Taoist Stomach Rubbing Exercises

Taoists believe that the Tao is a force flowing through all life, and that one must find harmony with this force. One of the religion's most familiar concepts is that of yin and yang, or the balance of opposites. When each is equally present in the universe, a calmness results, explains the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Throughout their lifetimes, Taoists foster health and vitality as a path to the Tao.

Internal Exercises

Ancient Taoists devised the Tao of Revitalization, a system of balanced mental and physical practices. An important part of the 6,000-year-old program, the Internal Exercises bring healing to the internal organs. The exercises differ radically from sports, bodybuilding and even martial arts and yoga. According to the Great Tao website, the stress, strain and injuries often caused by external exercise rob the body of energy and disturb its delicate internal functions. Taoists believe that the internal organs provide our defense against aging and disease; muscular bodies do not.

Stomach Rubbing

The exercises prescribed by the Tao of Revitalization are accessible to anyone, without regard to age, condition of health or finances. Belly rubbing is most prominent in the daily self-healing massage routine. While lying on your back, begin massaging deeply and slowly. If right-handed, use your right hand; if left-handed, use that hand. With the palm on your navel, start to rub in widening circles to cover the area from the rib cage to the pubic bone. After completing clockwise (right to left) circles, repeat in a counterclockwise direction. Stomach rubbing is practiced for general well being, increased energy and prevention of disease. Just before sleep is the recommended time for the massage. Specific problems can be corrected depending on the concentration. For instance, clockwise rubbing may cure constipation, while counterclockwise movement could stop diarrhea.

Prevention and Healing

Ayurvedic (Hindu) and Chinese medicine concur that all disease begins in the area of the stomach, liver and intestines, reports the Universal Healing Tao Center. Obesity is one reason for this. With each inch added to your girth, the body grows about four miles of blood vessels, increasing the workload of the digestive system and the heart. When the stomach is massaged, fatty deposits are broken up so they can pass out of the body. Taoists believe that belly fat can be literally rubbed away. Prevention, however, is a key principle of the Tao of Revitalization. Keeping health problems from developing in the first place beats having to cure them.

Effectiveness Studies

Most healing reported is anecdotal. But some controlled studies on the use of the massage routine have been conducted. In one case study by Dr. Pao Ling of China, reported in the Guolin Research Report, 2,873 terminal cancer patients relied solely on the Internal Exercises for treatment. After six months, 12 percent of the patients were pronounced cured and another 47 percent showed significant improvement. Dr. Cecilia Rosenfeld, an American, studied a group of patients in 1976 for which she prescribed the Internal Exercises. According to the Great Tao website, 80 percent showed positive results.