🌿 Folk Prescriptions

The secret to longevity lies in balancing movement and stillness.Nourish the body through movement; nourish the mind through stillness.Stillness nurtures the spirit; movement trains the body.Practice boxing to train the body; meditate to cultivate character.Internally, refine one breath; externally, train tendons, bones, and skin.Externally, train tendons, bones, and skin; internally, refine essence, qi, and spirit.Too still and inactive leads to dimming eyesight and hearing; balance of movement and stillness ensures health and freedom from pain.Stillness nourishes the spirit; movement trains the body. Being able to move and rest brings joy and long life.Qigong training includes static and dynamic methods. Static qigong involves sitting, lying, or standing still, focusing on internal cultivation of spirit, organs, qi, and body fluids—commonly referred to as refining essence, qi, and spirit—thus called “inner skill.” Dynamic qigong combines various physical movements with mental focus, including self-massage and tapping, to train tendons, muscles, and skin. Since it manifests externally through motion, it is known as “outer skill,” commonly referred to as training tendons, bones, and skin. Though qigong distinguishes between static and dynamic practices, static qigong is not truly still—it represents a special state of motion. During practice, internal movement and warmth spread throughout the body. Thus, people call static qigong “externally still, internally active.” External stillness is merely a form of practice; internal movement is the actual method, regulating and activating bodily functions. Dynamic qigong occurs in a state of focused intention and mental tranquility, so it is “externally active, internally still.” Therefore, qigong practice always combines movement and stillness, inner and outer cultivation. Yet inner skill is paramount—inner cultivation is more important than external training. As *Shoushi Baoyuan* states: “Good health preservers nourish the inside; poor ones nourish the outside. Nourishing the inside means calming the zang-fu organs and harmonizing blood and qi, allowing the entire body’s qi to flow smoothly and harmoniously, thus preventing illness. Nourishing the outside means indulging in food and drink desires, pursuing exquisite flavors and pleasures, even if the body appears plump and the complexion rosy, the intense internal heat corrodes the organs and depletes the spirit—how can one preserve harmony and achieve longevity?”