『Dongui Bogam-Internal Bodily Elements(동의보감-내경편』 Ⅰ. Body(신형 身形)
Written By Jun Heo(許浚, 1539~1615), Translated by Namil Kim, Wung Seok Cha et al., Published by Ministry of Health & Welfare (Korea)
① It is said in the Book on Nourishing Life (養生書): “When awakened at night, always click the upper and lower teeth nine times, swallow saliva nine times and rub the left, right, upper, and lower parts of the nose with the hand ten times.”
② Also, “Wake up early every morning, click the upper and lower teeth, wash the inside of the mouth with saliva and swallow. Frown around the nose, hold one’s breath and pull the left ear 14 times with the right hand behind the head and with the left hand pull the right ear 14 times. This makes hearing better and ensures a long life.”
③ Also, “Rub the hands together until they are warm and rub the eyes 14 times. This removes the nebula in the eyes, makes eyesight brighter, and removes pathogenic wind. Rubbing the forehead often is called ‘cleaning the ceiling of the sky’. If one rubs the head all through the hairline, the face will shine.
Also, rub the sides of the nose 20-30 times with the middle finger until the exterior and interior are heated, so called ‘irrigating water to the middle valley’; this is the method of moisturizing the lungs. Rubbing the auricle with the hands regardless of the number of times is called ‘polishing the castle.’ This tonifies kidney qi and prevents hearing loss.”
④ Quxian (臞仙) sang: “Close the eyes and sit (with legs crossed) with a calm mind and make a fist with the thumb inside and control the spirit. Click the upper and lower teeth 36 times (to gather the heart and spirit together). Cover the mountain (the head) with two hands. Cross the fingers behind the neck and breathe 9 times, not letting the breathing sound be heard. Ring the heavenly drums and let it be heard 24 times. (Cover both ears with both hands, press middle finger with the index finger and flick on the back of the head). Swing the heavenly pillar (BL10) mildly. (Shake the head 24 times left and right and let the shoulders follow). Shake the saliva with the red dragon. (Red Dragon refers to the tongue. Stir the insides of the mouth with the tongue and swallow the saliva). Wash the insides of the mouth with the saliva 36 times and the spirit-water (the saliva) fills the mouth.
When one swallows the saliva three times, (swallow saliva three times each time at a gulp), it is like the movement of the dragon making the tiger run. (Dragon is saliva and tiger is breath). Hold one’s breathed and rub with hands to induce heat. (Breathe in clear qi through the nose and hold the breath for a while. Rub the nose with hands and make it hot; exhale slowly). In addition, rub the essence-gate on the low-back. (Essence-gate is the external kidneys on the low-back. After rubbing both hands, make fists with the thumbs inside). After finishing one breath of qi (Holding breath again), imagine there is a Fire burning at the umbilicus. (Imagine the heart Fire is burning down at the cinnabar field and follow the next step when the navel feels hot). Move the pulley to the left and right. (Put down the head and shake both shoulders 36 times. Imagine the Fire entering the double bar and into brain entrance (GV17). Inhale clear qi through the nose and hold the breath for a short while). Stretch both legs straight. Cross the fingers and stretch both arms into the air 3 or 9 times. Put down the head and pull the feet often. (Put the hands forward and pull the feet 13 times, gather the feet again and sit upright). Doing this, wait for the water to come upstream. (Wait for the saliva to come out and if it does not, repeat the previous steps and wipe the inside of the mouth with the tongue fast and let the saliva comes). Again wash with the saliva and swallow again. Doing this three times equals to swallowing the spirit-water 9 times. (Swallow saliva three times, repeat this three times, that is 9 times in total). At the sound of one gulp, the pulse becomes even and the cart finishes its delivery. (Shaking both shoulders and moving the pulley for 24 times). And the Fire starts burning and heats the body thoroughly. (Imagine the Fire in the cinnabar field heating the body thoroughly. Cover the mouth and nose and hold the breath for a short while). The evil pathogen will not dare come near, and one will be alert even when sleeping. Cold and heat cannot invade, and diseases and disaster do not have the will to stay. Train after Ja time (11:00pm ~ 1:00 am) and before O time (11:00 am ~ 1:00 pm), and Geon and Gon will unite. Circulation will make this whole, and the Eight trigrams will circulate, following one another in the body.”
