🌿 Folk Prescriptions

TCM health preservation has been a focal point of study among generations of physicians. Having practiced medicine for over thirty years, I offer my personal insights on the concept of health preservation, its alignment with the Dao, and its connection with moral cultivation.
1. Concept of Health Preservation
In brief, health preservation means conforming to nature and systematically organizing lifestyles. Under the guidance of TCM theory, using appropriate methods (including drug therapy), adapting to natural laws to sustain life activities—this is TCM health preservation. Its purpose is to achieve "yin and yang balanced, spirit stable" and "serene emptiness, true qi flows freely." The key lies in strengthening organs, reinforcing the body’s foundation, protecting true qi, thereby serving preventive and anti-aging purposes.
2. TCM Health Preservation Must Follow the Dao
TCM health preservation originates from ancient Daoist philosophy—following nature and returning to simplicity. The Dao mentioned by Laozi in "Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows Dao, Dao follows Nature" is the core of his thought system. The Tao Te Ching says: "One gives rise to two, two gives rise to three, three gives rise to all things; all things carry yin and embrace yang, and their interaction creates harmony." Huainanzi says: "Dao produces unity, unity produces duality," where "one" refers to the universal qi, and "two" represents yin and yang. The Inner Canon says: "One yin and one yang is Dao; imbalance in yin or yang is disease," and "Yin and yang are the way of heaven and earth." The Miaozhen Jing says: "People lose the Dao, not because the Dao loses people; people abandon life, not because life abandons people. Thus, those who preserve life must never lose the Dao; those who follow the Dao must never abandon life, so that Dao and life coexist, and life and Dao protect each other." "Dao" corresponds to the modern philosophical term "natural law" or "natural order," indicating the evolution of all things, containing primitive dialectics. Thus, one must follow the Dao.
Human evolution occurred through adapting to and transforming nature, understanding the necessity of aligning health preservation with following the Dao—how they should "coexist" and "protect each other," mutually linked and interdependent, neither to be neglected. The earliest TCM classic, the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon, records: "Ancient people who understood the Dao followed yin and yang, harmonized with techniques, ate with moderation, lived with regularity, did not overexert themselves, thus enabling body and spirit to remain together, living to their natural lifespan and reaching a hundred years. Today’s people are different—they treat wine as broth, recklessness as normal, indulge in sex after drunkenness, exhaust their essence through desire, dissipate their true qi, fail to maintain balance, do not regulate their spirit in time, pursue immediate pleasure, violate the joys of life, live without rhythm, hence declining by fifty."
This is the ancient health preservation rule.
3. Moral Cultivation Is Essential in TCM Health Preservation
China’s renowned thinker and educator Confucius had unique health preservation views: "Virtue enriches the body, benevolent people live long," and "Those with great virtue inevitably live long." These ideas continue to inspire modern people. "Benevolent people" refer to those of high moral character and esteemed reputation. Good interpersonal relationships are central to "benevolence"—benevolent people love others!
The theory that "health preservation depends on moral cultivation, and high virtue leads to longevity" has been validated by medical practice. Cultivating virtue means focusing on mental health—mental hygiene. TCM has always emphasized mental hygiene. Over two thousand years ago, the Inner Canon stated: "Calm and empty-minded, true qi flows freely, spirit remains within, how could illness arise?" Clearly, health preservation must prioritize mental well-being. People of high virtue exhibit three traits: First, they possess excellent interpersonal relationships—a key indicator of physical and mental health. Second, they have kind personalities—upright, open-hearted, optimistic, resolute, emotionally rich. Third, they have strong coping abilities—accurately recognizing themselves and adapting to complex social environments. As the ancient saying goes: "A good physician must first heal the heart, then the body."
With shifts in medical and healthcare models, modern health concepts now encompass physical health, mental health (i.e., psychological well-being), and sound social adaptation—all integrated into a comprehensive definition of health. Correctly understanding mental hygiene includes cultivating healthy personality traits and maintaining positive mental states, thereby enhancing quality of life.
4. Health Preservation and Detoxification
Modern toxicology defines toxins as substances that, when introduced in small amounts, chemically or physicochemically interact with body tissues, disrupting normal physiology and causing temporary or permanent pathological states. Toxins include exogenous and endogenous types. Exogenous toxins include bacteria, viruses, pesticides, fertilizers, drugs, air pollution, water pollution, heavy metal contamination, electromagnetic wave pollution, noise pollution, etc. Endogenous toxins are waste products generated during metabolism, accumulating and reactivating as toxins.
TCM believes that "toxins" invading the body can obstruct qi movement, deplete blood and qi, disrupt normal functioning of organs, meridians, qi, blood, and defensive systems, leading to disease and aging. Modern medical research shows that long-term toxin accumulation inevitably causes dysfunction in various tissue cells, posing serious threats to human health. Toxins can cause diverse diseases—cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, digestive and urinary system disorders—and impair immune function.
To achieve disease prevention, strengthening the body, and health preservation, detoxification measures must be adopted to minimize toxin damage. "Detoxification" refers to the process of eliminating toxins, maintaining clear detoxification pathways and unobstructed routes. Particularly, keeping the digestive tract clear is crucial—bowel movements are a key indicator of whether the digestive and detoxification pathways are blocked. From a medical standpoint, defecation and urination are the simplest and most effective ways to expel toxins. The Jin Dynasty physician Ge Hong said: "To live long, the intestines must be clean; to avoid death, the bowels must be empty." This illustrates that bowel detoxification leads to longevity. "Detoxification" means neutralizing and resolving toxins. It has two meanings: First, direct detoxification—using drugs to directly neutralize and resolve toxins; second, indirect detoxification—relying on the body’s own organ functions to achieve toxin neutralization and resolution.
5. TCM Health Preservation and Sub-Health State
What is sub-health? Based on modern medical standards distinguishing health and disease, the intermediate state between health and disease is termed sub-health, also known as the third state of the body. TCM health preservation embodies the preventive principle of "treating pre-disease rather than disease." Pre-disease resembles today’s sub-health state but is not identical. Because the TCM concept of pre-disease includes four aspects: prevention before illness, modification after illness, early treatment when sick, and remission of chronic conditions. Since TCM health preservation aims to prevent disease and strengthen the body, it necessarily improves sub-health states.
Approximately half of the population exists in sub-health, a broad and significant area requiring research. Sub-health can develop in two directions: toward health or toward disease. TCM health preservation aims to guide the body toward a healthier state (including mental health).
6. Conclusion
TCM health preservation encompasses behavioral, environmental, physical, dietary, and other cultural practices. More importantly, it must follow the Dao, prioritize moral cultivation, employ detoxification methods, and promote transformation from sub-health to physical and mental well-being—achieving the ultimate goal of TCM health preservation: strengthening the body, preventing disease, and delaying aging. With growing awareness of concepts like "pre-disease" and sub-health, combined with TCM practices such as herbal decoctions, dietary therapy, qigong, daoyin, and massage, rational improvements in dietary nutrition and enhanced self-care awareness can play a crucial role in improving and adjusting sub-health states. As society evolves, the meaning and scope of "health" and "wellness" deepen and expand, truly reflecting that health and wellness are no longer merely about treating illness, but about promoting human health, enhancing life quality, and preventing disease—ensuring everyone enjoys a high-quality, vibrant, meaningful life.