waist, as well as pain in the hands and feet. If you keep up this practice over time, your eyes will become brighter and your vision sharper.

Treats: colds, influenza, meningitis, encephalitis, temporal arteritis, migraine, rheumatic fever, arthritis, joint rheumatism, diseases of the hands and feet.

Sit cross-legged. Cross-legged sitting means folding both legs and stacking them on top of each other. Place the left hand on top of the right, and rest both hands on the right thigh. Then, as if pressing the weight of the upper body downward, press on the right thigh with both hands. Do this three to five times. Repeat the same procedure on the left leg. Return to the cross-legged position with both hands stacked on the right thigh. While pressing the leg, turn the head to the left, exhale through the mouth, and open the eyes to gaze up toward the upper left behind you. Repeat this three to five times. Do the same on the other side.

Longevity Seated Exercise Two

A practice in which both hands press the lower leg and you look back over your shoulder. In Seated Exercise One you press the thighs; here you press the lower legs instead. The heavy feeling in the back will disappear, and your feet will feel light. Treats: congestive heart failure, arrhythmia, hypertension, pericarditis, hemorrhagic cystitis, urinary tract infection, renal vein thrombosis, acute nephritis, tonsillitis, laryngitis, acute otitis media, sinusitis.

Sit cross-legged. Place the right foot on top of the left. Stack both hands on the right lower leg. Press firmly on the lower leg while turning the head level to look back over the left shoulder, exhale through the mouth, and keep the eyes open. Do this three to four times. Switch legs and do the same. When pressing the left lower leg, turn the head to look back over the right shoulder; when pressing the right lower leg, look back over the left shoulder. Don't force it, and keep the eyes looking up at a slant to the rear.

Longevity Seated Exercise Three

This practice has two stages: first, tilting the head to the side; second, bending the elbows and pulling them back. It relieves soreness around the shoulder blades and soreness or numbness in the back and neck. Treats: acute lower back pain (a "tweak" of the back), herniated disc, degenerative low back pain, cataracts, iritis, night blindness, acute rhinitis, hemorrhage, pharyngitis, stomatitis, keratitis.

Sit cross-legged. Clench both hands into fists and press them on the knees. "Clenching the fist" means gripping with the thumb tucked inside the fist. Tilt the head to the left and right (don't force it), exhaling through the mouth. Tilt to each side five or six times. Return to the cross-legged position. Keep the fists clenched, bend the elbows, and raise both fists in front of the body. Pull them back quickly toward the rear. Repeat five or six times. It's preferable to have the backs of the hands facing downward here, but facing upward is fine too. When you return to the cross-legged position, exhale through the mouth.

Longevity Seated Exercise Four

A practice in which both hands are extended forward and the head is turned from side to side. It relieves stiffness in the back and keeps the hands from feeling sore or numb. Treats: insomnia, frozen shoulder, cervical sprain (so-called whiplash), toothache, mumps (epidemic parotitis), colds, arthritis, hypertension, kidney stones, psoriasis, exophthalmic goiter.

Sit cross-legged. Breathe slowly, gathering your awareness. Open the palms and extend the arms forward as far as you can, palms facing upward. Turn the head slowly from left to right—this is the most important point. Alternate left and right, repeating six or seven times.

Longevity Seated Exercise Five

A practice in which you draw a bow while seated. It relieves tightness in the chest and clears joint pain in the shoulders. Treats: acute lower back strain (a "tweak" of the back), arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, colds, otitis media, thyroiditis, frozen shoulder, insomnia, neuralgia, arthritis.

Sit upright. Upright sitting is similar to cross-legged sitting, but the feet don't need to be folded onto the legs—just sit with the upper body straight. Breathe slowly, gathering your awareness. Extend the right arm forward as far as possible; at the same time, bend the left elbow and pull the left arm forcefully back, eyes wide. When the left elbow is pulled back as far as it will go, stop; then make a fist with the right hand and spread the fingers of the left hand open with force, exhaling through the mouth. Alternate left and right, doing each side seven or eight times. The most important thing is to do it as though you were really drawing a bow.

Longevity Seated Exercise Six

A posture in which one hand at a time is raised upward. It clears foul qi from the chest cavity and relieves soreness from the neck to the shoulder blades. Treats: acute gastritis, anemia, conjunctivitis, nosebleed, abscess of the upper jaw, acute lymphadenitis, tuberculous wandering kidney, perianal abscess.

Sit cross-legged and breathe slowly, gathering your awareness. Open the palms of both hands. With the left hand, raise it as if lifting a very heavy stone; place the palm of the right hand on the left breast. The fingertips of the left hand point toward the head; raise the head to look at the back of the left hand, and exhale. Alternate left and right, doing each side five to seven times.

Summer

Longevity Seated Exercise Seven

A practice in which the knees are bent and held tightly to the body with both hands. It relieves numbness, pain, and aching weakness in both knees. If you find it painful to sit or walk, this can make sitting and walking comfortable again. Treats: neuralgia, joint rheumatism, mastitis, acute lymphadenitis, shingles.

Extend both legs together straight out in front. Close the mouth, gently close the eyes, and breathe slowly, gathering your awareness. Bend both knees and raise them up; embrace the knees with both hands and pull them toward the body with force, exhaling through the mouth. Extend both legs straight out in front again. Stack the palms of both hands and embrace the right knee, pulling it in with force so the heel comes close to the hip joint, exhaling through the mouth. Extend the right leg straight, then pull the left knee close. Do each leg five to seven times.

Longevity Seated Exercise Eight

A practice in which one arm is raised and the other hand presses on the thigh. It relieves heaviness and soreness in the back, helps joint disease of the hands and feet, and can also strengthen the airways, benefiting those with weak respiratory tracts. Treats: pneumonia, bronchitis, hypertension, arrhythmia, myocarditis, rheumatic fever, endocarditis, pericarditis, aortic aneurysm.

Sit upright, gently close the eyes and mouth, and breathe slowly, gathering your awareness. Raise the right arm upward as if lifting a heavy stone. At the same time, use the palm of the left hand to press on the base of the left leg, exhaling through the mouth.

Return to the original posture. Alternate left and right, doing each side three to five times.

Longevity Seated Exercise Nine

A practice in which, from a standing position, one hand is raised and the body leans back. It relieves lower back soreness when standing or sitting, and is the most suitable practice for those with poor kidney function. Treats: arrhythmia, endocarditis, nephritis, renal artery stenosis, back pain of pregnancy, cardiac asthma, cystitis, feverish colds, cervical sprain, rheumatic fever, migraine, temporal arteritis, hypertension.

Stand upright and breathe slowly, gathering your awareness. Open the right palm and extend it upward, as if lifting a heavy stone. Lean the body back slightly; while looking at the back of the hand, exhale through the mouth. Holding the posture, raise the left hand upward as well; align both hands above the top of the head, and while looking at the backs of the hands, exhale. Return to the standing position. Then, starting from the left hand, repeat the whole sequence five or six times in total.

Longevity Seated Exercise Ten

This practice has two stages: the first is raising both arms high; the second is extending and lifting one leg. It relieves soreness and numbness in the lower back and feet. Treats: neuralgia, gallstones, herniated disc, acute lower back pain, degenerative lumbar disease, lumbar spondylolysis, lumbar spondylolisthesis.

Kneel-sit. Kneel-sitting means sitting with the buttocks on the heels, the toes supporting the body. Breathe slowly, gathering your awareness. (Keep the knees together.) Raise the buttocks slightly off the heels. Open the palms of both hands and raise them high. Stack the hands above the top of the head, elbows straight. Exhale through the mouth. Turn the palms to face upward. Return to the kneel-sitting position. Place both hands on the ground behind you, sit the buttocks down on the ground as well, and bend both knees to sit. Place the sole of the right foot between both hands, with the elbows and right knee both straight. Switch to the left foot and do the same. Alternate left and right, doing each side five to seven times.

Longevity Seated Exercise Eleven

A practice in which the body leans back, supported by the arms and legs. It builds vitality in weak internal organs. Treats: neuralgia, gallstones, acute pancreatitis, gastric spasm, sequelae of encephalitis, polyneuritis, severe muscular weakness, prolapse of the rectum, forgetfulness.

Take the kneel-sitting posture, taking care to keep the body stable, and gather your awareness. Place both hands apart on the ground behind you; at this point the body is supported by the tips of the toes and the arms. Extend the right leg forward as far as you can, exhaling through the mouth, but don't let the left knee touch the ground. Draw the extended right leg back at once, returning to the position with both hands apart on the ground behind you, body supported by the tips of the toes and the arms. Extend the left leg forward as far as you can, exhaling through the mouth, but don't let the right knee touch the ground. Draw the extended left leg back quickly, returning to the position with both hands apart on the ground behind you, body supported by the tips of the toes and the arms. Repeat three to five times.

Longevity Seated Exercise Twelve

A practice in which both hands are placed in front and the head is turned to look at the shoulder. It relieves stiffness in the head and expels foul qi from the back, leaving you feeling light and comfortable. Treats: meningitis, colds, pleurisy, acute lower back pain, cervical lymphadenitis, tonsillitis, leukemia, bronchitis, neuralgia, rheumatism, gastric ulcer, hangover.

Sit upright. Breathe slowly, gathering your awareness. Make fists with both hands and place them on the ground in front. Turn the head to "tiger-gaze" at the right shoulder, exhaling through the mouth. "Tiger-gaze" means opening the eyes wide, the way a tiger stares at its prey. Then "tiger-gaze" at the left shoulder. Alternate left and right, doing each side three to five times.

Autumn

Longevity Sitting Exercise Thirteen

This practice draws the whole body inward, then springs up into a standing position. It eases chronic complaints like headaches, a feeling of heaviness in the head, and dizziness on standing. It is used for acute nephritis, nephrotic symptoms, recurrent renal bleeding, herniated intervertebral disc, osteoporosis, stomatitis, angular cheilitis, rheumatism, neuralgia, cystitis, encephalitis, migraine, temporal arteritis, cataract, retrobulbar neuritis, pleurisy, tuberculosis, and empyema.

Sit upright. Breathe slowly and settle your attention. Open both palms and place them on the ground in front of you. Lean forward fully, as though trying to make the body smaller. Stay in this forward-leaning posture, close your mouth, and breathe quietly through the nose for one or two minutes. Then rise to standing, as if lifting up from the ground.

Longevity Sitting Exercise Fourteen

This practice has two stages. First, both hands are raised high while the head turns from side to side. Second, the hands reach behind the back to tap it lightly. It eases stiffness in the neck and shoulders and relieves soreness across the lower back. It is used for lumbar osteomyelitis, lumbar instability, osteomalacia, tuberculosis, pleurisy, pneumonia, febrile colds, arthritis, and rheumatism.

Sit upright. Breathe slowly and settle your attention. Clench your fists and raise them forcefully overhead. Turn your head slowly, once to each side. Lower the hands, bend the elbows and pull them firmly back, exhaling through the mouth as the hands return to the starting position. Repeat five to seven times. Then make fists, reach behind the back, and tap lightly along the spine down to the buttocks, over any sore spots. Tap five to seven times on each side.

Longevity Sitting Exercise Fifteen

This practice also has two stages. First, both hands are raised while the head turns forward, back, and to each side. Second, the elbows are bent and pulled back. It releases stagnant energy that collects from the neck down to the shoulder blades. It is used for colds, rheumatic fever, nosebleeds, cervical lymphadenitis, acute nephritis, allergic rhinitis, pharyngitis, and suppurative tonsillitis.

Sit upright. Breathe slowly and settle your attention. While seated, press firmly on your knees for one or two minutes, then clench both hands into fists.

Keep the fists closed and raise them high above the head. Turn the head three times to the left, then three times to the right. Lower the hands and bend the elbows. Pull the elbows back quickly and firmly. Exhale through the mouth as the hands return. Repeat the whole sequence three to five times.

Longevity Sitting Exercise Sixteen

This practice tilts the body to the left and right. It suits people with weak kidneys or existing kidney disease. It is used for febrile colds, rheumatic fever, pneumonia, suppurative pleurisy, bronchiectasis, congestive heart failure, nephrotic syndrome, nephritis, cirrhosis of the liver, myxedema, nocturia, and gastric dilatation.

Sit cross-legged. Breathe slowly and settle your attention. Open both hands and rest them over your ears. Slowly bend the body in a wide arc to the left, exhaling through the mouth. Return to the upright posture. Then bend in a wide arc to the right, exhaling through the mouth. Alternate sides, three to five times each.

Longevity Sitting Exercise Seventeen

This practice opens the hands wide, raises them high, and rotates the head. It relieves shoulder pain and neck stiffness, and clears stagnant energy from the upper body. It is used for febrile colds, rheumatic fever, otitis media, migraine, hemorrhoids, chills, ankylosing spondylitis, spondylolisthesis, temporal arteritis, tension headache, sinus headache, nosebleeds, acute dacryocystitis, and corneal ulcer.

Kneel with the knees bent, sitting back on the heels, and settle your attention. Open the palms out to the sides, then reach straight up overhead with the backs of the hands facing down, exhaling through the mouth. Keep everything above the knees upright. Then spring up to standing as if about to leap. Rotate the head forward, back, left, and right three to five times, exhaling through the mouth at the end. Repeat the whole sequence three to five times.

Longevity Sitting Exercise Eighteen

This practice places the hands on the soles of the feet while pulling the legs in toward the body. It relieves lower back pain along with soreness, numbness, and aching in the knees.

It is used for dermatitis, severe muscular weakness, neuralgia, rheumatism, prostatitis, gonorrhea, cystitis, bladder stones, pancreatitis, and gastric ulcer.

Sit upright. Breathe slowly and settle your attention. Bring both legs together and extend them forward. Exhale through the mouth as your hands slide slowly from the knees down to the soles of the feet, palms gliding along the legs as though climbing to a high place. Grip the sole of the right foot with the right palm and draw it toward you. Exhale through the mouth as you pull the heel firmly in toward the base of the thigh. Hold the posture, then switch to the left hand and repeat with the left foot. Do this five to seven times on each side.

Winter

Longevity Sitting Exercise Nineteen

This practice pulls the elbows back and tilts the gaze up toward the backs of the hands. It thoroughly clears stagnant energy that gathers across the shoulders and back. It is used for intercostal neuralgia, pleurisy, pulmonary tuberculosis, acute lower back pain, lumbar spondylolysis, herniated intervertebral disc, ankylosing spondylitis, bone caries, migraine, acute gastritis, otitis media, and boils and carbuncles.

Sit upright. Breathe slowly and settle your attention. Open the right palm and press it firmly on the right knee, while the left hand forms a fist. With the left fist, bend the elbow and pull it forcefully back, exhaling through the mouth. Return to the upright posture. Open the left palm and press it firmly on the left knee, while the right hand forms a fist. With the right fist, bend the elbow and pull it forcefully back, exhaling through the mouth. Repeat three to five times.

Return to the starting posture, with both open palms resting on the knees. Raise the right hand high, open your eyes wide, and gaze at the back of the hand as you exhale through the mouth. The back of the hand should face down. Switch to the left hand and follow the same pattern, alternating for three to five rounds.

Longevity Sitting Exercise Twenty

This practice bends the elbows and pulls them back. It dissolves stubborn stiffness running from the shoulders down through the back. It is used for rheumatic fever, osteoarthritis, colds, rheumatoid arthritis, influenza, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, nocturia, testicular tumor, scrotal edema, hernia, gout in the foot, pneumonia, bronchitis, pleurisy, bronchial asthma, and constipation.

Sit upright. Breathe slowly and settle your attention. Open the right palm and press it firmly on the right knee. At the same time, open the left hand, bend the elbow, and pull it forcefully back as you close it into a fist, thumb wrapped inside. Return to the starting posture and exhale through the mouth. Open the left palm and press it firmly on the knee. Open the right hand, bend the elbow, and pull it forcefully back as you close it into a fist, then return to the starting posture and exhale through the mouth. Alternate sides for three to five rounds.

Longevity Sitting Exercise Twenty-one

This practice extends the hands upward while the feet step slowly in place. It eases joint problems in the hands and feet, relieves pain under the arms, warms the abdomen, and relieves constipation. It is used for arteriosclerosis, thrombophlebitis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, deformed joint disease, erythromelalgia, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, epidemic hepatitis, serum hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, cholelithiasis, chronic gastritis, chronic constipation, chronic pancreatitis, enteritis, gastric cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis, lung cancer, pulmonary infarction, night blindness, neuralgia, and phobias.

Stand upright. Breathe slowly and settle your attention. Raise both palms high overhead, as though lifting a heavy stone. Tilt the face up to look at the backs of the hands, exhaling through the mouth. Staying in this posture, step slowly and firmly in place, alternating feet. Step five to seven times, then return to the original posture.

Longevity Sitting Exercise Twenty-two

This practice presses the knees with the backs of the hands.

It relieves soreness, numbness, and pain in the knees and lower legs.

It is used for neuralgia, rheumatism, arteriosclerosis, pernicious anemia, excessive sleepiness, constipation, gastric and duodenal ulcers, acute pancreatitis, diabetes, tuberculous arthritis, exophthalmic goiter, lymphadenitis, herpes zoster, goiter, diarrhea, and enteritis.

Sit upright. Breathe slowly and settle your attention.

Bring both legs together and extend them forward.

Lightly close the fists, thumbs tucked inside, and press firmly on the kneecaps with the backs of both fists, exhaling through the mouth. Repeat three to five times.

Longevity Sitting Exercise Twenty-three

This practice presses the sole of one foot with one hand while raising the other hand overhead. It relieves stiffness from the neck down to the shoulders and clears stagnant energy lodged along the ribs and under the arms. It is used for gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, appendicitis, pancreatitis, acute hepatitis, pericarditis, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, liver cancer, and cirrhosis of the liver.

Sit upright. Breathe slowly and settle your attention. Place the right foot in front of the left foot. Press firmly on the sole of the right foot with the right palm.

At the same time, open the left palm and raise it high overhead, as though hoisting a heavy stone. Lift the head to gaze at the back of the hand, exhaling through the mouth. With the left hand still raised and the right hand holding the sole, bow the neck forward, drawing the chin close to the chest, and exhale through the mouth. Switch the feet so the left foot is in front, and repeat on the other side. Alternate for three to five rounds.

Longevity Sitting Exercise Twenty-four

This practice tips the body backward, supported on the arms and the tips of the toes. It is especially suited to people whose internal organs are not functioning well. It is used for glossitis, scarlet fever, insomnia, neuralgia, perforative peritonitis, intestinal obstruction, cirrhosis of the liver, chronic gastritis, indigestion, and gastric dilatation.

Kneel. Steady the posture and settle your attention. Place both palms flat on the ground behind you and lift both knees off the ground. Suddenly kick the right leg forward, extending it straight while the left knee returns to the ground, exhaling through the mouth. Support the body's weight on the right heel and the palms flat on the ground. Draw the right leg back, then suddenly kick the left leg forward, extending it straight while the right knee touches the ground, exhaling through the mouth. Support the weight on the left heel and the hands on the ground, just as before.

Coordination with Other Practices

These are the twenty-four sitting exercises for preventing aging. Though they form a single series, each exercise—like every daoyin method—has its own particular function. Working from that function, each exercise on its own can do a great deal to treat age-related decline in specific parts of the body, restore youthfulness, and promote healing. Of course, you are free to pick out whichever of the twenty-four suits you best.

The rejuvenating effects of each exercise, and the conditions it can address, have been laid out quite clearly above. Use these notes as a guide and select a few practices that match your own complaints. You'll likely find that some of them feel especially comfortable to do, and those are the ones best suited to your constitution.

When an exercise feels comfortable, it's because fresh qi and blood are being delivered to places where the flow had grown weak. So you can trust that sense of ease as a way of finding the right practice for you, and then combine it with the methods described in Daoyin Exercises for Treating Aging. That way, whether your aim is rejuvenation or healing, the benefits will be all the greater.

For example, someone troubled by an aging lower back or by lower back pain might begin by focusing on Lower Back Practice One, described earlier, to clear the pain, and then do Lower Back Practices One and Two at least once a day. From there, if the goal is to further restore youthfulness to the lower back, work through Sitting Exercises One, Nine, Ten, and Eighteen in the order they were introduced, since all of them benefit the lower back. Choose from among them the one that feels most comfortable, and pair it with Lower Back Practices One and Two, doing the whole set at least once a day. The effect on lower-back youthfulness will then be stronger. In matching the various anti-aging sitting exercises with other daoyin methods, you can pair a few of them with Lower Back Practice One, or only with Lower Back Practice Two, or simply pick two or three sitting exercises to do on their own.

In short, daoyin is a health practice with very real effects. Once you begin, you'll notice the results quickly, and it usually becomes apparent quite soon which exercise is right for you. There's no need to do too many at once, though. To treat a particular part of the body, for instance, three exercises are usually plenty.

The above content is intended primarily for academic research; please do not attempt to practice it on your own.

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