About the book: 2012 / The Chinese note that the snake does not eat throughout the winter, but has an enviable longevity. Turtles consume little food and have the longest longevity of any animal, some attributing this longevity to eating a small amount of food. Such beliefs suggest that eating more food leads to health-related problems, and limiting food intake improves health; in order to enter the Bi Gu state, it is necessary to perform Chi Gong exercises or special breathing techniques. One of the famous techniques is “turtle breathing,” an exercise that imitates the shallow breathing of a turtle. From the above, many may conflate Bi Gu with regular fasting or may conclude that Bi Gu is only for weight loss or cleansing the body. Certainly. Bi Gu can help you lose excess weight and cleanse the body, but this is not its only purpose. The main purpose of Bi Gu is to maintain the state of Chi Gong so that the body can automatically balance itself..