In the “Huangdi Neijing” it is stated: “Yin and Yang are the principles of heaven and earth, the framework of all things, the parents of change, the origin of life and death, and the abode of the spirit. To treat illness, one must seek the root.” The entire “Huangdi Neijing” consists of over a hundred thousand words, and essentially discusses Yin and Yang.
What is the most important aspect of health preservation? It can be summed up in four words: Yin-Yang balance.
All things in the world can ultimately be divided into two categories: Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are two opposing energies; one is positive and the other negative, one is left and the other right, one is up and the other down, one is front and the other back, mutually restraining and interdependent. It is precisely because Yin and Yang are opposing yet interdependent that we have heaven and earth, sun and moon, and male and female.
A person’s life is inextricably linked to birth, aging, illness, and death. What is birth? Birth is the temporary unification of Yin and Yang energies within the body.
What is aging? Aging is the continuous change and decline of Yin and Yang within the body.
What is illness? Illness is the imbalance of Yin and Yang energies within the body.
What is death? Death is the disintegration of this unity of Yin and Yang.
Although the human body is complex, it ultimately consists of only two types of energy: one is Yin, and the other is Yang.
These two types of energy continuously change, resulting in a person’s birth, aging, illness, and death.
What is life?
Life is a balance of these two contradictory energies, where the positive is Yang and the negative is Yin. Only with Yin-Yang balance can a person exist. The “Huangdi Neijing” states, “The root of life is based on Yin and Yang.” In the world, heaven is above as Yang, earth is below as Yin, and humans in between pursue Yin-Yang balance. Therefore, life is a state of neither too high nor too low, a state of Yin-Yang balance. If this balance is completely disrupted, life will end. What happens after life ends? It is the separation of Yin and Yang. At the crematorium, one can observe this phenomenon of Yin and Yang separation: the Yang energy transforms into wisps of smoke rising to the sky, while the Yin energy becomes ashes buried underground, and a person, with their head under the blue sky and feet on the yellow earth, disappears from the world.
Life is a state of internal stability, and this stability depends on the balance of Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are like the two weights on a balance scale; only when they are equal does the scale remain stable. Once Yin and Yang are imbalanced, the scale tilts, balance is broken, and a person becomes ill. Therefore, to achieve long-term health, one must always maintain the balance of Yin and Yang. What is health preservation? It is the nurturing of Yin and Yang; only when Yin and Yang are harmonized can we live a life free from illness.
Modern people mostly have insufficient Yang energy; health preservation and treatment must first support Yang.
“Insufficient Yang energy leads to illness.” Yang energy is the best medicine for the body; health preservation and treatment must first support Yang. 80% of modern people have insufficient Yang energy. For example, many young people have weak constitutions due to heavy academic or work pressures, excessive worry, or anxiety, leading to the depletion of their innate energy; additionally, they often do not go to bed early, causing Yang energy to return to Yin at night, which is necessary for the accumulation of Yang energy for the next day. If one stays up too late, Yang energy cannot interact with Yin, leading to external depletion; thus, staying up late is the most depleting of Yang energy, resulting in poor constitution.
1. What is Yang energy?
We often hear people mention the need to tonify Yang, strengthen Yang, and support Yang. So, what exactly is Yang energy? Yang energy fills the entire body and can be categorized into five types based on distribution and characteristics: Yuan Qi (Original Qi), Zong Qi (Gathering Qi), Ying Qi (Nutritive Qi), Wei Qi (Defensive Qi), and Zhong Qi (Central Qi), collectively referred to as Yang energy. In thousands of years of TCM culture, Yin refers to the body, while Yang refers to the energy possessed by the body. A person’s life is essentially a process of diminishing Yang energy. If the body loses Yang energy, it becomes an empty shell and will die.In the “Huangdi Neijing, Suwen” it states: “Yang is the protector of the exterior and provides solidity,” referring to the body’s ability to resist external pathogens, which is the function of Yang energy. The ancients compared Yang energy to the relationship between the sky and the sun; without the sun, the earth is dark and nothing can grow. Therefore, the operation of heaven and earth requires the sun. The Yang energy 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 energy, like heaven and sun, if lost, leads to shortened life and obscurity.” Therefore, nurturing Yang energy is the foundation of health preservation and treatment.
2. How is Yang energy consumed?
Since Yang energy is so important, everyone must be curious about its nature and how it is depleted. Yang energy has rules of rising and falling; in spring, Yang energy begins to emerge, in summer it reaches its peak, in autumn it starts to retract, and in winter it hides. If we consider a day, daytime corresponds to spring and summer, while nighttime corresponds to autumn and winter. This means that every morning when we wake up and open our eyes, Yang energy begins to emerge. By noon, Yang energy reaches its peak, and then gradually declines. In the evening, Yang energy enters Yin, and by night it hides. When Yang energy enters Yin, it is time for sleep. The human biological clock actually operates according to the rules of Yang energy.
Minimize activities that harm Yang.
1. Irregular sleep patterns harm Yang energy.
Working night shifts frequently and staying up until two or three in the morning disrupts the natural rhythm of Yang energy, leading to rapid depletion. When Yang energy is insufficient, one feels lethargic. Those who frequently stay up late often feel tired even if they sleep until nearly noon.
2. Excessive fatigue depletes Yang energy.
Intense exercise and excessive fatigue can also accelerate the depletion of Yang energy. Yang energy is in a dynamic state, but during intense exercise, it disperses outward. The “Huangdi Neijing” states, “Yang energy, when overworked, disperses.” It advocates for nurturing health through rest, especially in the evening, at night, or during autumn and winter when Yang energy is hidden; one should avoid intense exercise.
3. Overconsumption of cold foods harms Yang energy.
Yang energy begins to emerge in spring and gradually moves towards the body’s surface. In summer, Yang energy is at its peak, and the body’s Yang energy is mostly dispersed to the surface, leaving less within the body, which weakens the ability to resist disease. At this time, overconsumption of cold foods can easily lead to discomfort.
Methods to nourish and protect Yang.
1. Dietary adjustments.Dietary nourishment of Yang primarily involves adjusting dietary structure, preferences, and reasonable intake. It is said that similar energies attract; by reasonably and moderately choosing warm (hot) foods, we can nourish or supplement our Yang energy.2. Regular lifestyle.
Yang energy emerges at dawn, peaks at noon, and declines at dusk. In human society before the electrical age, most people adhered to a lifestyle of rising with the sun and resting at sunset. Following the natural rhythm of Yang energy, we should consume Yang energy during the day and restore it at night. A reasonable daily routine protects Yang energy.
3. Emotional regulation.
The “Huangdi Neijing, Shanggu Tianzhen Lun” states: “Calmness and emptiness lead to true Qi, and the spirit is internally guarded; where does illness come from?” If each person can maintain a tranquil mind, free from distractions, with both essence and spirit fully contained within the body without unnecessary depletion, one will not fall ill. The internal environment of the body and mental stability play crucial roles in health. It is important to maintain moderate emotional activity and effectively regulate one’s emotions to protect true Qi and nourish Yang energy.
4. Scientific exercise.
Life is movement; through physical activity and breath regulation, we can open the meridians, smooth Qi and blood, enhance physical fitness, and prolong life. “Movement generates Yang”; when Yang energy is invigorated, Qi and blood flow smoothly, nourishing the five organs.
Here, I recommend learning traditional Chinese health exercises such as Wu Qin Xi (Five Animal Frolics), Ba Duan Jin (Eight Pieces of Brocade), Tai Chi, and other health-preserving techniques to invigorate Yang energy and strengthen the body.
True Essence of Health Preservation and Longevity:
What the ancient Chinese referred to as health preservation mainly means “internal nourishment”; that is, improving the internal environment of the body through introspection, breath regulation, meditation, body guidance, and desire management, to enhance the body’s immunity and strengthen the inner life source. The ancient practice of introspection stems from the appreciation of internal resources, and the focus of health preservation includes: Dan Tian (elixir field), Qi and blood, meridians, acupoints, and organs.
In conclusion, I recommend the most suitable martial arts internal skills and health-preserving techniques for all age groups:
Wuji Gugen Peiyuan Zhuang (Wuji Root Cultivation Posture) + Yi Zi Jue (Beneficial Method). This not only treats illness but also promotes fitness. It opens the hundred meridians, regulates Yin and Yang, replenishes Qi and blood, warms the spleen and kidneys, strengthens the body, and cultivates Yuan Qi.
1. Standing post is a good method to cultivate kidney Qi. When standing in a half-squat position, Qi and blood can be directed to the lower Dan Tian. The kidneys are located in the lower jiao, thus cultivating kidney Qi and eliminating fatigue. Regular practice of this method can strengthen the body, prevent disease, delay aging, enhance immunity, stimulate Yuan Qi, guide medicine to the meridians, reach the organs, regulate the organs and meridians, achieve Yin-Yang balance, harmonize Qi and blood, and enhance physical fitness, preventing disease and prolonging life. It can also improve the body’s ability to resist external pathogens. TCM states, “Wei Qi emerges from the lower jiao”; the half-squat position allows Qi to enter the Dan Tian while increasing the protective Wei Qi, making the body more resistant to illness.
Taking Wuji Gugen Peiyuan Zhuang as an example, during the standing posture, a buoyant Qi is generated. Over time, you will experience that this buoyant Qi’s connecting effect combines with external Qi, activating the body’s major acupoints and meridians, accelerating the flow of Qi and blood. The buoyant Qi and the rapid circulation of Qi and blood, along with external Qi, will have a tremendous impact on the circulation of meridians, extraordinary vessels, and the three jiao organs.
“Yi” Method of Tongwu Kungfu
2. Yi Zi Jue Method:Specifically stimulates the Bladder Meridian and Kidney Meridian, used to activate the source of kidney Qi and replenish innate Yang. Throughout the practice, it can fill the body with kidney Qi, ultimately making it fuller and more solid, continuously transforming Yuan Essence into Yuan Qi.
It allows the body’s Qi and blood to follow the meridian pathways,
for patients with weakness and frailty,
it can reignite the Mingmen (Gate of Life) and Dan Tian true fire,
restoring Yuan Qi and constitution.
For healthy individuals, it can also achieve pure Yang transformation and aid Yin energy, enriching essence, Qi, and spirit!
At the same time, it opens the meridians, allowing the Yuan Qi from the Dan Tian to circulate through the meridians to various organs, enriching the five organs, strengthening them, and transforming the essence of the five grains into true Qi to replenish the five organs. It promotes the true Yang of innate energy, replenishing the true Yin in the heart, achieving the union of Kan and Li, the interchange of Yin and Yang, guiding true Qi throughout the body back to the Dan Tian, gradually achieving fullness of essence, Qi, and spirit.
Further Reading:
Activate the body’s “great medicine” with standing post | Give it a try
What should internal martial artists do when sexual desire arises?
Strengthen the lungs to eliminate diseases, easily enhance the body’s immunity!
The ancients said: “Take a midday nap, practice the Mao You technique (collection)”
The miraculous Tai Chi anal contraction technique for health, but 99% of people do not know how to do it!Standing post “prevents disease” | A wise choice for health preservationThe secrets of internal martial arts Qi cultivation | The Four Parts of the Tailbone Technique
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Kung Fu is taught to those with virtue; grateful for your companionship on the path of cultivation!!!
