The Pivotal Role of Saliva

According to Chinese medicine, saliva—a clear, watery fluid made by the body's salivary glands located inside each cheek at the bottom of the mouth and ears, as well as near the front teeth by the jawbone—has a an intricate relationship with the mind. As spiritual fluid, saliva nourishes not just the body in terms of providing digestive power, but also the mind, giving it the qi necessary for the growth and rejuvenation of brain cells. Thus, the mind becomes empowered with enhanced mental energy. Even conventional Western medicine begins to understand the subtle relationship between saliva and memory, and research is being conducted to establish the connection between saliva and the mind.

Therefore, human saliva plays a pivotal role in mind power, especially from the Taoist perspective. Taoism is not a religion but a philosophy of life and living based on the profound wisdom of Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher (some 2,600 years ago), who authored the famous ancient classic Tao Te Ching, which has become one of the most translated books in world literature.

According to Tao wisdom, saliva is the “spiritual fluid in the body.” From the Chinese medicine perspective, qi is the internal life energy, which is present in the human body. Qi goes to every organ through hundreds of energy channels known as meridians. If qi is blocked or becomes stagnated, internal imbalance or disharmony may result, which is the underlying cause of all human diseases and disorders. Those who practice Qi Gong exercise may experience the welling up of saliva during their practice sessions—this is a testament to the surge of qi, causing saliva to well up in the mouth.

Given the immense benefits of saliva to the body and the mind, we should make saliva readily available by drinking more water (more than 8 glasses a day), by getting more natural sleep (without the use of medications), and, most importantly, by thoroughly chewing our food (as many as 30 times) before swallowing. Sucking on sugarless candies or using sugarless chewing gums to exercise the mouth and the teeth is also highly recommended. In other words, keeping the mouth active by hitting the teeth and massaging the gums with the tongue is a simple but effective way to increase the amount and volume of saliva to benefit not only the body but also the mind.

According to Chinese medicine, saliva—a clear, watery fluid made by the body's salivary glands located inside each cheek at the bottom of the mouth and ears, as well as near the front teeth by the jawbone—has a an intricate relationship with the mind. As spiritual fluid, saliva nourishes not just the body in terms of providing digestive power, but also the mind, giving it the qi necessary for the growth and rejuvenation of brain cells. Thus, the mind becomes empowered with enhanced mental energy. Even conventional Western medicine begins to understand the subtle relationship between saliva and memory, and research is being conducted to establish the connection between saliva and the mind.

Energy Healing for Everyone: It is a complete, holistic health system for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of energetic imbalances that will lead to illness in the body if left untreated. Learn how qi can work for you instead of against you.

Tao Te Ching (道德經) is an ancient Chinese classic on human wisdom. This unique piece of literature by Lao Tzu, is one of the most translated books in human history and world literature. The book, written more than 2, 600 years ago, by Lao Tzu, a Chinese sage, is a beautiful collection of Chinese wisdom poetry, in which the author expresses his wisdom in living life in all of its beauty and joy, as well as in all of its pain and sorrow. The language is simple and poetic, but controversial and paradoxical. Above all, the wisdom is intriguing.

There are 81 short chapters, expressed in only 5,000 words. It must be pointed out that there was no punctuation in the original text. A plausible explanation was that Lao Tzu was very much reluctant to express his wisdom in words. As a matter of fact, at that time he was at the point of leaving China for Tibet when he was stopped at the city gate and told by the guard that he had to put down his wisdom in words before he could leave. Reluctantly, he put down his wisdom concisely and precisely in 5,000 words with no punctuation mark.

Letting go of the ego-self is the central theme of Tao, a philosophical belief based on Lao Tzu's immortal ancient classic Tao Te Ching (The Book of the Way). Lao Tzu, the ancient sage from China, advocated following the natural order of things, because all things came from nothing and will become nothing in the end, and this "nothingness" is God. Even though Lao Tzu lived several hundreds of years before Jesus Christ, his philosophy helps humans to connect to their Creator through faith, instead of relying on human effort.

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Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau