Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Preservation: Calm Mind and Body for Longevity
Using qi to cultivate health is an important aspect of health preservation.
No Desire to Cultivate Qi: Vital essence is the foundation of life. People should have aspirations, but not excessive ones. Excessive desires unfulfilled lead to blocked qi and physical harm. In modern society, opportunities abound, but chances and luck are unevenly distributed. One should pursue what is attainable and let go of what is unattainable, achieving peace of mind and cultivating vital essence—only then can “vital energy resides within, pathogens cannot invade.” Those with intense desires damage vital essence, making health impossible.
Wide Stomach to Nourish Qi: The body relies on the stomach and intestines to digest and absorb nutrients. A wide stomach is crucial for nourishing qi. Diet should be light, not overly full. Balance between meat and vegetables, coarse and fine grains is essential. Irregular eating habits and excessive smoking or drinking weaken stomach qi and cause blood and qi deficiency. Emotional depression and excessive worry contradict the principle of “wide stomach to nourish qi.”
Calm Mind to Harmonize Qi: TCM teaches that excessive anger harms the lungs and causes blood congestion, extreme joy disperses qi, and excessive thinking weakens the spleen and stomach. In today’s competitive world, one must guard against impatience. Learn self-control, release negative emotions, minimize concerns about gains and losses, and handle interpersonal relationships well. Suppressing thoughts brings countless blessings; indulging them brings endless misfortunes. A calm mind and harmonious qi balance yin and yang, regulate the six pulses, prevent illness, and extend life.
Long Roaring to Release Qi: This was an important ancient health practice. Long roaring massages and stimulates the nose, throat, chest, and abdomen. Singers live long lives—proof enough. After meals or during leisure time, walking slowly in a garden, reciting favorite poems, humming Peking Opera tunes, or singing aloud can clear the mind, eliminate distractions, and achieve a state of unity between self and environment.
Quietness to Promote Qi: Maintaining mental quiet for half an hour or an hour each day allows brain cells to function optimally, coordinates physiology and emotion, and reduces energy consumption. Mental stillness helps muscles relax, improves blood circulation, achieving the state of “calm mind and tranquil spirit, aging without decline.” Spending a few moments looking at greenery daily is highly beneficial.