🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Qigong’s health-preserving and longevity effects stem primarily from its ability to unblock meridians and promote blood and qi circulation, especially by strengthening the body’s original qi. Thus, it prevents illness and treats existing conditions. Secondly, qigong’s various techniques integrate “Jing (Essence), Qi (Energy), and Shen (Spirit)” into a unified whole, enhancing the body’s vitality, naturally extending life, delaying aging, and promoting health and longevity.
Renowned Chinese qigong master Liu Guizhen detailed the mechanisms of qigong health preservation in his book *Practical Qigong Therapy*. Here are some excerpts:
1. Nourish Original Qi, Reinforce Vitality, Repel Pathogens
In qigong theory, the principle of “qi as fundamental” runs throughout. Training emphasizes nourishing original qi to strengthen the root. How does qigong achieve this? *Suwen·Shanggu Zhen Tian Lun* states: “Calm and tranquil, true qi follows; spirit stays within, how can illness arise?” This succinctly explains qigong’s mechanism for nourishing original qi. TCM regards Jing, Qi, and Shen as internal factors reflecting the body’s functional state. Qigong is a self-cultivation practice combining external training of muscles, bones, and skin with internal training of Jing, Qi, and Shen—dynamic and static integration. Jing includes innate kidney Jing and acquired food-derived Jing. Both are distributed throughout the body via the lungs, heart, and spleen to support growth, development, reproduction, and other physiological activities. Qigong significantly impacts Jing. With proper technique and consistent practice, both innate and acquired Jing are strengthened. Conditions like male seminal emission, premature ejaculation, cold sperm, thin semen, and female leukorrhea, menorrhagia, scanty menstruation, pathological amenorrhea—all fall within the pathological range of Jing. These conditions show improvement through qigong practice—proof of qigong’s effect on Jing. Patients with digestive dysfunction or nutritional disorders improve through qigong’s “heart-kidney interaction” method: kidney yang activates spleen yang, enabling better digestion; kidney water nourishes stomach yin, improving gastric function. Resulting in increased appetite, greater food intake, enhanced secretion of digestive glands, stronger anabolic metabolism, and improved nutritional status—clear evidence of qigong’s effect on acquired Jing. Qigong also strengthens innate Jing. Innate Jing resides in the kidneys. The qigong method of focusing on Dantian and Mingmen reinforces kidney essence. Innate Jing relies on acquired Jing for nourishment. Through techniques like suction, retention, contraction, and closure, combined with moderation in desires and maintaining balance, innate Jing naturally becomes abundant and secure. Kidney essence, nourished by acquired Jing, grows stronger. Original Jing becomes solid, original Qi fills, demonstrating the inevitable trend of “transforming Jing into Qi.” Clearly, qigong’s effect of enriching Jing and consolidating essence is precisely how it nourishes original Qi. Once original Qi is enriched, it better stimulates and drives normal physiological activities of organs, which is crucial for maintaining health. Moreover, it further enables the transformation of Qi into Shen. Shen includes innate Shen and acquired consciousness. Innate Shen arises from original Qi; acquired Shen arises from postnatal Qi and Jing. Both originate from matter and reciprocally affect it. *Suwen·Yijing Bianqi Lun* states: “Those who possess Shen thrive; those who lose Shen perish”—highlighting Shen’s importance in life. This is another vital significance of qigong in nourishing original Qi.
2. Regulate Yin and Yang
Experimental research and clinical observation confirm qigong’s wide-ranging influence in balancing yin and yang. TCM believes form and Jing can transform into function—this is the normal physiological process of yang arising from yin. But when function becomes hyperactive, it consumes form and Jing. After qigong meditation, sympathetic nerve excitement weakens, metabolic rate drops, and high-reactivity states are corrected. Hyperactive functions are adjusted—this is concrete evidence of qigong’s ability to suppress yang and support yin. Qigong’s yang-nourishing effects are equally widespread. Based on the “kidney deficiency” theory, observations show that after practicing qigong, patients with kidney yang deficiency exhibit warmer extremities, normalized urinary ketone steroids, increased plasma ATP and cyclic AMP levels, and enhanced white blood cell phagocytic ability—clear signs of qigong’s yang-nourishing effect. Qigong’s regulation of dynamic yin-yang balance operates through a dual modulation effect—“suppressing excess, supporting deficiency”—manifesting at multiple levels, which is the core mechanism behind qigong’s therapeutic and health-preserving effects.
3. Unblock Meridians, Harmonize Blood and Qi
Qigong’s therapeutic and health-preserving effects are achieved through “unblocking meridians and harmonizing blood and qi.” Clinical observations show that patients with blocked meridians and unbalanced qi and blood exhibit unequal or vastly different measurements on both sides of limbs. After qigong practice, those with weak qi and blood show varying degrees of improvement. During practice, phenomena such as noticeable meridian sensations and internal qi circulation along the Ren and Du meridians and other channels are observed—concrete manifestations of qigong’s meridian-unblocking effect.
These are detailed explanations by renowned qigong master Liu Guizhen on the mechanisms of qigong’s health preservation and longevity. They demonstrate that qigong is an excellent method for strengthening the body. Anyone wishing for health and to “live out their natural lifespan” should study diligently, practice assiduously, and truly inherit and promote this precious heritage of traditional Chinese medicine. From what aspects does qigong manifest its health-preserving, therapeutic, longevity, and life-extending effects? We briefly discuss a few here.