1. Harmony between Heaven and Humanity, Adapting to Nature The “Suwen: Baoming Quansheng Lun” states: “Heaven covers, Earth supports, all things are complete, none is more precious than humanity. Humans are born from the qi of Heaven and Earth, shaped by the laws of the four seasons.” In the natural world, the weather descends, the Earth’s qi rises, yin and yang combine, and all things flourish. Humanity is the most precious member of all beings, existing by the qi of Heaven and Earth. Therefore, the changes in nature must have various direct or indirect effects on human physiology and pathology. For example, throughout the four seasons, nature exhibits the development of spring growth, summer flourishing, autumn harvest, and winter storage, and the physiological functions of the human body also undergo corresponding changes. Similarly, within a day, as the yin and yang change with day and night, the physiological functions of the human body also exhibit rhythmic changes. TCM emphasizes adapting to the movements of nature, stressing that the human body must maintain a high degree of harmony, coordination, and unity with the natural world to achieve health and longevity. As stated in the “Suwen: Siqi Tiaoshen Dalu”: “The yin and yang of the four seasons are the beginning and end of all things, the foundation of life and death; going against them leads to disasters, following them prevents severe illnesses, this is called following the Dao.” Not only must one adapt to the seasonal climate changes, but also to geographical location, natural environment, water quality, and air, and the human body must also be well protected and adapted to these factors. These are important principles that must be followed in health preservation and disease prevention.2. Qi is the Origin of All Things in the Universe Laozi in the “Dao De Jing” states: “There is a substance that is formless, born before Heaven and Earth. It is quiet and vast, independent and unchanging, circulating endlessly, it can be called the mother of all under Heaven.” This suggests that the original substance that constitutes the world is the metaphysical “Dao”. Song Yin and Yin Wen referred to this original substance as “qi”. The “Huangdi Neijing”, influenced by these theories, also posits that “qi” is the origin of all things in the universe, “The great void is vast, the foundation of transformation, all things begin, the five movements end in Heaven”. Before Heaven and Earth were formed, there was already qi, filling the great void and moving endlessly, and only then did the universe and all things come into being. This reveals the natural laws of celestial evolution and biological emergence. Before the formation of the universe, there was the great void. Within the great void, the original qi is abundant, and this qi is the beginning of the transformation of all things. Due to the movement of qi, there came the stars, the seven luminaries, the yin and yang of cold and heat, and all things. The movement of yin, yang, and the five elements governs the changes of the Earth and the emergence and development of all things.3. Follow Yin and Yang, Harmonize with Techniques, Regulate Diet and Lifestyle Yin and yang are the principles of Heaven and Earth, the framework of all things, the parents of change, the foundation of life and death, and the abode of the spirit; to treat illness, one must seek the root. In ancient times, those who understood the way of health preservation could arrange their lives according to objective laws. The way of health preservation is to maintain the balance of yin and yang within oneself (when yin is excessive and yang is deficient, or vice versa, diseases will arise). Diet must be regulated (one should not have a monotonous diet, overeat, indulge in rich foods, or drink excessively), and daily routines must also be regular (one should not stay up late, as frequent late nights can disrupt the body’s biological clock and lead to endocrine disorders, etc.), and one should not excessively fatigue the body. In this way, a person’s appearance and internal vitality can be nurtured, allowing those who understand the way of health preservation to live to a hundred years. However, modern people often disregard health preservation, drinking excessively and treating their bodies poorly as normal, frequently engaging in drunken debauchery, dissipating their innate essence (excessive sexual desire consumes the source of life; regulating sexual desire and preserving essence and qi is the way of health preservation). Today’s individuals also neglect their physical condition, overexerting themselves to satisfy momentary pleasures, and indulging in entertainment, all of which contradict the way of health preservation, leading to premature aging by the age of fifty.4. Maintain Inner Calm and Harmonize Emotions It advocates nurturing mental activities as the primary means to preserve life and prolong longevity. It holds that the spirit governs life activities; a calm spirit resists aging and promotes longevity. Thoughts, considerations, wisdom, will, urgency, and soul are all governed by the spirit. It advocates for a tranquil and internally guarded spirit, avoiding restlessness and waste; emphasizes a clear heart and few desires, quieting the eyes and ears, regulating the spirit, adapting to the four seasons, and regularly practicing quiet exercises to maintain a calm spirit and promote health.5. Humans Have Three Treasures: Essence, Qi, and Spirit Essentially, humans possess only three things: essence, qi, and spirit; health preservation fundamentally requires nurturing essence, qi, and spirit. Mastering the nurturing of “essence, qi, and spirit” is the most essential, effective, and correct way of health preservation. Nurturing essence is the foundation of health preservation, nurturing qi is the path, and nurturing spirit is the key; only by nurturing essence, qi, and spirit together, using “qi” to connect “essence” and “spirit”, can our bodies achieve “yin balanced and yang secret”, and our health can be sustained.6. Clear Accumulations and Ensure Smooth Blood Vessels TCM has a concept called “accumulation”. Accumulation can be divided into: qi accumulation, blood accumulation, food accumulation, alcohol accumulation, phlegm accumulation, flesh accumulation, water accumulation, milk accumulation… These accumulations obstruct the meridians, leading to stagnation; if they affect the blood vessels, they cause blockages; if they affect the internal organs, they burden them; if they affect the muscles and bones, they cause harm. The causes of accumulation are believed to be both external and internal factors. External factors are considered to be the invasion of external evils such as “wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire”; internal factors are poor lifestyle habits such as overeating leading to nutritional excess, reduced physical activity causing nutrients to accumulate in the body, or emotional distress causing an imbalance in yin and yang metabolism, leading to the retention of toxic and inert substances in the body, which are the main causes of accumulation. TCM believes that wind is the root of all diseases, and accumulation is the source of all ailments; accumulation precedes the invasion of wind. We can see that in modern diseases and sub-health syndromes, none are without a direct causal relationship with accumulation, hence the saying that “nine out of ten people have accumulation!” If the accumulation is not cleared, how can one endure? The “Neijing: Tangye Laoli Lun” addresses the common phenomenon of “insatiable desires and unending worries, essence and qi deteriorating, and the body suffering” by proposing the typical treatment principle of “clearing accumulation”. By using methods to clear and eliminate accumulation, we can smooth and cleanse the internal organs and blood vessels, thus achieving self-generated vitality, robust physique, and health and longevity.7. Moderate Exercise without Fatigue Life is in movement, but exercise must be moderate, hence the phrase “exercise without fatigue”. On one hand, it is believed that the human body requires movement, i.e., “exercise”. The qi and blood of the body must circulate and move, just like water in a river, flowing day and night without ceasing; if it stagnates, it will become foul and corrupt, or due to accumulation, it may burst its banks and cause disaster. Therefore, one should not seek comfort and avoid insufficient exercise. On the other hand, exercise should not be excessive, which is what is meant by “exercise without fatigue”; if one overexerts, it can lead to “overstrain”, also known as “the five strains”: prolonged viewing injures blood, prolonged lying injures qi, prolonged sitting injures flesh, prolonged standing injures bones, and prolonged walking injures tendons.8. Cautiously Harmonize the Five Flavors, Regulate Diet and Drink The “Huangdi Neijing” emphasizes “cautiously harmonizing the five flavors” and “regulating diet and drink” for dietary health. This school advocates dietary regulation to nourish essence and qi, correcting imbalances in the internal organs’ yin and yang to treat diseases and prolong life. The famous Tang dynasty physician Sun Simiao was a master of this school, whose guiding principle was to regulate diet for healing and longevity. Diet should be light, bland, soft, and simple, avoiding greasy, thick, raw, and cold foods.9. Comprehensive Regulation The “Huangdi Neijing” posits that human health is influenced by many complex factors, including external factors such as climate, geographical environment, water quality, and air, as well as internal factors such as mental state, daily routines, dietary habits, and sexual activity. Therefore, to prevent disease and promote health and longevity, comprehensive measures must be taken. As stated in the “Ling Shu: Ben Shen”: “Thus, the wise in health preservation must follow the four seasons and adapt to cold and heat, harmonize emotions, and settle in a suitable place, regulating yin and yang and balancing hardness and softness; in this way, evils will not approach, and one can achieve longevity.” This fully illustrates that health preservation must be comprehensive; emphasizing only one aspect is insufficient. It is necessary to stress both adapting to the external factors of nature and harmonizing emotions, stabilizing living conditions, regulating sexual activity, and adjusting diet to maintain health. In specific methods, one should choose various health preservation techniques suitable for their conditions and situations, comprehensively regulate, and fully nourish themselves to achieve health and longevity.10. Prolonged Viewing Injures Blood, Prolonged Lying Injures Qi, Prolonged Sitting Injures Flesh, Prolonged Standing Injures Bones, Prolonged Walking Injures Tendons.Prolonged Viewing Injures Blood: Because “the liver opens to the eyes” and “the liver receives blood to enable vision”, prolonged viewing injures blood; Prolonged Lying Injures Qi: Excessive lying down can deprive the lungs of fresh air, weakening lung function, as the lungs govern the body’s “qi”; Prolonged Sitting Injures Flesh: Long periods of sitting without activity can slow the circulation of qi and blood, leading to muscle weakness; “movement prevents decline”; movement allows qi and blood to circulate throughout the body, nourishing all muscles, especially those of the limbs; Prolonged Standing Injures Bones: Prolonged standing injures the waist and kidneys, as the kidneys store essence, and essence produces marrow, which nourishes the bones; thus, prolonged standing can damage the skeletal function; Prolonged Walking Injures Tendons: Prolonged walking can excessively tire the knee joints, as the knees are the abode of tendons, hence prolonged walking injures tendons.
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