Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
2021
Abstract
Demographic researchers have identified five geographic regions around the world with unusually high proportions of nonagenarians and centenarians. Studies of these longevity hotspots or “blue zones” are now trying to distill lessons for how people everywhere can live long and active lives with minimal impediments. In this study, I compare lifestyle observations and longevity prescriptions derived from studies of blue zone centenarians with long-standing recommendations for the practice of nourishing life (yangsheng) to achieve a long and healthy life in the Daoist tradition. Observing a high degree of similarity across the four lifestyle domains of diet, exercise, mindset, and relationships, I find blue zone recommendations for successful aging closely resemble and seemingly validate many longstanding Daoist prescriptions for advancing human health and longevity. I conclude that although blue zone residents may not be consciously Daoist, they seem to represent unselfconscious models of Daoist living.
Keywords
Longevity, centenarians, lifestyle, Daoist
Discipline
East Asian Languages and Societies | Ethics and Political Philosophy
Research Areas
Political Science
Publication
Journal of Daoist Studies
Volume
14
First Page
128
Last Page
151
ISSN
1941-5516
Identifier
10.1353/dao.2021.0004
Publisher
Three Pines Press
Embargo Period
5-16-2021
Citation
JOSHI, Devin K..(2021). The way of longevity: Blue zones as unselfconscious models of Daoist living. Journal of Daoist Studies, 14, 128-151.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3308
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1353/dao.2021.0004