QI GONG ... it's never too late. 
The quest for immortality in Chinese civilization, has always been an important aspect. Over the millennia of Chinese history, longevity, living long in full possession of his faculties - physical and mental - from natural desire, nell'indole human, has become a fundamental duty. The same Confucius (Kong Fu ZI 孔夫子 or 孔子 KONG ZI) was expressed in these terms: "... return the body to death as we received it at birth." The alchemical metaphor of the "Golden Pill," in other words, the attainment of immortality, of exceptional longevity, have committed the Chinese alchemists in search of methods or techniques that had action on human physiology that may cause slow down aging, rejuvenation, if not a regeneration or transformation. These methods became known as Internal or Inner Alchemy (NEI DAN 内丹) to distinguish it from alchemy External (WEI DAN 外 丹) who sought immortality through the preparations resulting from the processing of metals and plants.
According to the Chinese energy, to prevent aging, it is doubtful the "life principle", YANG SHENG (养生) feed that allows life (SHENG-生) of an individual and his body. The techniques of "Nourishing the Vital Principle" allows the QI (气), the stream of life or breath of life, to spread throughout the body. If any part of our body does not receive more than IQ, this area starts to degenerate. Feeding the IQ means to stimulate, repair and regenerate the whole organism. The QI circulating correctly, in the meridians and nourishes the organs is called, ZHEN QI (真气) translated as "breath Authentic" [1], or the Breath (IQ) perfect in its nature, the nature of Heaven. If puffs lose their aspect of "true" then the murmurs become perverse, XIE QI (邪气).
We can make a distinction between puffs on the basis of the order of Earlier Heaven (Xian Tian - 先天) and Later Heaven (HOU TIAN - 后天). The Original Breath, YUAN QI (or 元气 原 气), linked to the Earlier Heaven, predates the formation of the organism [2], he founded and determining the existence of a being. The set of puffs of Later Heaven can be summarized three puffs: what nourishes, retains and rebuilds, food energy, YING QI (营 气) that defends and protects, Defensive Energy, WEI QI (卫 气) that brings together and harmonises, ancestral energy, Zong Qi (宗 气) [3].
YUAN QI - The Original Breath
Yuan Qi and QI that connects us to the original source of life. Chaired by the source of the warming of the body (along the body via the Triple Burner, SAN JIAO - 三焦), the survival instinct and procreation. Wear dell'YUAN IQ causes dehydration of the tissue, the decrease in muscle tone, tighter tendons, the decrease in brain capacity, the exhaustion and, ultimately, extinction of life. All symptoms that correspond to those of cellular aging. Chinese medicine teaches that Qi is stored in the space between the kidneys. This area is called MING MEN (命门), Door of Life, or Gate of Destiny. The Qi is linked, through the five organs, the kidney itself. The kidney is called the "root of life body". The YUAN QI depends therefore by the kidneys, fortify the kidneys contribute to IQ strengthen the vitality and halt the inexorable process of aging.
JING - The Essence
Jing, the essence, the quintessence. The Essence (Jing - 精) is the basic component for the establishment of an organized life. Linked to Earlier Heaven (Xian Tian) and Later Heaven (HOU TIAN), the Essence, is the quintessence of Heaven and Earth produce man. The essence, JING, linked to heaven, authorizing the beginning of a new life and determines its nature, form the set of the fundamental substance of the representation (Earlier Heaven). Its headquarters are the kidneys. After the birth will be kept constantly absorbed by refining or distilling the essence of food (Later Heaven). Aging is no more that the gradual loss of Jing. The clear sign of the giving of this essence, over time, is none other than senility.
In conclusion, the essence, JING, is so important to the Chinese, who consider, as we have already seen, the "essential" part of the vital principle. It is so precious in this civilization that is treated as jade, stone, much appreciated by the Chinese. In ancient times, parents who decided to have a child is prepared through a special diet and the use of a special pharmacopoeia, especially exercises QI GONG (气功), to produce the best possible quality of JING to the unborn child.
Qi Gong, as able to act positively on the YANG SHENG, is regarded as a "Long Life Fitness" and its regular practice as early as possible and for life, represents for the Chinese, the best thing to do for maximum longevity. As they say: It is never too late ... And even starting the QI GONG later in life, you still feel the effects of a gradual rejuvenation.
Notes:
[1] In the definition of Authentic Puffs (ZHEN QI - 真气) the emphasis on the authenticity of the source of life: Authentic puffs are, in humans, as they are as they should be, perfect as those of Heaven and Nature. In the case of Fixed Puffs (ZHENG QI - 正气) the accent falls on the good functioning of the body. (Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallée "Notions-101 Les Clés de la Médecine Chinoise" Gui Trédaniel Ed.).
[2] In the category of Earlier Heaven IQ Original (Qi) Original Essence (Yuan Jing (元 精) are often interchangeable terms, sometimes using the appearance JING QI front, sometimes the two terms remain distinct. (Giulia Boschi "Chinese Medicine: the root and flowers" Ed Ambrosiana).
[3] Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallée "Les Notions 101-Clés de la Médecine Chinoise "Gui Trédaniel Ed.
Bibliography:
Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallée "Les Notions 101-Clés de la Médecine Chinoise" Gui Trédaniel Ed.
Giulia Boschi "Chinese Medicine: the root and flowers" Ed Ambrosiana.
Giovanni Maciocia "The Fundamentals of Traditional Chinese Medicine" Ed Ambrosiana. Tiziana Lippiello
"Confucius - Dialogues" Einaudi Ed.
Yves Requena "The Qi Gong anti-aging" Gui Trédaniel Ed.
The symbolism of the tree and references to the plant, although discrete, are ubiquitous throughout the classical Chinese thought and its applications, such as traditional medicine and martial arts. In TAI JI QUAN, for example, and qigong, words such as rooting, "hug a tree", are part of common practice (SHAOLIN: Small Forest). We see, therefore, some aspects that identify the timber. 
of this cycle the most popular are the generation cycle (sheng) cycle and Domination (or Destruction - KE). These two cycles are particularly used in acupuncture and nutrition, as well as in psychosomatic techniques (Qigong) and similar to the "Martial Arts" classic (Taiji Quan, Xingyi Quan). 
According to Chinese tradition the sensible world, all that we can appreciate with your senses, comes from the YANG-dell'YIN continuous transformation, the transformation of qi (气 - Breath and Vital Energy) and the transformation of WU XING (五行 - Five Elements or Movements) identified as Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water, which manifest themselves through their cycles. 
The traditional representation of the organization of the five movements in high places the Fire in the Water low, left and right on the metal timber. By analogy we can tie the Fire the most yang, the South, the summer maximum of yin and Water in the North, winter. For the intervening movements: the Wood, the change from Yin to Yang, the tie in the East, the spring is metal, the transition from the YANG YIN, west, autumn. The center is the place of the observer in this organization and space-time is related to the Earth and the Fifth Season, which arises as a transition or separation, between the four seasons. 
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