What is Yang Qi? Yang Qi is the innate energy received from parents combined with the acquired energy from respiration and the essence of food transformed by the spleen and stomach. It plays a role in nourishing the body’s tissues and maintaining the functions of the organs. As one ages, Yang Qi gradually diminishes.
What is luck? Luck refers to the laws of life and movement, where everyone experiences periods of good and bad luck. The ups and downs of life are like winding roads; there are no paths that are always smooth, nor are there paths that are always bumpy.
“Strong Yang leads to longevity, weak Yang leads to early death.” A person’s luck and Yang Qi are closely related; if luck is poor, it is likely due to insufficient Yang Qi, leading to an excess of Yin and a deficiency of Yang, resulting in frequent misfortunes.
1. Reasons for Poor Luck: There Are Several Situations.
1. Unfavorable Factors of the Year.
This means that it is destined for these years to be unfavorable. In other words, during these years, there is an excess of Yin and a deficiency of Yang, which can be seen through one’s Ba Zi (Eight Characters). In such cases, one can only focus on maintaining previous achievements.
2. Incorrect Life Direction.
For example, if one’s destiny is best suited for development in the east, but one chooses to develop in the south, this is a misdirection. If one does not go in a favorable direction but instead heads towards the least suitable one, even with good luck, efforts will yield little result. This is because one needs Yang but is moving towards Yin, leading to increasing Yin.
3. Choice of Industry.
As the saying goes, men fear choosing the wrong profession. This applies to everyone. Some people are naturally suited for technical fields, but due to family or other factors, they end up in administrative roles. The result is constant difficulties, and they may only achieve a minor position after much struggle. If they had pursued a technical career, they would likely have succeeded easily.
From the above, it is clear that a person’s luck and Yang Qi are interconnected; if Yang Qi is poor, then luck will also be poor. How can one increase their Yang Qi?
The human body is like a bank, and Yang Qi is the currency we use. If we overdraw a little today and a little tomorrow, over time, the bank will refuse to operate. When health is continuously overdrawn, the body will signal discomfort, such as back pain, neck stiffness, colds, etc., all reminders that Yang Qi is insufficient and the currency is overdrawn. Restoring Yang Qi is like financial management; it requires both increasing income and reducing expenditure.
2. 80% of Modern People Have Insufficient Yang Qi—All Illnesses Stem from a Deficiency of Yang Qi.
Yang Qi is like the sun in the sky; if it loses its place, it shortens life and becomes obscure; thus, the heavenly cycle should be bright like the sun, hence Yang Qi protects and defends the body. — Huangdi Neijing, Suwen, Theory of Vital Energy.
Many of my friends suffer from fatty liver, high blood lipids, and high blood pressure, frequently visiting hospitals and being troubled by these chronic diseases. Their pulse is often deep, thin, and weak, sometimes accompanied by symptoms like chest tightness, palpitations, shortness of breath, and cold extremities, which I see as typical symptoms of Yang deficiency.
In the Huangdi Neijing, Suwen, it states: “Yang protects the exterior and provides stability,” referring to the body’s ability to resist external pathogens, which is Yang Qi. In TCM, it is also called “Wei Yang” or “Wei Qi.” Wei means guard or protect. Yang Qi acts like the body’s guards, distributed at the skin’s surface, responsible for resisting all external pathogens and safeguarding the body. Anyone with abundant Yang Qi can resist all diseases.
Ancient people compared Yang Qi to the relationship between the sky and the sun; without the sun, the earth is dark and lifeless, and nothing can grow. Therefore, the operation of heaven and earth must have the sun. Similarly, the Yang Qi in the human body must be harmonized to strengthen its protective function; otherwise, it will invite the invasion of pathogens.
The Huangdi Neijing states: “Yang Qi is like the sun in the sky; if it loses its place, it shortens life and becomes obscure,” thus, nurturing Yang Qi is the foundation of health and disease treatment.
The circulation of blood and body fluids within the body requires Yang Qi to facilitate their movement, and blood and body fluids need the vaporization effect of Yang Qi to nourish the entire body and support all organ functions, allowing for continuous vitality. The body’s normal fluids require Yang Qi for nourishment and propulsion; body fluids account for 70% of the body, and insufficient Yang Qi is most clearly manifested as excessive dampness in the body.
Normal body fluids are essential for moisturizing the skin and ensuring the proper functioning of the five organs; too much or too little can lead to pathological responses. A deficiency leads to heat, while an excess leads to phlegm and dampness. Most chronic diseases or difficult-to-treat conditions in modern people are caused by the imbalance of Yin fluids due to insufficient Yang Qi.
Some friends may wonder, with such good living conditions now, how can Yang Qi just disappear? In fact, there are many harmful factors in life that damage our Yang Qi, which we often overlook.
What consumes our Yang Qi the most? It is the mind. From a TCM perspective, the five external manifestations of Yang Qi—Shen (Spirit), Hun (Soul), Po (Corporeal Soul), Yi (Intellect), and Zhi (Will)—are closely related to the body’s organs. Shen belongs to the heart, Hun to the liver, Po to the lungs, Yi to the spleen, and Zhi to the kidneys. Disharmony in the mind can also lead to organ disease. This intangible Yang Qi constantly influences the health of the body, which is also the greatest secret of health preservation.
Regarding our physical form, excluding congenital diseases, illnesses that occur before the age of 24 generally do not pose significant issues, as the innate Yang Qi is abundant before 24, and the body’s nerves, muscles, and bones are in optimal condition.
After the age of 24, the pressure on individuals gradually increases, leading to excessive mental strain, which is essentially excessive consumption of Yang Qi, resulting in a state of excess Yin and deficiency of Yang. Therefore, adults over 24 should seek the causes of illness from the mental and emotional aspects, as most diseases are caused by damage to the spirit and emotions.
One of the greatest factors damaging people’s spirits is the information pollution of modern society.We are exposed to more information in a single day than ancient people encountered in a lifetime, filling our minds with various matters and our brains with all kinds of information.
Over time, the damage to one’s spirit is evident! For example, when a person hears bad news and becomes angry, they may immediately feel blood rushing to their head, and some may even suffer a heart attack. Information pollution harms people invisibly, and unfortunately, few realize this, still mistakenly viewing it as a symbol of technological advancement.
As the saying goes, “Illness enters through the mouth.” Another major source of damage to Yang Qi comes from our diet.Although we can buy whatever we want to eat now, most foods are contaminated with pesticides, fertilizers, or various additives, including genetically modified foods. Long-term consumption of contaminated foods can disrupt the functions of the five organs, which in turn can affect emotions; for instance, people with liver issues tend to be irritable for this reason. Over time, the body also presents a state of Yang deficiency.
Currently, it is very popular to eat out-of-season vegetables, which contradicts the natural growth patterns of vegetables, as the life energy contained in the food changes. For example, rice from Northeast China, which grows in one season, appears oily and glossy, and has a delicate and smooth texture because it absorbs the essence of heaven and earth over a year, resulting in abundant vitality.
01. Everyone is born with a strong ability to resist external pathogens, and the foundation of this ability is to cultivate one’s Yang Qi.
02.Similar to the principle of “strong Yang leads to longevity, weak Yang leads to early death,” a person’s fortune is also determined by Yang; strong Yang leads to good fortune, while weak Yang leads to bad fortune, thus Yang Qi determines longevity and good luck.
03.To enhance Yang Qi and improve luck, it is recommended that friends first regulate themselves and then adjust their living environment. Only then can one maximize strengths and avoid weaknesses, cultivate Yang energy, and achieve good fortune.