Canon of Medicine: The Movement of Life and the Balance of Health

This volume presents a curated and thematically organized translation of selected passages on riya?a (exercise) from the Canon of Medicine (al-Qanun fi al-?ibb) of Ibn Sina. Drawing on Books I–IV of the Canon, it brings together both the systematic chapters in which exercise is treated as a central component of regimen, and the numerous dispersed references in which it appears as a governing principle in physiology, pathology, and therapy. In Ibn Sina's medical thought, exercise is a foundational mechanism of life. It sustains the body's internal balance by promoting transformation, aiding digestion, and preventing the accumulation of harmful residues. Its proper use—defined by moderation, timing, and adaptation to individual condition—extends across all domains of medicine: from the preservation of health and the development of the body, to the treatment of disease and the regulation of daily life. This volume traces that breadth, showing how a single principle operates across multiple levels of a unified medical system. Ibn Sina (980–1037), known in the Latin tradition as Avicenna, was one of the most influential physicians and philosophers of the medieval world. His Canon of Medicine remained a central medical text in both the Islamic world and Europe for centuries. Combining clinical observation with philosophical rigor, he articulated a comprehensive vision of the human body as a dynamic system governed by processes of balance, transformation, and motion. By assembling and translating these passages, this volume offers both a focused study of riya?a and an entry point into Ibn Sina's broader medical philosophy—one that continues to invite reflection on the nature of health, the role of movement, and the enduring continuity of knowledge across time and civilizations.