Why ancient masters weren’t looking for miracle pills, but trying to understand the body
Perhaps you’ve noticed the word Taoism more than once in our articles.
And perhaps you’ve quietly thought to yourself:
“Okay, another Eastern philosophy that has nothing to do with my real life.”
Fair point.
That’s one of the reasons we decided to write this article.
The roots of Taoist thought go back approximately 2,500 years to ancient China. Taoism is partly a philosophy of life, and over the centuries it also developed into a religion. At VIP Men’s Den, we are primarily interested in its practical side – observations about the human body, health and longevity.
Back then, they knew nothing about hormones.
They didn’t know what testosterone was.
They had no laboratories, ultrasound scans or blood tests.
But they had something else.
Time.
For centuries, they observed people, nature and the human body.
They observed what gives a person strength.
What takes it away.
Why some people remain vital well into old age while others begin to decline much earlier.
Their language was different from ours.
The questions, however, remain the same.
1. JING - LIFE ESSENCE
Taoists believed that every person is born with a certain amount of life essence, which they called Jing.
They saw it as a fundamental reserve of vital energy.
According to their understanding, Jing is reflected in:
- vitality,
- sexual strength,
- fertility,
- resilience,
- the quality of ageing.
Modern science does not recognise Jing as a scientific concept.
But we can observe some interesting parallels. Modern medicine also links vitality to hormones, the nervous system, metabolism, genetics and overall lifestyle.
Jing, therefore, is not the same thing as testosterone.
It is a much broader ancient concept.
Still, it is interesting that both perspectives are closely connected to the question of vitality.
2. YIN AND YANG – BALANCE, NOT CONFLICT
Most people recognise the Yin-Yang symbol.
Far fewer know that Taoists did not understand it as a battle between good and evil.
It was about balance.
Yang represents warmth, movement, action, strength and outward-directed energy.
Yin represents calming down, regeneration, rest, cooling and recovery.
Translate this into modern language and something interesting becomes apparent.
Many modern men live almost entirely in “Yang”.
Always rushing.
Always solving something.
Always available.
Stress becomes normal.
Rest becomes the exception.
Modern physiology also tells us that chronic stress, insufficient sleep and poor recovery can, over time, affect hormonal balance, sexual function and overall health.
Taoists didn’t explain this in terms of cortisol or the nervous system.
But they observed that the body needs periods of recovery if it is to preserve its strength.
3. SEXUAL ENERGY
This is probably the best-known – and at the same time one of the most misunderstood – aspects of Taoism.
Taoist masters did not view sexuality merely as a moment of pleasure.
They understood sexual energy as an important part of male vitality.
They placed great importance on moderation, body awareness, breathing and a man’s ability not to be constantly driven by the impulse for immediate release.
Some of their practices also involve consciously regulating the frequency of ejaculation.
But honesty matters here.
Modern science does not currently support all Taoist explanations about preserving life energy.
What we do understand is the influence of sleep, stress, hormones, dopamine, prolactin and other factors on well-being, motivation and sexual function.
Although the two perspectives use different languages, they raise a similar question:
How can you live in a way that prevents your body from operating in a constant state of depletion?
HOW CAN YOU USE TAOISM TODAY?
You don’t need to live in a monastery.
You don’t need to adopt Taoism as your philosophy of life.
But you can take a few very simple ideas from it.
Take recovery as seriously as you take work.
Don’t ignore stress simply because you’ve become used to it.
Understand that sexuality isn’t just about the end result – it is also a state of the body and nervous system.
Take care of your body before it has to start shouting that something is wrong.
CONCUSION
Taoism is not a manual containing all the answers.
Nor does modern science have all the answers to every question about the human body.
At VIP Men’s Den, we will not blindly follow either ancient teachings or modern trends.
We are interested primarily in what can help a man live a healthier, more vital and higher-quality life.
We will look at two sides of the subjects we explore.
What did the Taoists observe?
And:
What does modern science say about it?
Where the two perspectives meet, we’ll take a closer look.
Where they diverge, we’ll say so openly.
Because our goal is not to prove who is right.
Our goal is to understand the male body better.