--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For optimal health, we need body and…" description: "\"For optimal health, we need body and spirit, exercise (ming) and meditation, awareness of the inner world and the outer. In other words, health require..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/ken-cohen-51926_attention_for-optimal-health-we-need-body-and-spir_1375007.png" --- # For optimal health, we need body and spirit, exercise… ![“For optimal health, we need body and spirit, exercise (ming) and meditation, awareness of the inner world and the outer. In other words, health requires balance and moderation. The goal of qigong may be summarized as xing ming shuang xiu,spirit and body equally refined and cultivated. Cultivate…” quote by Ken Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/ken-cohen-51926_attention_for-optimal-health-we-need-body-and-spir_1375007.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/ken-cohen-51926_attention_for-optimal-health-we-need-body-and-spir_1375007.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/ken-cohen-51926_attention_for-optimal-health-we-need-body-and-spir_1375007.png) > “For optimal health, we need body and spirit, exercise (ming) and meditation, awareness of the inner world and the outer. In other words, health requires balance and moderation. The goal of qigong may be summarized as xing ming shuang xiu,spirit and body equally refined and cultivated. Cultivate your whole being, as you would cultivate a garden with attention, care, and even love.” [Ken Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Health is achieved by balancing physical activity with mental cultivation, treating body and spirit as equal partners in wellness. **In simple terms:** Balance body and mind for health. Key Takeaway Practice both exercise and meditation daily. Themes wellness balance holistic health Mood calm focused Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - Morning exercise - meditative breathing - stress management - dietary choices Key Concepts Qi cultivation mind‑body integration Questions to Reflect On - What daily habits nurture both body and spirit? - How can you measure progress in holistic health? A Different Perspective Neglecting one side can lead to imbalance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Garden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/garden/) [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Inner world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-world/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Moderation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moderation/) [Qigong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qigong/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [A fruit is not afraid of its own weight. It grows into its skin fully. It is whole, each part of its body equally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-brandeis/a-fruit-is-not-afraid-of-its-own-weight-it-grows-into-its-skin-fully/) Gayle Brandeis > [Stillness and action are relative, not absolute, principles. It is important to find a balance of yin and yang, not just in qigong, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cohen/stillness-and-action-are-relative-not-absolute-principles-it-is/) [Ken Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cohen/) > [Qigong is a jewel that has many facets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cohen/qigong-is-a-jewel-that-has-many-facets/) [Ken Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cohen/) > [Qigong is the art and science of refining and cultivating internal energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cohen/qigong-is-the-art-and-science-of-refining-and-cultivating-internal/) [Ken Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cohen/) > [“The main principle of this book is that for both optimal health and weight loss, you must consume a diet with a high nutrient-per-calorie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-fuhrman/the-main-principle-of-this-book-is-that-for-both-optimal-health-and/) [Joel Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-fuhrman/) > [The goal of my diet-style is eating for optimal health and longevity. What greater benefit could there be than living healthfully and actively into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-fuhrman/the-goal-of-my-diet-style-is-eating-for-optimal-health-and-longevity/) [Joel Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-fuhrman/) > [“It is our duty to use whatever corrective tools and disciplines are available to us to resolve errors that might be compromising our health.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shankaranarayana-jois/it-is-our-duty-to-use-whatever-corrective-tools-and-disciplines-are/) Shankaranarayana Jois > [I think Dogen can be a very good introduction for people who want to meditate in whatever way, whether it's yoga, qigong, or Tibetan.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuaki-tanahashi/i-think-dogen-can-be-a-very-good-introduction-for-people-who-want-to/) [Kazuaki Tanahashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuaki-tanahashi/) > [The spirit is something to be enjoyed. It is not a harsh discipline. And I think people should take some time everyday for some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/the-spirit-is-something-to-be-enjoyed-it-is-not-a-harsh-discipline/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [Prayers are designed to raise God-consciousness five times a day, throughout one's life. Prayers also provide regular exercise - like yoga or Tai Chi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haroon-siddiqui/prayers-are-designed-to-raise-god-consciousness-five-times-a-day/) Haroon Siddiqui > [If you want to be healthy and live to one hundred, do qigong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-oz/if-you-want-to-be-healthy-and-live-to-one-hundred-do-qigong/) [Mehmet Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-oz/) > [Qi gong therapy, as well as other branches of Chinese medicine, can be reduced to two simple principles: the cleansing of meridians to achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kiew-kit/qi-gong-therapy-as-well-as-other-branches-of-chinese-medicine-can-be/) [Wong Kiew Kit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kiew-kit/) > [“Qi cannot flow through a tense, knotted muscle or a locked joint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-s-cohen/qi-cannot-flow-through-a-tense-knotted-muscle-or-a-locked-joint/) Kenneth S. Cohen > [“Qi is the Chinese word for "life energy". According to Chinese medicine, qi is the animating power that flows through all living things. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-s-cohen/qi-is-the-chinese-word-for-life-energy-according-to-chinese-medicine/) Kenneth S. Cohen ## More by Ken Cohen > [Qigong is a jewel that has many facets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cohen/qigong-is-a-jewel-that-has-many-facets/) [Ken Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cohen/) > [A cup of tea is a cup of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cohen/a-cup-of-tea-is-a-cup-of-peace/) [Ken Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cohen/) > [Qigong is the art and science of refining and cultivating internal energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cohen/qigong-is-the-art-and-science-of-refining-and-cultivating-internal/) [Ken Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cohen/) > [Silence is the foundation of truth. Words are most meaningful when they emerge from silence and when they are received by a quiet mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cohen/silence-is-the-foundation-of-truth-words-are-most-meaningful-when/) [Ken Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cohen/) > [The more qi-full you are, the more cheerful you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cohen/the-more-qi-full-you-are-the-more-cheerful-you-are/) [Ken Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cohen/) > [Stillness and action are relative, not absolute, principles. It is important to find a balance of yin and yang, not just in qigong, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cohen/stillness-and-action-are-relative-not-absolute-principles-it-is/) [Ken Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cohen/) [Explore all 7 Ken Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cohen/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For optimal health, we need body and spirit, exercise (ming) and meditation, awareness of the inner world and the outer. In other words, health requires balance and moderation. The goal of qigong may be summarized as xing ming shuang xiu,spirit and body equally refined and cultivated. Cultivate your whole being, as you would cultivate a garden with attention, care, and even love.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ken Cohen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cohen/for-optimal-health-we-need-body-and-spirit-exercise-ming-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cohen/for-optimal-health-we-need-body-and-spirit-exercise-ming-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/ken-cohen-51926_attention_for-optimal-health-we-need-body-and-spir_1375007.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/ken-cohen-51926_attention_for-optimal-health-we-need-body-and-spir_1375007.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/ken-cohen-51926_attention_for-optimal-health-we-need-body-and-spir_1375007.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For optimal health, we need body and spirit, exercise (ming) and meditation, awareness of the inner world…” — Ken Cohen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ken Cohen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cohen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For optimal health, we need body...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cohen/for-optimal-health-we-need-body-and-spirit-exercise-ming-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cohen/for-optimal-health-we-need-body-and-spirit-exercise-ming-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```