Good Health Preservers Must Know How to Nurture Qi
Good health preservers must understand how to nurture qi.A person lives by breath; when qi gathers, life exists; when qi departs, life ends.Three inches of breath can serve a thousand purposes; once lost, all is finished.Chinese Daoists, physicians, and health practitioners unanimously believe that life depends on qi. Qi sustains life; without qi, life ceases. Wang Chong stated in *Lunheng*: “Those endowed with abundant qi have strong bodies; strong bodies lead to long life. Those with thin qi have weak bodies; weak bodies lead to short life and frequent illness.” Zhang Jingyue of the Ming Dynasty said: “Human existence entirely relies on this qi.” The *Huangdi Neijing – Treatise on the Innocence of the Primordial* states: “Breathe in pure qi, remain solitary and guard the spirit.” This concept has been widely accepted by the Chinese people, hence the term “cutting off breath” for death. Now, when Western medicine cannot explain death solely by “cessation of breathing” or “stopped heartbeat,” they are beginning to accept the Chinese concept of “qi.”In traditional Chinese health science, “qi” refers to original qi, also known as true qi. Original qi forms from the primordial qi stored in the kidneys, combined with nutrients derived from food processed by the spleen and stomach, and fresh air absorbed by the lungs. It is the fundamental and most vital force and source of life activity.Once formed, original qi circulates throughout the body, filling all organs and tissues, reaching everywhere. It is the essential factor sustaining life, driving normal physiological functions, maintaining health, and preventing disease. Abundant qi means a strong body; deficient qi leads to weakness; when qi vanishes, life ends. For the sick, if original qi remains intact, even severe illness may not be fatal; if qi is severely damaged, even minor illness may prove fatal. Thus, good health preservers must understand how to nurture qi. Hence, the *Suwen – Treatise on the Innocence of the Primordial* says: “Be tranquil and empty-minded, and true qi will follow. Guard the spirit within, and how can illness arise?”