Health individuals, healthy communities, healthy planet – lessons from the Chinese yangsheng (nourishment of life) tradition

The 2500 year old Chinese yangsheng tradition teaches us how to manage our body-mind to maximise health and wellbeing at all stages of life. Rooted in Chinese philosophy, especially Daoism, it offers a joined-up view of how to live well as a human being. Yet it also acknowledges that the pursuit of health can become narcissistic without the cultivation of generosity and compassion. In this way, we can try not only to look after ourselves but also our families and communities. And reaching further, especially with its Daoist roots, it understands that we are an inseparable part of nature and that unless we love and care for the planet and all its inhabitants, we injure ourselves.

About Mr. Peter Deadman

Peter Deadman has worked in the field of health promotion for 50 years. In the 1970s he co-founded a natural and organic food shop and bakery and set up a charity (Brighton Natural Health Centre) to teach ways of maintaining health and wellbeing. He qualified as an acupuncturist in 1978 and as a herbal medicine practitioner in 1993. He is founder-editor of The Journal of Chinese Medicine, co-author of A Manual of Acupuncture, and author of Live Well Live Long: Teachings from the Chinese Nourishment of Life Tradition. He is a dedicated practitioner and teacher of qigong and has taught Chinese medicine, yangsheng and qigong worldwide for over 40 years.