BEIJING, April 25 -- In ancient times, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the Taoism were inseparably bound up in each other. Many Taoists were doctors, and nearly all doctors were Taoists.

But on the heels of the conclusion of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), TCM basically broke away from Taoism to become an independent branch. However, Taoism and TCM still shared similar philosophies and even the same literary classics.

Because a Taoist's primary goal is to become immortal, Taoist culture is anchored in preserving health and extending longevity. The Taoist attitude towards life, diet and internal exercise means that practitioners enjoy long, healthy lives.

According to Taoism's dictums, people should replace all complicated emotions with serenity and temperance in order to stay healthy.

Taoism holds that people should always behave in ways that are harmonious with nature rather than counter to nature.

The physical exercises performed by Taoists focus on breathing exercises and meditation. But a master only exercises moderately, because it is believed that performing exercises with too much intensity would speed up the consumption of life energy, which they believe to be limited from the time a person is born.

Taoists believe in a simple diet focused on vegetables and coarse grains. And they believe it is important to balance a diet with foods of different colors and flavors.

(Source: China Daily)