What is lifestyle medicine?

Two-thirds of all disease globally is now the result of lifestyle, of unhealthy behaviours such as lack of exercise, poor diet, excess alcohol and smoking, chronic stress and sleep debt. The ‘new’ branch of medicine known as ‘lifestyle medicine’ is emerging to try and solve this global disaster. But lifestyle medicine was already invented and perfected several thousand years ago in China. It is the foundation of Chinese medicine – which is preventative.

The origins of lifestyle medicine

Once upon a time in a land far, far away lived some people who discovered how to live in a way that prevents ill-health and simultaneously creates energy, supports material and spiritual success, and has a built-in strategy to avoid getting sucked-in by others people’s opinions and dramas. The land was China, the time was 2000 BCE and the people were the Daoists, a group of colourful, eccentric, individualistic rebels.

That was thousands of years ago, but their discoveries are probably more important than ever now when stressed-out, over-worked, tired, disconnected and unfulfilled disease-creating lifestyles are the norm. If we adapt some Daoist ideas and we can swing back to lifestyles that create health, happiness and meaning. We don’t have to drop out and head for the hills either: all we have to do is follow the Chi-cycle lifestyle. The secret is synching your bodyclock with the natural rhythms and cycles.

The natural rhythm of life

There’s plenty of instructions for everything in life from assembling a bookshelf to learning how to drive, but when it comes to life, people make up their own rules. We skip meals, rush around non-stop, work all hours day or night, get no exercise and eat unhealthy foods. We live randomly.

If this occurred in nature it would be complete chaos. If tides flowed when they felt like it, plants flowered when it suited each individual plant, or rain fell when and where it wanted to, it would be disastrous for all life on earth. But this is exactly what we are doing to ourselves, and as a result the lifestyle diseases are estimated to kill 44 million people by 2020.

Lifestyle medicine and rhythm

I figured that if lifestyle is the problem, lifestyle is also the solution and a lifestyle rhythm is the key. Everything in the cosmos is interconnected and we are an integral part of this. We need to get aligned with the natural cycles, and follow the rhythm of life.

My simple therapeutic lifestyle, based on the ancient Chinese 24 hour chi cycle puts the rhythm back. It taps into the ‘intelligence’ of every 2 hours, to  build chi, or energy, and create vitality, longevity, health and happiness. The Chinese call this way of living ‘aligning with Dao’. Follow the guidelines and your life will change.

Why we need rhythm in life

If you know when to get up, when to work, when to stop work, when and how to eat, sleep, pray, love and so on, everything you do can be beneficial, and can build your health and happiness, rather than creating illness and misery.

Random lifestyles deplete our chi, they make us feel lost, separated and confused. They increase the gap between the external world and your soul. As people drift further and further from themselves the need for medication in order to try and ‘keep everything together’ increases. But this creates a separated and increasingly unhealthy and unhappy society.

My Chi-cycle lifestyle hooks us into the power of the natural forces and offers a life of certainty. It also balances the material world, with an equally rich inner world, to remember that we are all souls having a human experience. In the Chi-cycle lifestyle every 2 hours is like tapping into the source and getting another top-up of purpose and meaning. By the end of each day you’re so in tune with life, you’ll feel supported, connected and you will love your life. This is our destiny, and this is real lifestyle medicine in action.

The benefits of lifestyle medicine

The benefits of lifestyle medicine are endless. Apart from looking younger, feeling fitter, slimming down and living longer, it builds such inner strength that other people’s opinions and beliefs become irrelevant, and you will naturally pursue what you were born to do, not what you think you are supposed to do. Follow the rhythm and live in harmony with the cycles of the powerful natural forces, you’ll naturally become more happy. You can start anytime and all you need is a clock!