Alcohol and Qi

[surfingbudda]

What is the Taoist view on alcohol? How does alcohol exactly affect one's chi? Heres an article showing how people with moderate alcohol usage actually live longer and have less disease than people who don't drink. It seems alcohol can have some healthy benefits for example resveratrol in wine and hops in beer both have healing prperties.

Heres a few articles on the subject

My link

My link

My link

 

I'm open to all opinions, I just think it may be a bit black and white to label something as either good or bad, it seems certain things in moderation can actually be healthy. I am not an expert on Taoism but it seems like they're view on perfect health is that of balance and moderation. Does anyone on this forum drink alcohol once in while? Or in order for one to ever fully progress in internal alchemy, one must give up all alcohol and other tabooed substances?

[SFJane]

What is the Taoist view on alcohol? How does alcohol exactly affect one's chi? Does anyone on this forum drink alcohol once in while? Or in order for one to ever fully progress in internal alchemy, one must give up all alcohol and other tabooed substances?

 

My suggestion would be to experiment on yourself and find out. I never take people's word for it. I am ornery like that. I prefer to find out conclusively, one way or another. I was never much of a drinker, but I do drink now and then. In fact, I am drinking Mike's Hard Lemonade right now. Not a very burly drink but I just had an urge for one after working outside all day. Mmm. Tasty. Good.

 

But on a serious note, I never drink to get drunk. I like the little tingle in your groin and stomach. If I get that, I'm good. Alcohol effects your liver and kidneys. Like many other substances, it distorts your awareness inside and out. If you are doing long meditation sits or alchemy, I'd avoid it. But having a drink now and then is not going to deny you the tenth heaven and if it did, you wouldn't want to go there anyway.

[VCraigP]

Basic TCM theory, and my experience; Alcohol disperses Qi.

[Aetherous]

In my opinion, we're not even sure if qigong is healthy! Many masters die young...

 

Yet, there is published scientific evidence that drinking a little wine is good for you. So I say go for it. Another sure bet is moderate exercise...many studies showing how that's good for you.

[surfingbudda]

Hi Scotty,

Just to comment on what you said about qigong masters dying young. I've been that qigong masters who seclude themselves to their alchemy in the mountains live to a very old age, however qigong masters who use their gift for healing and end up giving too much of their own chi away without re-cultivating it do not live too long, which only makes sense. Also Bruce Frantzis comments in his book Opening the Energy gates, that certain styles of qigong that are very forceful and involve vibrating ones chi can result in serious health conditions; so obviously some qigong styles can be counter productive and harm ones energy.

[devoid]

What is the Taoist view on alcohol?

[...]

I'm open to all opinions, I just think it may be a bit black and white to label something as either good or bad, it seems certain things in moderation can actually be healthy.

 

Hi Surfingbudda,

 

I don't think there's Taoist view on alcohol which could be chiseled out in stone.

 

However, here are some observations stemming from Taoist philosophy which you may find useful:

• Alcohol is predominantly yang (relative to no alcohol - in this case predominantly yin) - as with all things a balance must be found.
  
• Alcohol clouds the mind - thus making it a distraction in cultivation of any form (e.g. alchemy, meditation, gong fu, etc.)
  

Remember that there's a quasi-balance in almost everything already without alcohol, thus moderation would probably be important in an attempted generalized view.

 

GamBei!

[joeblast]

Basic TCM theory, and my experience; Alcohol disperses Qi.

spot on - a glass of beer or wine here or there has its benefits; getting drunk uses up a lot of qi. cultivate for a while then get a good buzz two days in a row and see what it does - you notice "the missing qi."

[surfingbudda]

Thanks for all the good comments. Personally I am not a big drinker and never care to drink for the purpose of getting drunk. I just occasionally enjoy a good glass of wine or beer, especially when I visit my family in Italy . It sounds like a drink here and there in moderation will not be to detrimental to me. Howbout you guys, do you occasionally have a nice drink once in while? Also I think simply doing qigong your body will force you to give up certain habits. Last year when i was really getting into qigong, it was like my tolerance to certain things changed. After a month of qigong, I got really sick just from eating a chili dog, which 3 weeks before my body could have easily been able to handle. I was forced to give up certain habits in replace for healthier ones. This is probably how the taoists decided what is healthy. They weren't told by some higher power what rules to follow, they simply listened to their bodies and found what worked and what didn't.

[Gerard]

I love drinking and getting drunk. But not certainly the Western way and let alone with alcohol.

 

 

Yum cha!

[surfingbudda]

Nice video, I think I'm gonna cook up some tea right now . I don't really see how one can get drunk without alcohol, I guess just drunk from joy of drinking tea

[henro]

Wanted to revive this thread as I just got back from China visiting with my father-in-law. . . he's 86 and in great health. He has for many years made his own herbal wine consisting of red wine, ginseng, goji, and huang qi. He soaks the herbs in the wine for at least a month before drinking it, and only drinks one small glass a day. My mother-in-law gave us some very expensive ginseng so I'm thinking of making my own. Anyone heard of this or have some recipes ???

[joeblast]

I tried a similar concoction in the dominican, it was called mamajuana - red wine soaked in a local herb concoction and then mixed 50/50 with rum, it was said to have some similar properties. Not too bad, they gave me a bottle of the herbs but the concoction I made was about ten times as powerful as what I tried...too powerful, really

[zerostao]

Wanted to revive this thread as I just got back from China visiting with my father-in-law. . . he's 86 and in great health. He has for many years made his own herbal wine consisting of red wine, ginseng, goji, and huang qi. He soaks the herbs in the wine for at least a month before drinking it, and only drinks one small glass a day. My mother-in-law gave us some very expensive ginseng so I'm thinking of making my own. Anyone heard of this or have some recipes ???

i do have over 100 herbal recipes that involve soaking in alcohol. sometimes a wine , many times other times stronger alcohol such as vodka. most of these remedies suggest

, as you mention only one or 2 shots. you are not trying to catch a buzz with these remedies. bob flaws has a book called

[Friend]

Edited November 16, 2011 by Friend

[Iliketurtles]

 

[exorcist_1699]

If you are doing medical qigong , or try  using the so-called "post-heavenly "  qi  to  do some  cure   , then drinking some alcohol does help you initializing and enhancing  qi ;  or  you mix  alcohol with some herbs , say Ginseng or Dang Gui ,  to enhance its curing effects;  you can find  tons of these materials  related to  alcohol  in TCM writings . 

 

If you are doing Taoist alchemy , then drinking alcohol is unlikely to be proposed  as  in that area, a delicate application of your  mind is necessary ; drinking alcohol expands your qi  and makes you  not capable of consolidating  your mind ,  besides, arousing  sex drive ..etc  all are not so beneficial . 

Edited May 12, 2021 by exorcist_1699