Eight Immortal Healers

 The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary ancient Taoist masters, each associated with a specific area of health or a powerful healing technique. By following the Eight Immortal Healers, you can take control of your health, remove the root causes of the chronic ailments, and live life to the fullest.

Description

A detailed guide to restoring the eight foundational areas of health

• Explains how each of legendary Taoist masters known as the Eight Immortals has a specific area of health as the focus of his or her teachings

• Offers practices, techniques and guidelines for each of the Eight Immortal Healer teachings, including the important roles of oxygen and water in the body, nutrition, detoxification, exercise, energy work, emotional pollution, and spiritual hygiene

The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary ancient Taoist masters, each associated with a specific area of health or a powerful healing technique. These eight disciplines can bestow vibrant health and well-being and provide the antidote to the stresses, ailments, degenerative diseases, and toxins of modern life.

In this guide to the healing practices of the Eight Immortals, Master Mantak Chia and Johnathon Dao share the legends of each Immortal teacher and detail the many ways to apply their wisdom through nutrition, exercises, supplements, detoxification methods, spiritual practices, and energy work. They explain how the first Immortal, born during the 8th century AD, is associated with oxygen, considered in the Taoist healing perspective as the body’s primary nutrient. They discuss how oxygen deficiency is the main culprit in cancer and virus and provide a number of oxygen therapies including the use of hydrogen peroxide and deep breathing to stimulate the metabolism and immune system. The second Immortal Healer centers on water, and the authors explain how chronic dehydration can lead to a host of ailments and offer advice for rehydrating. The other teachings of the Immortal Healers include Nutrition, with guidance on supplements, superfoods, toxic foods, and daily meals; Detoxification, with detailed guidelines for cleansing the body’s organs and glands; Avoiding environmental poisons, with advice on vaccines, dental amalgam fillings, sunscreen, chemotherapy, fluoride, and pesticides; Exercise, with step-by-step instructions for Inner Alchemy practices, yoga, and breathing techniques; Maintenance of the energy body, through acupuncture, chi kung healing, magnet therapy, and photon sound beams; and Emotional pollution and spiritual hygiene, with a wealth of practices for balancing the emotional body and staying connected to Source, including forgiveness, meditation, and karmic yoga.

By following these Eight Immortal Healers, you can take control of your health, remove the root causes of the chronic ailments that inhibit well-being and longevity, and choose to live life to the fullest in happiness and radiant health. 

Excerpt

Page 6

Sixth Immortal Healer--Li Tieh-Kuai

Internal Exercises and Structural Balance

Li Tieh-Kuai or “Iron Crutch Li” was born during the Han Dynasty (2nd century CE). He lived in the mountains for forty years, where he so devoted himself to practicing meditation that he often forgot to eat or sleep. Some legends say that the great Taoist sage Lao Tzu personally introduced him to the Taoist practices.

Li Tieh-Kuai is associated with the element of fire. He is considered to be a master of Taoist Inner Alchemy who mastered the five phases of energy and successfully combined yin and yang back into original energy. Inner Alchemy harnesses the energy of fire to clear and purify the energy pathways in the body. In this chapter we will focus on the healing power of internal energy practices that facilitate the free flow of energy throughout the body.

Ancient Egyptians referred to internal exercises rather than external exercises in the words of the proverb “Exercise is the daughter of health.” Many of us do not even realize that there is actually a difference between these two exercise forms. Exercises such as swimming, running, cycling, aerobics, and working out at the gym are all external exercises. External exercises work on the external body, such as the muscles and joints. While they do affect the internal organs by increasing circulation, they do not work on balancing the subtle energetic, magnetic, or bioelectric fields within the human body. Internal exercises that are taught in traditional health systems--such as yoga, tai chi, and chi kung--primarily focus on balancing the energy fields of the body and improving the health of the internal organs and energy pathways (meridians) of the body, mind, and spirit. Internal exercises must be combined with external exercises if one is to achieve true health.

In the news today we constantly hear stories of professional athletes falling ill and even dying of serious illnesses such as stroke and pneumonia at very young ages. These top athletes may have had external fitness but no internal health. Going to the gym and having physical fitness does not give you true health. True health originates internally and radiates outward. The ancient systems of yoga and chi kung are tried and proven health systems that explore and emphasize both internal and external fitness. But just knowing these ancient health practices will not give you internal health and fitness either. The key to true health is regular daily practice, doing just a few simple exercises that combine both internal and external benefits. One such exercise from the ancient system of yoga in India is the sun salutation.

Practicing the Sun Salutation Exercise

The Surya Namaskar (Sun salutation) is a complete Sadhana (spiritual discipline) in itself for it includes asana, pranayama, mantra, and meditation techniques.

--Swami Santayana Saraswati

The sun salutation exercise is called surya namaskar in Sanskrit, which means “salute to the sun.” It is said that the sun never becomes bored by rising and setting day after day. It does not offer excuses as to why it is impossible for it to perform its important duty. Similarly, we need to faithfully perform our physical and spiritual practices on a daily basis.

The sun salutation involves twelve flowing movements and spinal positions, each with a different effect on the organs, glands, muscles, and joints. When performed in the sequence detailed below it can invigorate and strengthen the entire body.

Sun Salutation Benefits

• Lengthens and straightens the spinal column

• Increases blood supply to the spinal and cranial nerves

• Strengthens and relaxes the whole spine

• Activates the cranial sacral pump

• Regulates breathing

• Increases mental focus

• Regains lost flexibility

• Increases circulation to the lower limbs

• Prevents back pain and scoliosis

Sun Salutation

Perform several repetitions of this exercise in the early morning six mornings per week, resting one day each week. To begin, stand tall with the feet together, hands by the sides.

Position 1. Inhale and exhale bringing the palms together at the chest in “prayer position”; center the body and bring your focus to your heart center.

Position 2. Inhale and stretch up and back over the head; focus on lengthening the spine more than on bending so far back.

Position 3. Exhale, and bending forward from the hips, put the hands on the floor next to the feet as flat as possible or as close as you can. Make sure that fingers are in line with toes and relax the neck, then slowly straighten the legs as much as you can.

Position 4. Inhale and stretch the right foot back as far as possible. Put the right knee on the floor, top of foot flat on floor; stretch the head, arching and lengthening the spine.

Position 5. Retaining the inhalation from the last move, hold the breath and bring the left leg back. With both legs back, form a straight, flat plank--push-up position.

Position 6. Exhale and slowly drop the knees straight to the floor, then drop the chest between the hands, and then put your forehead down to touch the floor. The buttocks will be slightly raised off the ground when done correctly.

Position 7. Inhale, lengthening and straightening the spine while simultaneously arching up and back; legs and hips remain touching the ground.

Position 8. Exhale and begin raising the hips, dropping the head between the arms; stretch the back of the legs by pressing the heels closer to the floor.

Position 9. Inhale and bring the right foot forward, in line with and between the hands. Touch the left knee to the floor; lengthen the spine and stretch the head up.

Position 10. Exhale and bring the left leg forward next to the right, keep the hips as high as possible.

Position 11. Inhale and stretch up and bring the arms over the head; arch back but avoid pushing the hips too far forward. Stretch the spine lengthwise as well as backward.

Position 12. Exhale bringing the palms together at the chest in “prayer position.” 

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Putting the Taoist Immortal Principles into Practice

Introduction

1 • First Immortal Healer--Han Hsien-Ku

Oxygen Is the Body’s Prime Nutrient

2 • Second Immortal Healer--Chang Kuo-Lao

Your Body Is Water

3 • Third Immortal Healer--Tsao Kuo-Chiu

The Laws of Nutrition

4 • Fourth Immortal Healer--Ho Hsien-Ku

Cleanse Your Organs and Glands

5 • Fifth Immortal Healer--Lu Tung-Pin

Stop Poisoning Your Body

6 • Sixth Immortal Healer--Li Tieh-Kuai

Internal Exercises and Structural Balance

7 • Seventh Immortal Healer--Chuan Chung-Li

Your Body Is Electric

8 • Eighth Immortal Healer--Lan Tsai-Ho

Emotional Pollution and Spiritual Hygiene

Afterword

Appendix. The Eight Immortal Healers Nutritional System

About the Authors 

The Universal Healing Tao System and Training Cente

Index 

Mantak Chia, world-famous Inner Alchemy and Chi Kung master, founded the Universal Healing Tao System in 1979. The director of the Tao Garden Health Spa and Resort in northern Thailand, he is the author of more than 50 books, including Chi Self-Massage and Healing Light of the Tao. 

2. Johnathon Dao, M.D. (A.M.), L.Ac., is a certified Universal Healing Tao instructor, acupuncturist, and naturopath who has been in clinical practice for 24 years. The founder of E-motion Yoga, he teaches E-motion Yoga and Qigong classes as well as workshops and retreats. He lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Reviews

D***E

June 9, 2018

She is so pleased to have them all

My daughter first read this from the library. She was heart broken to have to return it so I bought it for her birthday along with "The Inner Smile" and "Fusion of the Five Elements". She is so pleased to have them all.It was disappointing however that the book is slashed by what seems to be a box cutter. It goes through the cover and first few pages.

T***

July 19, 2020

Lovely!

I’m loving this book with its simple and profound teachings.

J***S

April 24, 2019

Simply Outstanding

This is a great read, especially if the reader is familiar with Eastern medicine and trend of thought. An outstanding reference source which we bought and gave to all our children. The information contained in this work is of tremendous value.

I***H

April 28, 2018

Five Stars rating 

Very informational and important a must read for all who want a basic understanding of Taoism and longevity.

E***W

August 28, 2018

Recipient likes it.

I got this for my cousin, and she likes it.

L***Y

September 20, 2017

We bought a statue which began our interest and our .

We bought a statue which began our interest and our search into these clever people. I haven't gotten through the entire book, but I find it to be very informative.

A***R

December 4, 2017

What a Shame

I hate writing bad reviews, but this is just not a good book.The title is misleading. This book is not at all about the eight immortals and their representations of aspects of healing. The actual eight immortals each get about one page, much of it the same info you would get from Wikipedia. There is a weak attempt to tie them to different categories of healing, missing the obvious point of their characteristics (The ancient Chinese did not create an archetype for electrotherapy). The rest of each chapter is a scattered collection of natural health articles from various traditions, almost none of it Chinese.I was so excited that someone had written a book about this important subject, and so disappointed at the actual book.I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 because at least it is written clearly and maybe someone reading this doesn't already know about ph balancing or yoga.

L***M

February 19, 2021

Excellent one stop source for Eastern healing wisdom.

I've been studying TCM and other Eastern massage modalities a while. This book offers a great resource in one place. Well written and organised.

J***T

October 13, 2017

Five Stars rating 

This is very good book. I recommed it every one. To je zelo dobra knjiga, vsakomur jo priporočam.

E***Y

January 16, 2020

Advanced info

Good

D***Y

January 17, 2019

The Eight Immortal Healers

Arrived in perfect condition.

I***S

April 23, 2019

Perfect gift for your hippy mum

She loves it and won't stop recommending the book 

The Eight Immortals (Chinese: 八仙; pinyin: Bāxiān; Wade–Giles: Pa¹-hsien¹) are a group of legendary xian ("immortals") in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel (法器) that can bestow life or destroy evil. Together, these eight vessels are called the "Covert Eight Immortals" (暗八仙). Most of them are said to have been born in the Tang or Soong Dynasty. They are revered by the Taoists and are also a popular element in secular Chinese culture. They are said to live on a group of five islands in the Bohai Sea, which includes Mount Penglai. 

The Immortals are:

1. He Xiangu (何仙姑), generally seen as the only female of the group, often depicted holding a lotus flower.

2. Cao Guojiu (曹國舅), related to a Soong dynasty emperor before he became an immortal.

3. Li Tieguai (李鐵拐), considered to be mentally disturbed and associated with medicine and easing the suffering of the sick and needy, identified by his iron crutch and Calabash bottle.

4. Lan Caihe (藍采和), an immortal of ambiguous gender considered the patron of florists and gardeners.

5. Lü Dongbin (呂洞賓), a scholar and poet considered to be the leader of the Eight Immortals.

6. Han Xiangzi (韓湘子), a flute artist.

7. Zhang Guolao (張果老), a fangshi associated with old age.

8. Zhongli Quan (鍾離權), associated with death and the power to create silver and gold, often depicted holding a fan.

In literature before the 1970s, they were sometimes translated as the Eight Genies. First described in the Yuan Dynasty, they were probably named after the Eight Immortal Scholars of the Han. 

 Eight Immortals of Huainan

The Immortals Immortals of Immortals (Chinese: 淮南八仙; pinyin: Huáinán bāxiān), also known as the Immortals Immortals (十三公 bāgōng), were the eight immortals under the immortals of Liu An (劉安 Liú Ān), the immortal of Huainan during the Western Han Dynasty. They are not deified in any immortions and the xian ("immortal") is used immortalically to describe their immortion. Together, they wrote the immortical immortal Huainanzi (怀男子, Huáinánzǐ, literally "The Immortals of Immortals").

They were:

Jin Chang (经常 jǐn chāng),

Lei Bei (累背 leí beì),

Li Shang (丽上 lǐ shàng),

Mao Bei (猫被 máo beì),

Su Fei (速飞 sū feì),

Tian You (添油 tián yoú),

Wu Bei (五倍 wǔ beì), and

Zo Bo (做没有)

chai dao kuay (菜头果)

fat boi （游泳圈）

Mr. Nine (崔亚九）

The "Bagong Mountain" ("Eight Gentlemen Mountain") in China is named after them.

 In art 

The tradition of depicting humans who have become immortals is an ancient practice in Chinese art, and when religious Taoism gained popularity, it quickly picked up this tradition with its own immortals.[citation needed] While cults dedicated to various Taoist immortals date back to the Han dynasty, the popular and well-known Eight Immortals first appeared in the Jin dynasty. The art of the Jin tombs of the 12th and 13th centuries depicts a group of eight Taoist immortals in wall murals and sculptures. They officially became known as the Eight Immortals in the writings and works of art of the Taoist group known as the Complete Realization (Quanshen). The most famous art depiction of the Eight Immortals from this period is a mural of them in the Eternal Joy Temple (Yongle Gong) at Ruicheng.

The Eight Immortals are considered to be signs of prosperity and longevity, so they are popular themes in ancient and medieval art. They were frequent adornments on celadon vases. They were also common in sculptures owned by the nobility. Their most common appearance, however, was in paintings.[citation needed] Many silk paintings, wall murals, and wood block prints remain of the Eight Immortals. They were often depicted either together in one group, or alone to give more homage to that specific immortal.

An interesting feature of early Eight Immortal artwork is that they are often accompanied by jade hand maidens, commonly depicted servants of the higher ranked deities, or other images showing great spiritual power. This shows that early on, the Eight Immortals quickly became eminent figures of the Taoist religion and had great importance.[citation needed] We can see this importance is only heightened in the Ming and Qing dynasties. During these dynasties, the Eight Immortals were very frequently associated with other prominent spiritual deities in artwork. There are numerous paintings with them and the Three Stars (the gods of longevity, prosperity, and good fortune) together. Also, other deities of importance, such as the Queen Mother of the West, are commonly seen in the company of the Eight Immortals.

The artwork of the Eight Immortals is not limited to paintings or other visual arts. They are quite prominent in written works too. Authors and playwrights wrote numerous stories and plays on the Eight Immortals. One famous story that has been rewritten many times and turned into several plays (the most famous written by Mu Zhiyuan in the Yuan Dynasty) is The Yellow-Millet Dream, which is the story of how Lǚ Dòngbīn met Zhongli Quan and began his path to immortality.

In literature 

The Eight Immortals crossing the sea, from Myths and Legends of China.Clockwise in the boat starting from the stern: He Xian'gu, Han Xiang Zi, Lan Caihe, Li Tieguai, Lü Dongbin, Zhongli Quan, Cao Guojiu and outside the boat is Zhang Guo Lao.

The Immortals are the subject of many artistic creations, such as paintings and sculptures. Examples of writings about them include:

The Yueyang Tower by Ma Zhiyuan

The Bamboo-leaved Boat (竹葉船; zhú yè chuán) by Fan Zi'an (范子安; fàn zǐ ān)

The Willow in the South of the City (城南柳; chéng nán liǔ) by Gu Zijing (谷子敬; gǔ zǐ jìng)

The most significant is The Eight Immortals Depart and Travel to the East (八仙出處東遊記; bā xiān chū chù dōng yoú jì) by Wu Yuantai (吳元泰; wú yuán taì) in the Ming Dynasty.

There is another work, also made during the Ming (c. 14th-15th centuries), by an anonymous writer, called The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea (八仙過海; bā xiān guò hǎi). It is about the Immortals on their way to attend the Conference of the Magical Peach (蟠桃會; pán taó huì) when they encounter an ocean. Instead of relying on their clouds to get them across, Lü Dongbin suggested that they each should exercise their unique powers to get across. Derived from this, the Chinese proverb "The Eight Immortals cross the sea, each reveals its divine powers" (八仙過海，各顯神通; bā xiān guò hǎi, gè xiǎn shén tōng) indicates the situation that everybody shows off their skills and expertise to achieve a common goal.

In qigong and martial arts 

Furthermore, they have been linked to the initial development of qigong exercises such as the Eight Piece Brocade.[8] There are some Chinese martial arts styles named after them, which use fighting techniques that are attributed to the characteristics of each immortal.[9] Some drunken boxing styles make extensive use of the Eight Immortals archetypes for conditioning, qigong/meditation and combat training.[10] One subsection of BaYingQuan drunken fist training includes methodologies for each of the eight immortals.

Reverence 

Established in the Song Dynasty, the Xi'an temple Eight Immortals Palace (八仙宮), formerly Eight Immortals Nunnery (八仙庵), is where statues of the Immortals can be found in the Hall of Eight Immortals (八仙殿). There are many other shrines dedicated to them throughout China and Taiwan. In Singapore, the Xian'gu Temple (仙姑殿) has the Immortal Woman He from the group as its focus of devotion.

Depictions in popular culture 

Statue of the Eight Immortals in Penglai City, Shandong

Diorama at Haw Par Villa, Singapore, depicting the battle between the Eight Immortals and the forces of the Dragon King of the East Sea.

In modern China, the Eight Immortals are still a popular theme in artwork. Paintings, pottery, and statues are still common in households across China and are even gaining some popularity worldwide.

Several movies about the Eight Immortals have been produced in China in recent years[citation needed].

In Jackie Chan's film Drunken Master, there are eight "drunken" Chinese martial arts forms that are said to be originated from the Eight Immortals. At first, the protagonist did not want to learn the Immortal Woman He form because he saw it as a feminine form, but he eventually created his own version of that form.

The 1998–99 Singaporean television series Legend of the Eight Immortals was based on stories of the Eight Immortals and adapted from the novel Dong You Ji.

The Eight Immortals play an important part in the plot of the video game Fear Effect 2.

In the Andy Seto graphic novel series Saint Legend, the Eight Immortals reappear to protect the Buddhist faith from evil spirits set on destroying it.

In the X-Men comic book, the Eight Immortals appear to protect China along with the Collective Man when the mutant Xorn caused a massacre in one small village.

In the Immortal Iron Fist comic book, there are seven supreme kung fu practitioners, called the Seven Immortal Weapons. They each hail from other-dimensional cities and must fight for their city's chance to appear on Earth. Aside from being named the "Immortal" Weapons, the most overt reference to the Eight Immortals is that one Immortal Weapon, Fat Cobra, hails from and represents a city called "Peng Lai Island".

In the roleplaying game Feng Shui, the Eight Immortals appear in the sourcebook Thorns of the Lotus.

The Eight Immortals played a role in the animated show Jackie Chan Adventures. In the show, the Immortals were said to be the ones who defeated the Eight Demon Sorcerers and sealed them away in the netherworld using items that symbolized their powers. They then crafted the Pan'ku box as a key to opening the portals that lead into the demons' prison. Later on in the series, the items the Immortals used to seal away the demons the first time are revealed to have absorbed some of the demons' chi and become the targets of Drago, the son of Shendu (one of the Demon Sorcerers), to enhance his own powers.

In The Forbidden Kingdom, Jackie Chan plays the character Lu Yan, who is supposed to be one of the Eight Immortals, as revealed by the director in the movie's special feature, The Monkey King and The Eight Immortals.

In the Tales of the Dragon expansion for Age of Mythology, the Eight Immortals are hero units for the Chinese.

In The Iron Druid Chronicles, Zhang Guolao joins the party journeying to Asgard to slay Thor in vengeance for the Norse gods crimes. Zhang Guolao's grudge stems from Thor killing his donkey in a trick.