🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Longevity and health are universal aspirations. Traditional Chinese medicine has studied health preservation for over two thousand years, from the "Huangdi Neijing" onward. Numerous physicians, Daoists, and Buddhists have deeply explored and elaborated on health preservation, gradually forming a systematic TCM health theory. Summarized, there are eight key principles:
One, Cultivate Emotions: Emotional harmony is essential for health and longevity. Tao Hongjing in "Yangsheng Yan Shou Lu" said: "The greatest way to preserve health is to avoid excessive sorrow and grief—those who maintain inner harmony will surely live long."
Two, Abstain from Greed: Health preservation requires tranquility, allowing mind and body to be free from distractions, cultivating noble character and broad-mindedness. Sun Simiao said: "Those who do not cherish themselves, exhaust their desires, and pursue fame and profit prematurely die young." Thus, good health preservers "do not obsessively pursue desires," "have no idle thoughts," "seek nothing beyond necessity," and "begin each day with kind words, not calculations of wealth."
Three, Moderation in Sexuality: Sexual activity should be moderate. Human growth depends on kidney essence; abundant kidney essence ensures continuous vitality and strong disease resistance. To preserve kidney essence, sexual desire must be restrained. Excessive indulgence in lust inevitably damages essence, harms the body, and shortens life.
Four, Adapt to the Four Seasons: Humans live within nature; adapting to seasonal changes is vital for health preservation. "Lüshi Chunqiu" says: "Longevity is not achieved by extending life artificially, but by completing one’s natural span. The key to fulfilling one’s lifespan lies in avoiding harm." Harm refers to abnormal climates—extreme cold, heat, dryness, or dampness—called "Six Evils" in TCM.
Five, Moderate Diet: The spleen and stomach are the foundation of postnatal health. Irregular diet harms the spleen and stomach, leading to illness and early aging. The "Neijing" warns: "The origin of yin lies in the five flavors," "Overeating injures the intestines and stomach," excessive salt causes blood to thicken and discolor, excessive bitterness causes skin to dry and hair to fall off… Sun Simiao offered comprehensive, scientific advice on diet: "Do not overeat; keep meals simple," "Always eat warm food," "Prefer light, sweet, and bland foods." He also emphasized dietary methods and hygiene: "Chew food thoroughly, do not swallow raw," "Do not talk loudly while eating," "Rub face and abdomen after meals," "Avoid raw vegetables, raw rice, small beans, stale food, and turbid 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 body strong. Already in Han Dynasty, Hua Tuo advocated exercise for disease prevention, stating: "The body needs movement; motion helps digest food, circulates blood, and prevents illness." Sun Simiao in "Qianjin Fang" also said: "To preserve health, always engage in slight labor," "Keep the body active but avoid overexertion," reminding people to move regularly to prevent illness and extend life.
Seven, Follow Nature's Rhythm: To stay healthy and live long, one must follow age-related physiological patterns. Sun Simiao analyzed aging: "After fifty, yang declines daily, weakening with age. Mind power fades, memory fails, laziness sets in, plans become unworkable. Vision and hearing deteriorate, progress slows, everything falls apart, leading to boredom, forgetfulness, irritability, and personality changes." This teaches us that aging brings physiological and morphological changes. We must care for and understand the elderly, accommodate their nature, helping them enjoy their remaining years.
Eight, Use Medicinal Substances: Life is fraught with varied constitutions and inevitable illness. Thus, using medicinal substances is part of health preservation. Ancient people valued medicinal substances for disease prevention, treatment, and longevity, developing many longevity prescriptions. Yet, health preservation must not rely solely on medicine; otherwise, "even if you constantly take medicinal substances without understanding health preservation techniques, you cannot achieve longevity," and "even consuming jade elixirs and gold pills cannot extend life."