There is a great Chinese proverb, – ‘A drop of prevention is worth a bucket load of cure.’ The theory being that if you are in a healthy state, it is harder for illness to get a foothold in the body. This illustrates how the Chinese approach to health is that prevention is as important as cure. So much so they have an entire system to work with to ensure you stay well that we barely know anything about and it’s called Yang Sheng.
Yang Sheng is about discovering energy imbalances long before they turn into overt disease. It works on the approach of eliminating small health niggles and balancing the body to stay healthy.
In the West, we systematically neglect wellness and disease prevention. We take our good health for granted, often viewing the body as a machine. When parts break down they are repaired or replaced. The approach is more ‘wait for something to break, then get it fixed’.
We assume that we cannot avoid disease. And then when we are ill, we treat the symptoms of disease rather than finding the root cause. Eastern Medicine is about caring for ourselves every day to maintain balance and stay healthy.
So, what do we need to prevent against in order to safeguard our health? And how can Chinese Wisdom help us?
Western doctors would increasingly answer ‘inflammation’. Inflammation is a perfectly healthy response of the body. But the relentless pace of our modern-day lives, with the accompanying marketing messages, constant social media and poor diet, makes for chronic stress. And chronic stress creates chronic inflammation.
Inflammation is crucial for wound healing and a useful mechanism in the body’s defences. It is a totally normal bodily function, generally triggered by the immune system on spotting an invader or damage to tissue that must be kept under control.
Inflammation becomes an issue when the immune system becomes faulty and triggers the inflammatory response unnecessarily. This happens when the immune system fails to distinguish between itself and external pathogens. It also happens when the immune system is in overdrive, which in turn creates excessive inflammation.
Early signs of chronic inflammation include:
• Frequent headaches
• Digestive problems
• Brain fog
• Joint pain
• Fatigue
• Rashes
• Weight gain
• Gum disease
• Low mood
These lower level symptoms are crucial indicators, that allow us to address inflammation in its early stages. Surely it would be better to treat the signs of underlying inflammation as it occurs rather than wait until it turns into something more complicated?
The Hayo’u Method
So how do you reduce inflammation, clear up your niggling health issues and prevent illness?
Based upon time tested Chinese Wisdom held by the Yang Sheng tradition, Hayo’u helps you support the body by enabling free-flow of circulation and assisting detoxification.
Individually, these simple techniques will have instant results such as better sleep, a relaxed mind and more energy. Combined and practised daily, in the longer term they will limit the chances of illness getting a foothold in the body.
