Health Preservation: Go with the Flow
An idea widely circulated globally is the “1+0 Project.” The “1” represents health; the “0” stands for career, wealth, talent, friendship, family, love, etc. Only when the “1” exists do the “0” values matter. “1” plus “0” becomes ten, then hundred, thousand, million… But if the “1” disappears, everything else becomes “0.” The implication is clear: preserve this foundational “1.” Health is the source of everything.
Currently, an unhealthy trend exists in health preservation. Consider this anecdote: A man seeking longevity asked a doctor for a secret formula. The doctor asked, “Do you enjoy working?” He replied, “No.” Then, “Do you enjoy sports, singing, dancing, chess, fishing, hiking, gardening, traveling, socializing, household chores?” He shook his head again: “No.” The doctor smiled and said, “Then why would you want to live long?” Thus, longevity without quality of life is meaningless—and even painful.
Some seek extreme quietude by shutting themselves away, meditating daily; others pursue “life lies in motion” by climbing mountains nonstop; some seek “old age happiness” by playing chess or mahjong night after night. If one relies solely on such single-mode approaches, they won’t achieve longevity—they may even harm their health and shorten life.
How should we preserve health? TCM refers to health-preserving activities as “the Way of Health Preservation” or “the Art of Health Preservation.” “Way” denotes principles; “Art” refers to specific methods and techniques. These are embedded in everyday routines: eating, drinking, defecating, urinating, walking, moving, sitting, lying down—all involve health preservation. Traditional Chinese longevity methods are called “health maintenance,” “nourishing life,” “valuing life,” or “Dao-sheng” (following the Dao of life). “Health maintenance” means preserving life; “nourishing life” means cultivating life; “valuing life” means cherishing life; “Dao-sheng” requires adhering to proper rules. The *Tao Te Ching* says: “Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows Tao, Tao follows Nature.” This teaches us that health preservation must follow natural laws.
TCM’s health preservation philosophy demands going with nature, conforming to natural rhythms.