various omens. Mediumship and exorcism is also a key element of some Daoist traditions. This can include There is tongji mediums and the practice of planchette writing or spirit writing. Longevity practices Daoist longevity methods are closely related to ancient Chinese medicine. Many of these methods date back to Tang dynasty figures like alchemist Sun Simiao (582-683) and the Highest Clarity Patriarch Sima Chengzhen (647-735). The goal of these methods range from better health and longevity to immortality. Key elements of these "nourishing life" (yangsheng) methods include: moderation in all things (drink, food, etc), adapting to the cycles of the seasons by following certain injunctions, healing exercises (daoyin), breathwork, taking medicinal elixirs, and limiting sex and preventing ejaculation. A number of physical practices, like modern forms of qigong, as well as modern internal martial arts (i.e. neijia), like Taijiquan, Baguazhang, Xingyiquan are practiced by Daoists as methods of cultivating health and longevity as well as eliciting internal alchemical transformations. However, these methods are not specifically daoist, and are often practiced outside of Daoist contexts. Another key longevity method is "ingestion", which focuses on what one absorbs or consumes from one's environment, which is seen as affecting what one becomes. Diatectics, closely influenced by Chinese medicine, is a key element of ingestion practice, and there are numerous Daoist diet regimens for different effects (such as ascetic diets, monastic diets, therapeutic diets and alchemical diets that use herbs and minerals). One common practice is the avoidance of grains (bigu). In certain cases, practices like vegetarianism and true fasting is also adopted (which may also be termed bigu). "Qi ingestion" (fu qi) is a special practice which entails the absoption of environmental qi as well as the light of the sun, moon and stars (and other astral effulgences and cosmic ethers) as a way to enhance health and longevity. Meditation There are many methods of Daoist meditation (often referred to as "stillness practice", jinggong), some of which were strongly influenced by Buddhist methods. Some of the key forms of Daoist meditation are: Apophatic or quietistic meditation, which was the main method of classical Daoism and can be found in classic texts like the Zhuangzi, where it is termed "fasting the heartmind" (xinzhai). This practice is also variously termed "embracing the one" (baoyi), "guarding the one" (shouyi), "quiet sitting" (jingzuo) and "sitting forgetfulness" (zuowang). According to Komjathy, this type of meditation "emphasizes emptiness and