🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Longevity and health are universal aspirations. Traditional Chinese Medicine has studied health preservation for over two thousand years, beginning with the *Huangdi Neijing*. Throughout history, numerous physicians, Taoists, and Buddhists have deeply explored and elaborated on health preservation, gradually forming a systematic TCM health theory. Summarized, there are eight key principles:
One: Emotional Well-being: Mental harmony is crucial for health and longevity. Tao Hongjing wrote in *Yangsheng Yan Shou Lu*: "The greatest way to cultivate life is to avoid excessive sorrow and grief—those who maintain balance and harmony will surely live long."
Two: Moderation in Desires: Cultivating tranquility allows the mind to be free of distractions and fosters noble character. Sun Simiao said: "Those who fail to live long, or die prematurely, often due to self-indulgence, exhausting their desires and ambitions for fame and profit." Thus, good health cultivators "should not eagerly pursue desires," "have no idle thoughts," "at any place, do not crave too much," and "in the morning, speak only of good deeds, not first calculate wealth."
Three: Moderation in Sexual Activity: Refers to controlled sexual behavior. Human growth depends on kidney essence; abundant kidney essence ensures vitality and strong resistance. To preserve kidney essence, sexual desire must be restrained. Excessive indulgence damages essence, harms the body, and shortens life.
Four: Adapting to the Four Seasons: Living in harmony with nature is essential for health preservation. *Lüshi Chunqiu* says: "Those who live long do not extend their lives artificially, but fulfill their natural span. The key to fulfilling their span lies in eliminating harm." Harm refers to abnormal climates—such as extreme cold, heat, dryness, or dampness—called "six evils" in TCM.
Five: Dietary Moderation: The spleen and stomach are the foundation of postnatal health. Irregular eating harms the spleen and stomach, leading to illness and early aging. *Nei Jing* warns: "The origin of yin lies in the five tastes," "overeating harms the spleen and stomach," excessive salt causes blood vessel constriction and discoloration, excessive bitterness causes dry skin and thinning hair... Sun Simiao offered comprehensive and scientific advice on diet: besides "not overeating, keeping meals simple," "always eat warm food," and "prefer light, sweet, and mild foods," he emphasized dietary methods and hygiene—e.g., "chew food thoroughly, don't swallow raw and coarse," "don't talk loudly while eating," "after each meal, rub your face and abdomen with hands," "avoid raw vegetables, raw rice, small beans, stale or foul-smelling foods, and cloudy wine," "never eat raw, sticky, or slippery foods." These practices prevent spleen-stomach damage, food poisoning, and infectious diseases, contributing significantly to health and longevity.
Six: Regular Exercise: Humans are integrated wholes; regular exercise keeps energy abundant and the body strong. Already in Han Dynasty, Hua Tuo advocated exercise to prevent disease, stating: "The body needs movement; moving helps digest food, circulates blood and qi, and prevents illness." Sun Simiao in *Qianjin Fang* said: "Cultivating life means always engaging in slight labor," "keep the body active, but avoid overexertion"—reminding people to stay active to prevent illness and extend life.
Seven: Following Nature's Rhythm: To live long, one must follow age-specific self-care. Sun Simiao analyzed the elderly: "After fifty, yang energy declines daily, weakening with age. Mental power fades, memory fails, laziness sets in, tasks become unmanageable. Vision and hearing decline, progress slows, everything deteriorates, leading to boredom, forgetfulness, anger, and personality change." This teaches us that aging brings physiological and morphological changes. We must care for and understand the elderly, accommodate their nature to help them enjoy a peaceful life.
Eight: Medicinal Substances: Life is subject to diverse constitutions, and illness is inevitable. Thus, medicinal substances are part of health preservation. Ancient people valued medicinal substances for preventing illness, curing disease, and extending life, developing many longevity-preserving prescriptions. Yet, health preservation shouldn't rely solely on medicine; otherwise, "even if you constantly take medicinal substances without understanding cultivation techniques, you cannot live long," and "even consuming jade elixirs and golden pills won't extend life."