Healthy mind, healthy body, the Chinese way

By Aurora Velez & Robert Hackwill

Published on 08/10/2018 - 17:00•Updated 30/03/2021 - 15:42

Chinese medicine is one of the Middle Kingdom's great treasures, and Baduanjin is one of its cornerstones.

Prevention against ill-health involves the well-being of the mind and the body, something the Chinese have understood since antiquity.

Chinese medicine recognises the virtues of ancestral practices such as phytotherapy and Baduanjin, a martial art recommended by doctors.

"According to Chinese medicine, our five main organs are linked to five emotional states. So when we want to treat emotional difficulties, we begin by treating the related organs, and vice-versa," says Baduanjin instructor Zhang Yuchen.

"Lightness, rootedness, concentration. In Baduajin there are eight fundamental movements. It's better to do the exercises early in the morning in an open and calm area. Also known as "the eight pieces of brocade", its purpose is to strengthen our body and energy."