🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Human health preservation activities originated very early, but systematic theoretical formation began with the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon (hereinafter referred to as "Inner Canon"). The theories and methods of health preservation in the Inner Canon are an essential part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. To this day, many of its essence are still widely referenced and promoted. Below are some personal insights regarding the principles, guidelines, and methods of health preservation in the Inner Canon:
1. The natural fluctuation of kidney qi is the theoretical foundation of TCM health preservation.
The Inner Canon states: "At age seven, a girl’s kidney qi becomes abundant, teeth change, and hair grows; at fourteen, heavenly water arrives... At twenty-one, kidney qi reaches balance... At twenty-eight, the body is strong and robust... At forty-nine, the Ren meridian weakens, the Chong meridian declines, and heavenly water is exhausted." Innate essence inherited from parents is stored in the kidneys. Essence transforms into qi, known as innate qi or kidney qi. Innate essence generates heavenly water; when kidney qi develops fully, heavenly water matures, granting both men and women reproductive capacity. As kidney qi peaks and then gradually declines, reproductive ability diminishes. When kidney qi falls below a certain threshold, heavenly water wanes, leading to loss of reproductive function. Physically, this manifests as signs of transition from robustness to aging. As stated in Ling Shu·Jing Mai: "When life begins, the essence forms first, followed by brain marrow. The kidneys serve as the root, the vessels as nourishment, the tendons as strength, the flesh as walls, and the skin remains firm while hair grows long." This refers to the development of human organs, channels, and tissues from innate essence. In Ling Shu·Ci Jie Zhen Xie Lun: "True qi comes from heaven and combines with food qi to nourish the body." This indicates that true qi, the fundamental source of bodily essence, is cultivated and sustained through postnatal nourishment. These concepts laid the foundation for later theories on the kidney governing reproduction, growth, and aging, and established the kidney as the root of innate constitution. They also provided crucial theoretical support for TCM’s exploration of aging mechanisms based on kidney qi decline, assessing aging progression via reproductive function, and methods of sexual restraint and essence conservation to prevent aging.
2. "Harmony between Heaven and Humanity" is the essence of TCM health preservation.
"Harmony between Heaven and Humanity" is a fundamental academic concept in the Inner Canon, and "Qi connects with Heaven" is a component of this view. Vital energy connects with heaven; humans and nature form an integrated whole. Internal coordination among the body’s zang-fu organs, channels, and the activities of essence, qi, and spirit also constitute an integrated system, forming orderly life processes. Thus, abnormalities in the natural environment and human physical and mental activities can affect physiological functions and lead to illness. For example, Ling Shu·Sui Lu Lun states: "Humans correspond with heaven and earth, and align with sun and moon"; Su Wen·Jin Gui Zhen Yan Lun states: "Five zang organs correspond to the four seasons, each receiving different influences." The Inner Canon further notes: "Liver flourishes in spring, heart in summer, spleen in late summer, lung in autumn, and kidney in winter"; it also says: "Spring qi resides in the meridians, summer qi in the channels, late summer qi in muscles, autumn qi in the skin, and winter qi in the marrow." Illness depletes the body’s zang-fu organs, channels, and essence, qi, and spirit, leading to pathological aging. Hence, Su Wen·Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun states: "Excessive joy and anger, extreme cold and heat, compromise life’s foundation."
Therefore, respecting and conforming to natural laws is essential to reduce disease and achieve good health and longevity. Su Wen·Bao Ming Quan Xing Lun states: "Heaven covers, earth bears, all things are complete, and nothing is more precious than humanity. Humans are born from the qi of heaven and earth, shaped by the laws of the four seasons," which succinctly summarizes the relationship between humans and nature. TCM health preservation theory is built upon this principle of harmony between humans and nature.
3. Fundamental Methods of TCM Health Preservation
Following Yin and Yang: The essence of human life lies in the harmonious balance of yin and yang energies, which must also be coordinated with the natural yin-yang fluctuations. Therefore, health preservation should follow the changes of heaven and earth’s yin and yang. Within a single day, as yin and yang shift, metabolism also changes accordingly. As the Inner Canon states: "Divide one day into four seasons: morning as spring, noon as summer, evening as autumn, and midnight as winter." It also says: "Yang qi governs externally throughout the day. At dawn, vital energy arises; at noon, yang qi peaks; in the afternoon, yang qi declines, and the pores close." This illustrates that yang energy tends outward during the day and inward at night. Thus, Su Wen·Si Qi Diao Shen Da Lun proposes: "Nurture yang in spring and summer, nurture yin in autumn and winter." "Concentrate the spirit, absorb celestial qi, and connect with divine awareness"—this reveals the essence of health preservation: internally maintain focused spirit, externally adapt to nature, preserving harmony between humans and nature. Only thus can yang qi be consolidated, so even if pathogenic factors invade, they cannot harm the body.
If this principle is violated, internal imbalance of yin and yang in zang-fu organs and blood and qi may occur, resulting in dysfunction of the nine orifices; externally, muscle blockage and lack of smoothness, weakened defensive qi, and loose pores allow pathogenic factors to invade, weakening righteous qi and causing numerous diseases, shortening lifespan. As Ling Shu·Shun Qi Yi Ri Fen Si Shi explains: "Most illnesses worsen in the morning, remain stable during the day, intensify in the evening, and peak at night." "In the morning, vital energy begins to rise, illness weakens—hence improvement in the morning; at noon, vital energy strengthens, overcoming pathogens—thus stability; in the evening, vital energy begins to decline, pathogens emerge—hence worsening; at midnight, vital energy enters the zang organs, pathogens dominate the body—thus severity." Harmonizing with techniques, eating with moderation, and maintaining regular routines. Su Wen·Shang Gu Zhen Tian Lun states: "Ancient people who understood the Dao followed yin and yang, harmonized with techniques, ate with moderation, maintained regular routines, avoided excessive labor, thus achieving harmony between body and spirit, living to their full natural lifespan, reaching a hundred years before passing away." Harmonizing with techniques means mastering various health preservation methods and technologies correctly. There are diverse types of health preservation practices, with different schools and unique methods. Some rely on self-cultivation, such as qigong, daoyin, self-massage, and various martial arts. Others depend on external forces or tools, such as acupuncture, dietary supplements, and medicinal foods. Regardless of method used, two points must be observed: First, each health preservation technique has its own purpose, characteristics, and specificity. One must select appropriate methods according to individual conditions, considering time, place, and personal circumstances. Second, each technique has specific requirements and procedures. Mastering its skills and essentials is crucial; generally, guidance is needed, otherwise deviation or even spiritual disturbance may occur. Eating with moderation emphasizes balancing the five flavors, avoiding bias; adjusting to temperature, controlling hunger and fullness; maintaining regular routines in daily life; avoiding excessive labor—physical, mental, and sexual activities should be moderate. Only thus can body and spirit coexist harmoniously, achieving health characterized by freedom from physical pain, absence of emotional distress, and balanced mind-body state. Growth, strength, aging, and decline are inevitable stages of life, and aging is unavoidable, limited by natural lifespan. However, through health preservation, one can maintain harmony between body and mind, and between physical structure and function—this is physiological aging, historically termed "longevity and well-being." Even when body and spirit no longer match youth, one can still maintain functional independence and mental clarity. To achieve this, prevention of premature aging is key. Environmental hazards, reckless behavior disturbing zang-fu organs, exhausting essence and qi, allowing internal excess pathogens and external invasion, resulting in conflict between true and pathogenic qi, depletion of essence and qi, and disconnection between body and spirit—leads to premature aging, i.e., pathological aging, forming the theoretical basis for the modern concept of sub-health.
Serene and tranquil, guarding inner spirit. Su Wen·Shang Gu Zhen Tian Lun states: "Ancient sages taught: avoid harmful winds and evil qi at appropriate times; live in serenity and emptiness, let true qi flow freely, guard your spirit internally, how could illness arise?" Serenity and emptiness primarily refer to emotional regulation, maintaining calm and peaceful mindset, eliminating distractions, preventing intense emotional fluctuations that disrupt normal qi movement and preserve a favorable internal environment for qi transformation. The Inner Canon particularly emphasizes mental cultivation among various health preservation methods. Mental activity originates from the five zang organs and reciprocally affects them, influencing physiological functions. Thus, Ling Shu·Ben Zang states: "Intent and will regulate spirit, gather soul and spirit, adjust to cold and heat, harmonize joy and anger." "When intent and will are harmonious, spirit focuses clearly, soul and spirit do not scatter, regret and anger do not arise, and the five zang organs are not invaded by pathogens." Therefore, Su Wen·Ling Lan Mi Dian Lun states: "The heart is the sovereign official, where divine awareness emerges... When the sovereign is clear, the ministers are secure; thus, health preservation leads to longevity." "When the sovereign is unclear, the twelve officials are in peril, pathways become blocked, and the body suffers greatly; thus, health preservation brings disaster." The Inner Canon regards the heart as the master of spirit, emphasizing mental regulation to ensure "clarity of the sovereign," underscoring the importance of mental cultivation in health preservation, a principle followed by later physicians.
Timely avoidance of toxins: Although many factors influence human health and longevity, disease invasion is undoubtedly a major cause. Thus, reducing disease and maintaining health is a crucial aspect of health preservation. Examining TCM etiology, it can be broadly summarized into three categories: internal causes, external causes, and non-internal, non-external causes. Avoiding these pathogenic factors allows the body to remain healthy, thereby achieving health preservation goals.
Su Wen·Shang Gu Zhen Tian Lun states: "Avoid harmful winds and evil qi at appropriate times." This refers to external causes. Humans live within nature; the six climatic factors are normally essential for the growth of all things. Abnormal variations of the six qi become the Six Evils, leading to illness. Additionally, there are other external pathogenic factors such as epidemic qi. Thus, avoiding external pathogenic influences is a key principle in TCM health preservation.
Emotional damage—emotional disorders leading to illness—is an internal cause in TCM etiology. Human emotions, under normal circumstances, are responses to external phenomena. Whether in ancient texts or clinical observations, cases of illness caused by emotional imbalance are numerous. Therefore, for health preservation, regulating emotions and valuing mental cultivation is an indispensable key aspect. Non-internal, non-external causes in TCM etiology include diet, labor and rest, and external injuries—all potential pathogenic factors. Normal life activities always follow the principle of moderation. Any excess or deficiency in life processes can lead to disease. Dietary imbalances such as irregular eating, unclean food, or biased preferences, and issues like overwork or excessive idleness in labor and rest are important triggers for illness. Thus, in diet, one should follow the principle of "carefully balancing flavors"; in labor and rest, one should practice "the body needs exercise, but not to extremes," while avoiding various external injuries, thus achieving "adhering to the Dao properly, living a long life."
Theories and methods of health preservation in the Inner Canon are an essential part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. With societal development and rising living standards, the pursuit of health and longevity has become a common goal. TCM health preservation theories and methods help realize this goal. They also provide effective theoretical and practical approaches for preventing and managing the widespread sub-health condition in modern populations.