All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from Ron Teeguarden. Dragon Herbs 315 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90401 88855TONIC www.dragonherbs.com

2004 by Ron Teeguarden.

Deepest thanks to my wife and partner, Yanlin, for personally projectmanaging this books publication, and for her everlasting desire to take my ideas and creations to a higher level.

I hope you take these tips to heart, since they are all, in their own ways, transformative. I wish you the best of luck, health, longevity and happiness in your life.

These thirty tips are purposely short and without deep instruc tion. Each tip is probably worthy of a full chapter in a book, or maybe even entire books. One can spend a lifetime, for example, studying the art of eating correctly or of meditating. The tips are simply reminders, simple attitude adjusters, to help keep us on track. They may pop into mind at the appropriate times and save us grief and help us to prosper, in more ways than one.

Yet The Book did not tell everything fundamental to the attain ment of real health, happiness and wisdom. So I decided to write down some short tips that I have learned are essential to having a great life. I too wrote them with my children in mind this would be my guidebook to them.

Back in the 1960s, I read a book written by Alan Watts. The name of the book was, well, The Book. In his introduction he explained that he wanted to write something to give to his children that would be their fundamental guidebook for their life. In The Book, Watts delved into the inner secrets of life from a Taoist Buddhist perspective. This book was pivotal in my life and I still live my life by many of the ideas expressed in it. I still have the original copy of that book, and I recently loaned it to my teenage son and suggested he read it carefully.

Introduction

Ron Teeguarden

Peace and Love,

Tip 1: Respect Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Tip 2: Build & Protect the 3 Treasures (Jing, Qi & Shen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Tip 3: Develop Your Will Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Tip 4: Develop Your Adaptability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Tip 5: Take Tonic Herbs Consistently . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Tip 6: Learn the Art of Moderation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Tip 7: Spend Some Time Studying the Human BodyMind . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Tip 8: Eat Naturally (And Eat Plenty of Vegetables) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1213 Tip 9: Chew Your Food Very Well & Leave the Table a Little Empty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Tip 10: Do Breathing Exercises Daily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Tip 11: Exercise Daily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Tip 12: Sleep Enough & Learn to Sleep Well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Tip 13: Develop a Basic Life Routine that You Can Maintain Most of the Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Tip 14: Avoid Toxins, Pollutants & Dangerous Microbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Tip 15: Cleanliness is Next to Godliness (Inside & Out) . . . . . . . . . . . . 2021 Tip 16: Dont Engage in Activities that You Know are Harmful . . . . . . . . . 22 Tip 17: Study Nature From the Point of View that You are a Part of It . . . . 23 Tip 18: Develop Beauty From Within . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2425 Tip 19: Pay Close Attention to Your Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2627 Tip 20: Pay Close Attention to the State of Your Mind & Emotions . . . . . . 28 Tip 21: Develop Patience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Tip 22: Develop Your Intuition & Follow It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3031 Tip 23: Learn to Meditate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3233 Tip 24: Be Steady Keep Your Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3435 Tip 25: Focus on the Positive But Take Note of the Negative . . . . . . . . 3637 Tip 26: Appreciate Everything . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Tip 27: Learn to Let Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Tip 28: Enjoy Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4041 Tip 29: Be a Giver, & Replenish the Energy Spent Doing It . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Tip 30: Open Your Heart to Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

T able of Contents

Respect Respec Yourself

Selfrespect is one of the great secrets to health and longevity. If you respect yourself, you wont pollute your bodymind with drugs, junk food, and smoke, and you wont harm and abuse it with a poor lifestyle. If you respect yourself, you will treat your body like a superior being and you would treat your mind like a sage. Treat yourself with respect you may be a potential Buddha, or the person with the potential to save or positively change the world. This single prac tice of truly respecting yourself should be enough to propel you on the path of radiant health.

SHEN

Build and Protect reasures the 3 T

(Jing, Qi & Shen)
Jing
is the candle. It is our reserve of life force.

is the flame. It is the energy of life, acquired through breathing and eating and manifested as our daytoday vitality.

Qi

Shen
2

is the light given off by the candle. It is the Spirit, the energy of consciousness and awareness.

The Three Treasures are the fundamental ener gies of life within a human being. They are more important to our health and happiness than any thing else. The Three Treasures are known as Jing, Qi and Shen in Chinese. Jing is our primal power it determines our fundamental life force and how long we live. If you replenish Jing on a daily basis, you will be recharging your inner battery before you run dry. You will slow down the aging process and will always have the ener gy reserves to handle everything that life can throw at you. Qi is our daytoday vitality and our protective energy it determines how we adapt to the world around us and how well we function. With an abundance of Qi, your adapt ability will be optimized, and since adaptability is the measure of your life, your life will be abundant. Shen is our Spirit we know it as our state of psychological well being and our spiritu al experience. It is the spark of divinity that resides within your heart. With Shen fully open, you will experience the full joy of life. By fully nurturing and protecting our Three Treasures, we virtually assure ourselves of health, happiness and a long life. Learn the art of cultivating the Three Treasures. Consume tonic herbs that nurture the Three Treasures.

3 TREASURES

Develop Your You Will Power

Will power is an essential human characteristic necessary for succeeding in life. If you lack will power, you cannot remain healthy for long, and happiness will elude you. With will power, you can become highly successful, not only in lifes work, but in the effort to become and remain healthy and in your search for spiritual attain ment. You need will power to rid yourself of, and avoid, bad habits and unhealthy activities. You also need will power to work on the things that improve health, such as exercising, eating prop erly and regulating you life. Focus on building your will power. You do this by focusing your attention on what you are doing and on what you want or need to accomplish, and by gradually looking past temptation. Tonic herbs have tradi tionally been used in China to help strengthen the nervous system and to build will power. An herbal formula called Will Power has been used for centuries and is highly effective at strength ening human will power. It also connects the chakras, especially the lower sexual centers, with the heart, thus linking sexual love with emotional and spiritual love. Most people are not fully connected in this way. By developing your will power, you will be developing the human charac teristic most important for your growth to your full potential.

4TH TREASURE

Develop Develo Your Adaptability

Adapt like

a chameleon.

These characters

mean Gynostemma, the quintessential adaptogenic herb.

Adaptability is the measure of your life. If your body and your mind are highly adaptable, you can handle a great deal more stress before the bodymind goes into stressresponse mode, which causes the body to age more quickly and the psyche to become imbalanced. You can do several things to improve your adaptability. The adapto genic tonic herbs such as Ginseng, Gynostemma, Siberian Ginseng, Ant, Astragalus, Schizandra and others have the ability to increase adaptability. Besides tonic herbs, there are other ways to improve adaptability. Take hot and cold baths or showers. Go from hot to cold several times. The body becomes more functionally flexible more adaptable. Also take "adaptability walks." Take walks during moderately adverse conditions to enhance your adaptability.

QI

T T ake onic Herbs Consistently

Though the concept of using tonic herbs is new in our society, it is universally accepted in Asian cultures. Tonic herbs should be considered part of your overall nutritional program. These herbs nurture the Three Treasures, increase adaptability, help you overcome stress, protect you, and help regulate all of your vital func tions. You should be especially diligent about taking tonic herbs that build your immune system because these herbs protect you and support many other functions in the body. Tonic herbs also strengthen our ability to rid the body of wastes and toxins. Most of the tonic herbs, such as Gynostemma, Pearl, Reishi and Lycium and many others have powerful antioxidant activity, which we all know protects us and keeps us healthy and young. It is a dangerous world and tonic herbs help to protect and support us. Take Three Treasuresbuilding, dou bledirection, adaptogenic (adaptability enhancing), protective herbs regularly. Tonic herbs promote our psychological and spiritual growth. They help us achieve our full potential.

3 TREASURES

These characters symbolize I know contentment.

JING

Moderation is essential to becoming really healthy and really happy. You would do well to learn the art of moderation so as to avoid excessively stressing the body and mind. This does not mean that you have to live a boring life. To the contrary, you should lead an exciting, interesting, rich, satisfying life. By moderation, I mean that you must know where your limits are at when to stop, how much energy you have to spare. If you go beyond your limits, you will become ill or you will be injured or other wise harmed. If you burn the candle at both ends for too long, you will shorten your life. Fortunately, you can expand your limits. One way to do this is by using tonic herbs. Jing tonics build reserves, and Qi tonics increase adaptability. With an abundance of Jing and Qi you can do much more, and still be "moderate" by your bodyminds standard. Compared to your old self, and to others, you will seem to be more capable of taking on the wilder side of life, and yet you will have energy to spare and the ability to maintain your balance.

Learn the Art of Moderation

10

Knowing something about how the body works, how our mind works and what science knows about achieving health will help your efforts in attaining radiant health. It is also important to read books and articles about alternative approaches and cutting edge theories of health and longevity. Try to find information that takes into consideration regulatory processes and bio logical rhythms. Primarily, you need to know practical matters, but knowing some of the principles of traditional forms of healthcare, such as those of Chinese healthcare, can be quite enlightening. I recommend reading books on natural food diets, healthoriented exercises like Qi Gung and Yoga, breathing and medita tion techniques. It is also helpful to listen to wise and knowledgeable health practitioners who apply their principles in their own life and who are themselves fine examples of radiant health.

Spend Some Som Time Studying Studyin the Human BodyMind

ONENESS

11

Eat Naturally Naturall (and Eat Plenty Plent of Vegetables)

12

You are a natural being. Eat naturally as much as possible if not all the time. Avoid synthetic foods and nutrients they are not safe. Avoid whiteflour breads, pasta and pastries. Eat whole grains. Eat plenty of a wide variety of vegetables (select a wide variety of colors and tastes). Every day, consume a variety of fruits (especially dark colored fruits and berries and high fiber fruits like figs); soy products (unless you are allergic to them), some fermented foods such as miso, yogurt, sauerkraut or fermented grasses; and mineral salts such as sea salt. Use freshly pressed vegetable oils. You dont have to eat them raw, but if you do, chew them very well. Dont ever overcook your vegetables. It is best to steam veg etables until they are a bright color. Eat protein sources like beans, nuts and legumes. These can be sprouted for additional benefits. If you choose to eat meat, eat mostly fish, especially coldwater fish and fish collected from clean environments. If you must eat fowl and red meat, choose natu rally grown meat. No matter what, dont eat too much meat. The same goes for eggs again, dont eat too many. And again, the same goes for dairy keep it light and low fat, or try goats milk, which is quite a healthy food. A poor diet is probably a leading cause of cancer, and is surely the root of much disease. Simply eating naturally can have a profound influence on your health and longevity. Dont eat too much.

QI

13

Chew Your Food Very Well and an Leave the T able a Little Empty

QI

14

Do you want to know a real trick to health and longevity? Chew your food very, very well. At first this takes some training and practice. Chew until the food in your mouth is liquid, then swallow. Mahatma Gandhi said "drink your foods and chew your liq uids." For a while, your jaws will get tired and you wont feel like chewing so much. But you will find that you eat less while still getting more nutrition. Chewing is the first step in good digestion. Most people with poor digestion eat too fast and chew poorly. Also, chewing makes you consume your meal more slowly. Your blood chemistry sends signals to your brain when it has had enough nutrition. Many people who are overweight simply eat too much before the brain has received a signal to stop. Make it a practice to leave the table with the stomach just a little empty. Dont eat to satiety (dont eat until youre stuffed). You will digest better, have more energy and protect your weight. Thorough chewing has an influence on both your attitude and your intuition. Good chewing strengthens both your mind and your will power.

Do Breathing Breathin Exercises Daily

Breathing is essential to life. But most of us do not understand the true benefits of consciously mastering our breathing. The lungs are the major source of Qi for our bodymind. Breathing gives us energy. It also has a very close connection to our resistance to disease and to stress. Deep, slow, controlled breathing can substantially improve the condition of almost every function of our body and mind. It helps to rid the body of waste, to improve cardiovas cular function, to sharpen the mind, to over come stress, and can even improve our sex life. It can even help us to lose excess weight and to maintain our optimum weight. Stress causes our breathing to become tight and shallow. This will lead to disease and premature aging. Deep breathing is one of the great secrets to health and longevity. Learn how to breathe properly and deeply. Zen breathing is easy to master and very effective. It involves breathing from deep within the belly diaphragmatic breathing. Study an art like Qi Gung, Daoist Yoga or one of the many forms of Indian Yoga. Open your lungs consciously every morning by doing some deep breathing, to live a long and healthy life.

QI

15

QI

Exercise is required for health. You need to work every muscle, joint, and organ of your body almost every day to keep the body young, clean, strong and balanced. You need to develop an exercise program that works every muscle group, that makes you breathe deeply, that makes you sweat and that really pumps your heart. It is even better if the exercise has been developed with deeper health interests being considered. Exercise routines such as Tai Ji, Qi Gung, and Yoga take into consideration major energy centers, strengthening them where necessary and dis persing blocks where necessary. They also require coordination and will power, which helps in other ways. Though they promote physical health, fitness and beauty, they are exercises for the mind and spirit as well. It is also important to try to avoid exhaustion from exercising. Exhaustion causes the body to break down, resulting in injury and damage. Sometimes, this damage is difficult to reverse and can cause long term problems and pain. Remember, exercising is supposed to be good for you. Dont let it cause long term misery. Certain tonic herbs are fantastic for athletes and for enhancing the benefits of exercise. These include Eleuthero (Siberian Ginseng), American and Asian Ginseng, Tibetan Rhodiola, Astragalus, Cordyceps, Gynostemma, Lycium, Morinda, Deer Antler and others.

Exercise Daily

16

Sleep Enough and an Learn to Sleep Well

Sleep is a critical function of living. During sleep, our body rejuvenates and our brain has a chance to rearrange data that was stored at tem porary sites during the day. We need to go into deep sleep in order for our body and mind to be thoroughly renewed. It is not so much a matter of time, but more a matter of quality. It is wise to learn the art of sleeping deeply. Meditate or otherwise truly relax before going to sleep quiet the mind and relax the body. Clear your mind of negative thoughts and emotions before going to sleep. Meditate on or visualize some thing beautiful before going to sleep. If you have difficulty sleeping, take a Shen tonic, espe cially just before going to bed. Consume more Reishi mushroom extract and Pearl. There are wonderful Chinese tonic formulations that help to regulate this function. Check them out. Women often have more trouble sleeping deeply because of blood deficiency (slight anemia). If that is a problem, take a good womens tonic with Dang Gui and other blood tonics. Lights Out, with the green tea amino acid LTheanine quiets the mind and has been proven to improve the quality of sleep.

QI

17

QI

Your body and your mind will function better when all of your multitude of biorhythms are synchronized. You will be healthier if you establish a daily routine where you perform most of your basic functions at the same time of the day, most of the time. Go to bed and wake up at about the same time, most days. Eat your meals at about the same times. Take your herbs and supplements at about the same times each day. Use the toilet at about the same times each day. Exercise at about the same time each day if possible. Meditate at about the same time(s) each day. If you at least keep this much of a routine in order, you will be much less likely to become ill and radiant health is much more likely. One caveat. It is also alright to break the routine from time to time so that you maintain adaptability. If you are too stuck on one routine and lose functional flexibility, you could get into real trouble, especially when you travel and when life suddenly doesnt allow you to live by your normal routine.

Develop a Basic Basi Life Routine that You Can Maintain Most of the Time

18

The body can handle a certain amount of pollution. In fact a very small amount probably makes the body a little stronger. But in general, toxins, pollutants and many microbes are the enemies of health. Avoid them. Dont eat food and dont drink beverages that contain chemicals. Dont smoke and dont work or hang around places where smoking takes place. Avoid breathing fumes from gasoline and similar petrochemicals. Avoid excessive contact with pesticides, household chemicals and industrial pollutants. If youre not sure about the cleanliness of a food, dont eat it go by your instincts. It is better to be safe than sorry. During the flu season, use crowded subways and buses only as a last resort or if you have an invincible immune system. You dont have to live in a sterile bubble, or wear rubber gloves everywhere, but avoid that which is obvious ly dangerous. The effects of environmental chemicals, for example, are cumulative. They cause all kinds of diseases, autoimmune disorders and cancer. In the United States, it is currently estimated that 49% of all men and 39% of all women will develop cancer during their lifetimes. Eat organic foods whenever possible. Use natural bodycare products. Drink pure, wellfiltered or spring water. Dont live downwind from an oil refinery or chemical factory.

Avoid T oxins, Pollu tants & Dangerous Dangerou Microbes

PROTECTION

19

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness (Inside & Out)

We all know this, but it needs to be reiterated. Disease results when pathological forces over whelm our bodys ability to resist them. If our resistance is low due to the exposure to toxins in the environment or due to stress, even a low level of exposure to a microbe can cause illness. If our resistance is very strong, we can get away with more dirt, but it is unwise to test our body too much when it comes to germs, worms, fungi and viruses. Wash every part of your body daily. Take special care of your teeth many problems result from tooth or mouth infections, some of which can be fatal. Keep you skin clean and wash after any possible exposure to dangerous chemicals, toxins or microbes. Dont use chemical disin fectants because they can kill helpful bacteria and lower our resistance. They may be con tributing to the development of "superbugs" bacteria and viruses that are resistant to cur
Dragon Herbs line of Rice Soaps

Lycium

Bupleurum

20

Schizandra

rent antibiotics. Use natural soap and water. On another level, keep your internal organs clean too. Drink plenty of water. Eating fresh vegetables, fruits, miso, and superfoods help cleanse the body as well. Foods rich in antioxidants cleanse the body at a dif ferent level they eliminate free radicals, molecules that are very harmful to your health and that lead to premature aging and degenerative conditions. Fruits such as lycium, cherries, cranberries and blueberries, vegetables, cereal grasses, soy bean products, and many tonic herbs such as Gynostemma and Reishi are potent antioxidants. Natural foods and herbs that build the immune system help keep the blood and cells free of debris. From time to time take some herbs that clean out the colon and liver. Bupleurum formulas are excellent because they cleanse the liver, blood and cells. Schizandra, a great adaptogenic tonic herb, is a perfect general cleansing herb because it detoxifies our liver and helps to safely eliminate the toxins from the body. You can also take herbal formu las that clean out the lymph glands. This can have lifechanging benefits. Herbs like Agaricus, Astragalus and Reishi, and seaweeds like Laminaria stimulate the immune cells to clean up heavy metals, microbe pieces, and all kinds of dirt. Gynostemma keeps the intestines clean. Spring Dragon Longevity Tea contains many of these herbs. Probiotics help keep the intestines clean too. Tonic Alchemy supplies the most powerful and harmonious range of probiotics.
Blueberries

PROTECTION

21

PROTECTION

This may be one of the most important positive actions you can take to establish radiant health and to attain longevity. There are many things we can do that are harm ful to us in some way that we can avoid by choice. Dont do things that are highly likely to be injurious. Dont do things that are guaranteed to put you in the orthopedic sur geons schedule. If you smoke, quit. If you dont smoke, dont start. Dont do dangerous drugs. Avoid excessive drinking of alcohol. Avoid highrisk sexual activity this is one of the leading causes of chronic and degenerative diseases and even of death. Learn to do things properly so that safety is more likely. If youre going to rock climb in Yosemite, take plenty of lessons first and practice on smaller rocks first. If youre skiing, take plenty of lessons first before you take on the advanced slopes. If youre going to play a sport where injuries are common, learn the fundamentals so that you are less likely to hurt your self, do the appropriate stretching to prevent injuries, and use the appropriate equipment. It is safe to say that it is better to avoid things like radioactive environments unless absolutely necessary, and if you must, take all the precau tions possible to protect yourself. You dont need to be a coward, but dont be a careless fool either.

Dont Engage in i Activities that You Know are Harmful

22

You are a natural being. For millions of years, our ancestors evolved in the heart of nature, fully absorbed in every subtle change of nature. Every gene was integrated with the outer environment. Our genetics are designed to adapt to nature, and to thrive in nature. Youre probably a lot hardier, by nature, than you realize. You are the end result of a billion years of evolution. Its a good idea for you to know a little bit about nature. The best way to know about nature is to experience it. Gardening is a great teacher. Go camping from time to time or at least go to the countryside once in a while. When youre there, spend time watching nature and feeling, smelling and listening to it too. Notice that nature is incredibly complex and yet follows universal principles. Watch how nature is rhythmic. Notice how nature works as a harmonious whole. If you cant get out to nature, read some good books about it. Youre part of nature. Use it and replenish it. Try to live naturally as much as possible. Do not live a totally unnatural life.

Study Nature Natur from the Point of View that You are a Part of It

ONENESS

23

Schizandra

Lycium

Nurturing our lungs will help make the skin beautiful. And the organs that cleanse the body have a profound influence upon our outer appearance. Our liver, kidneys, colon and lymphatic system all play key roles in eliminating toxins from our body, and also influence the repair mechanisms critical to maintaining our beauty. Poor kidney function will result in a dark sallow appearance and eye bags or dark rings under the eyes. The kidneys also play a key role in the fullness and luster of our hair, and the brightness of our eyes. Liver dysfunction will

A good diet is the first step in building beauty from within. Foods that result in free radical buildup dissolve the beauty of our youth prematurely. A diet high in sugar and saturated fat produces more wrinkles and expedites the aging process. Foods high in antioxidants, like berries, broccoli, bell peppers, green vegetables, squash, and tomatoes can help reduce the amount of wrinkles on the skin.

Most of us are aware that if we expose ourselves to harsh exter nal elements like excessive sunshine, excessive wind, dirt or pollution, our skin will age more quickly. But what goes on internally may play an even more dramatic role in how we age and how well we maintain or enhance our beauty. Our outer beauty and youthful radiance is a reflection of the health, balance and vitality of our inner organs.

Develop Beauty Beaut from Within

24

Pearl

Covering up your wrinkles and dark eyerings with makeup or using hightech cosmetic procedures will be less effective in the long run than establishing radiant health, and thus building your beauty from within.

result in tension that leads to deep wrinkles, discoloration and blemishes. If the colon is polluted or imbalanced, the skin will age quickly. And of course, if our circulation is poor, the skin will not receive the nourishment it needs and will age more quickly than necessary. And beauty is not seen only in the face. Our posture is dependent on Qi, and if we lack Qi we will slump and our muscles will sag. Obesity and cellulite are caused by internal imbal ances that are corrected by healthy living. Certain tonic herbs are amazingly effective at protecting your youthful beauty by enhancing inner health at profound levels. Pearl, Schizandra, Lycium, Snow Lotus and Longan are all very famous in the Orient for keeping the skin pure, radiant and soft. The orchid Dendrobium, when consumed as a tea, has the ability to make the skin moist and radiant. Ho Shou Wu, Gynostemma and Reishi all have powerful and broadspectrum antioxidant activities and all have reputations in the Orient for promoting beauty. Chronic stress also has a way of damaging your beauty. Try to eliminate or reduce stress by observing the tips in this book. And reduce the effects of stress by taking adaptogenic herbs such as Schizandra, Siberian Ginseng, American Ginseng, and Astragalus. The green tea amino acid Ltheanine has the ability to reduce stress reactions in the body while promoting clear thinking.

QI, JING

True beauty is never skin deep.

25

Pay Close Clos Attention to Your Body

26

Selfawareness is a critical aspect of maintaining health. Take note of how you feel regularly. Dont become obsessed, but pay close attention to early signs of pain and discom fort. Letting things go too long before taking them seriously can be lethal. Nip problems in the bud. Dont let small problems grow. There is a rule in Chinese philosophy that "when a problem is acute, treat the stem, when it is chronic, treat the root." Go to the source of the problem as quickly as possible. Remember that prevention is always better than cure. And promoting radiant health is even better than specific prevention.

ONENESS

27

SHEN
Rise above all of your emotions. Let your Shen (Spirit) blossom.

Just as selfawareness is critical to maintaining a healthy body, it is equally important in main taining mental health, which ultimately has a profound influence on physical health and longevity. Take note if you are happy most of the time. Take note if you are depressed. If you are angry, anxious or fearful too much of the time, or if you are chronically worrying, you need to find help. The help can come in the way of selfbalancing techniques or it may be neces sary to have someone help you. A lot of emo tional stuff is a matter of habits we form. Sometimes we need to get away from our rou tine to take a look at ourselves from a bigger perspective. Dont get stuck in negativity it will make you sick and shorten your life. Shen tonic herbs and adaptogenic herbs can be extremely helpful. Reishi and Pearl have long histories of stabilizing the emotions and lifting the spirit. Tao in a Bottle is an herbal formula that is almost miraculous for many people.

Pay Close Clos Attention to the State of Your Mind and Emotions

28

Develop Patience
Our society places a big emphasis on instant gratification. Drugs are designed to work instantly, or at least very quickly. The Internet is virtually instant and information about almost anything is just moments away. Natural changes, though, are generally slower. But because they are slower, they are deeper and more complete. If you want to become truly healthy, you must be a little patient. Patience is very important. If you change your diet, a few things may change right away, but most of the real benefits take a little time, and some perhaps a long time. The same is true with exercise, medita tion, the tonic herbs and all of the natural means to radiant health they all require patience because real positive change generally takes time. Yet by applying all the various means to radiant health, you are hastening the health process and securing longevity and happiness.

SHEN

29

Develop Your You Intuition and Follow It

Developing your intuition is the key to your longevity.

30

Your intuition is your sixth sense. The sixth sense is not a myth. Some people have a powerful sixth sense that they follow. Your intuition is something that nature provided you with so as to guide you away from danger and in the direction of that which is good for you. Most people have intuition, but they block it, dont trust it, and certainly dont follow it. We are a society that emphasizes the importance of logic and the power and sanctity of the intellect. But we did not evolve solely on the basis of the intellect. It is truly important to develop the intellect and to use it fully but not at the expense of natural intuition. Spend time developing or rather, getting in touch with your intuition. It is hard to be in touch with your intuition when your stomach is too full. If you want to develop your intuition, stay a little hungry. How do you devel op your intuition? At first, exercise your intuition with things that are not important. Practice getting up in the morning without an alarm clock. Make some simple decisions based on your intuition. From time to time, trust it for more important matters. Eventually, you can get in touch with this sixth sense on a moments notice on matters large and small. Then your intuition will help you on your path of radiant health. Strong intuitive judgment can save your life, make you rich and protect your health. If your intuition says, "dont eat that piece of fish," dont eat it. Death by accident is still death. Longevity is attained by those who do not die an accidental death, and intuition plays a large role in avoiding accidents.

SHEN

31

Learn to Meditate

32

Meditation can definitely contribute to both health and longevity. Meditation helps you let go of stress, and it vitalizes your energy centers. There are many techniques and many teachers of meditation, representing dozens of cultures and a multitude of traditions. It is not always easy to find a technique or a teacher that suits you, so you may want to try out different techniques until you find a style that fits you like a glove. When you find a technique or teacher that suits you, that inspires you, that speaks to your inner self, stick with it for a while, preferably for a long while. The more you practice a technique, the deeper you will go and the more you will get out of it. Usually, people who bounce from technique to technique or from teacher to teacher do so because they cant get through some of the frustrating stages that sometimes cause uneasiness. These are the stages that stimulate true growth and spiritual awareness. Dont give up easily, and stay diligent. Use adaptogenic herbs such as wild Ginseng, Rhodiola sacra and Reishi to enhance your meditation. Shen tonics are perfect for meditation since they calm the mind and heart while enhancing mental and psychic clarity. I recommend you look at Zen meditation, Daoist meditation (Nei Gung) or some similar system.

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Dont get too high or too low youll live longer. Humans have a wide range of emotions. But the emotions can become excessive, and if they fluctuate too wildly, the emotions may make you ill, or can kill you. It is a basic tenet of Oriental philosophy and health practice that it is best not to become overly excited because this invariably leads to depression. It is best to train yourself to be steady in your emotions. A balanced attitude and a balanced way of life help to smooth out the rocky path of life. There are times when we must work very hard: these times must be balanced with periodic withdraw al, deep rest, relaxation, and recuperation. Then there are times when all is tranquil: these times require recreation to make our time more bal anced. If it is hot out, we seek the shade and drink cool liquids to cool ourselves down. If it is cold out we find a warm fire and drink hot drinks to warm up. It is our instinct to maintain balance, but sometimes our instincts are ignored

Be Steady Steady Keep Your You Balance

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Balance must be applied to every aspect of our life. When a mistake is made due to imbalanced behavior, the wise avoid these same excesses the next time, while the foolish repeat their errors over and over. Of course, it sometimes takes a few times around to see the truth through something. Life is balance, and those who practice the art of balance succeed and are called wise.

There is nothing in which balance is not a fac tor. Even generally beneficial activities, and nonactivities, can be injurious if done in excess. Breath is life, and insufficient, shallow breathing is a primary cause of illhealth and premature death; but breathing too deeply can lead to hyperventilation. We must not eat or drink too much or too little. We must not sleep or work too much or too little. A little alcohol has been generally found to relax the body and mind and to prevent hypertension, but we all know what comes of those who become exces sive drinkers. Salt and sugar are necessary for life, but too much can result in death. The list is endless. All problems arise out of imbalance.

and we fall into the trap of excess and imbal ance. In a sense, we can become addicted to an extreme position.

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Focus on the Positive but T Note of ake the Negative

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Focusing on the positive in life will contribute significantly to your health and youll live longer for it. Negative people are usually ill all the time, or theyre in pain and are generally miserable what kind of life is that! Focus your attention on what can be done to make your life better, the lives of other people better, and the lives of the animals and plants of the earth better. Only a fool does not take note of the negative in the world it is all around us. But to dwell on that causes sickness and war. Focus your attention on harmo ny and it will occur. Focus your attention on the light and you will see clearly. Visualize beauty and it will manifest. Be a peace broker, be a happiness vendor, be a purveyor of love and goodness. Visualize radiant health and you will be able to achieve it. It is important to observe the relationship of health and disease. The main tenance of health, and the improvement or the curing of illness, primarily depends on the ability of a person to resist disease from within. The basic point of view that we must follow is known as "assist the positive and eliminate the noxious." Positive represents the functions of regulation, defense and adaptability of the person. Noxious represents all the disadvantage factors that hinder the development of the normal person or that lead to sickness. Generally, assisting the positive is primary.

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SHEN

Life is a blessing. Appreciate it every day. At least once a day take specific notice and express a thought or two of gratitude. Gratitude makes us hum ble, and humility helps us become closer to our own true nature, and to God or Dao however you perceive the ultimate divinity. Learn to appre ciate the bad as well as the good, the low as well as the high, the bitter as well as the sweet, the hard as well as the easy. Its all a part of life, and it all can contribute to our health, our character, our growth and our wis dom. Appreciate the struggle as well as the end result. Appreciate the fail ures for the lessons they offer but learn from those lessons and grow. And dont forget the good and the positive. Give thanks for it every day. Appreciate the beauty of your family, your work, and your life. This kind of appreciation will contribute to your health in untold ways.

Appreciate Appreciat Everything

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A sure way to become prone to illness and to age quickly is to hold on to everything nega tive that has happened in your life. Even hold ing on to just one negative event will have negative effects. Learn to let go. Letting go is an art. It is the art that leads to wisdom. Deep breathing will help you let go, as will medita tion. Certain tonic herbs can help too, includ ing Shen tonics like Pearl and Albizzia flower. Reishi mushroom is the ultimate herb for helping a person let go of old stuff that holds their life back like a trap. It is not even that beneficial to hold on to old "good stuff." It blocks you from finding new "good stuff." Let it all go. Extract the wisdom, the truth, the insight, from everything that has happened in your life, and then let the events themselves go. That way you remain open to that which is new, allowing you to grow. Holding onto really painful stuff causes stagnation and blockages within the body and mind, which become targets of disease factors. By letting go, you become much more resistant to dis ease and much more likely to live a long and happy life. The ability to let go is one of the primary psychological techniques of health and longevity and enlightenment.

Learn to Let Go

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Enjoy Life

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Life is stunningly beautiful, but we often for get. Stress and negative thoughts and feelings can easily destroy our lives. Enjoy life! It is so magnificent. That is not to say that there will not be hardship, danger, some misery and plen ty of trouble. But learn to get over it, to get past it, to overcome it. Enjoy life! Dont get hung up in the little things that are ultimately unim portant. Hang around with people you love, or at least really like. Read great literature and visit inspiring places. Enjoy helping others and enjoy your work, even during the tough times. Life is cyclic and in a sense long. Dont lose sight of the big picture. Everything changes and the change is what makes life interesting and enjoyable. If you just cant enjoy your life, make some changes. Find a way to enjoy life. People who dont get sick are people who enjoy their lives. Look for the vicious cycles that are holding you down and break the chain. Form benevolent cycles that will start the process of creating a happy life. People who live to be very old also know that enjoying life, or at least seeing the beauty in life, is one of the great secrets of their longevity. Tonic herbs have the ability to form benevolent cycles. Lycium fruit, Reishi and Ginseng are famous in the Orient for creating a happy state of mind.

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SHEN

Giving develops Shen. Give and you will receive. Giving within ones means never harmed anybodys health. Therefore within your capacity, give to others. But giving excessively, that is, beyond your means ener getically, definitely will result in depletion. Caregivers, for example, often become severe ly depleted due to the constant stress, loneli ness, and workload of the situation. So it is very important for those who give of them selves to learn how to replenish the energy that they give up. The energies given up are Jing, Qi and Shen the Three Treasures. If you are a chronic giver, you can find happi ness, but in order to maintain your health, be sure to give to yourself as well and to nourish the Three Treasures by taking a wellrounded program of tonic herbs, and by nurturing your bodymind by applying the other tips described in this book.

Be a Giver, Giver and Replenish Replenis the Energy Energ Spent Doing It

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Guan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion.

Love is the supreme state of mind. Love big. Love as much as you can. Love people and love what you do. Love the earth and love life. If you start loving young enough, and dont lose the ability, I dont think your thymus gland will shrink. True love does not turn to hate or anger when things go wrong. True love is uncon ditional. Practice loving unconditionally and absolutely, without preju dice and without the need for immediate gratification. Loving is its own reward.

Open Ope Your Heart to Love

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Your knowledge of your body empowers your health. If you understand your body, your health and tonic herbalism, radiant health is well within reach. Herbalism has an ocean of information. It also offers a whole new way of looking at health. So start diving in today. For detailed training in each of the 30 tips, go to: www.dragonherbs.com. On the home page you will find a link to the 30 Tips. You will find detailed lessons on such topics as the art of eating, how to meditate, basic and advanced breathing exercises, and so on. Everything you need to know to achieve radiant health.

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Ron Teeguarden is widely recognized as the founding father of Tonic Herbalism in the United States. His approach towards health is truthfully profound yet incredibly simple to apply: putting focus on proactive promotion of radiant health versus curing of diseases. He has been a powerful translator of Eastern philosophy and health care tech niques to hundreds of thousands of Westerners for nearly three decades. Rons books, Chinese Tonic Herbs, written in 1984 (Japan Publications), and The Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs, written in 1998 (Warner Books, a Time Warner Company), have become classics in the field, and are required reading for anyone interested in Chinese herbalism. Rons repu tation as a leading pioneer in health care is based on his experi ence as a practicing herbalist and on his passion for obtaining and producing the highest quality herbs and herbal products to promote Radiant Health. Ron has altered the lives of thousands of people by providing them with a new set of amazing mental, spiritual and nutritional tools. Ron is the founder of Dragon Herbs, a purveyor of fine tonic herbal products. He currently lives in Santa Monica, California. $14.95

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