If you've ever tended a small plant, watched it reach toward the light, and felt a quiet sense of responsibility for its growth, then you already have a felt sense of what YangSheng means.

In China, there is a subtle and elegant custom when drinking tea: when someone pours tea for you, you express your thanks by gently tapping your bent index and middle fingers on the table. This is called “Kòu ZhǐLǐ” (扣指礼), which translates roughly to the “Knocking Finger Salute.”