The Way and the Methods of Health Preservation
TCM refers to health preservation theory as the “Way of Health Preservation,” and health preservation methods as the “Methods of Health Preservation.”
The Way of Health Preservation broadly summarizes thousands of years of medical, dietary, religious, folk, and martial arts theories. Its core principles are: 1. Follow nature; 2. Cultivate both body and spirit; 3. Combine movement and stillness; 4. Tailor to individual needs: Health preservation should not be limited to one method or formula but should involve multiple approaches—body, spirit, movement, stillness, diet, medicine, etc.—to cultivate health. Moreover, methods must vary based on person, place, and time—precisely what is meant by “tailoring to individual needs” and “diagnosing and treating according to syndrome.”
The Methods of Health Preservation encompass seven aspects:
1. Spiritual cultivation: Includes mental and emotional regulation, interest and hobby management, and moral character cultivation—deeply rooted in TCM, religious, and folk cultures.
2. Behavioral cultivation: Covers daily habits—clothing, diet, housing, movement, and sexual life—regulating lifestyle behaviors.
3. Qi cultivation: Primarily refers to “internal nourishment techniques” in medical qigong—closely related to TCM, religious, and martial arts cultures.
4. Physical cultivation: Mainly involves physical exercise and sports activities—integrating medical and martial arts cultures.
5. Dietary cultivation: A major component of TCM health preservation. Widely applicable, it focuses on selecting, preparing, and applying health-promoting foods, as well as dietary methods and moderation. Encompasses medical, pharmaceutical, culinary, alcoholic, and folk cultural elements.
6. Medicinal cultivation: Focuses on selecting and preparing health-preserving medicines. Herbs are typically pure, natural plant-based substances; preparation is usually crude processing; formulations often blend with food—thus the common TCM term “medicinal cuisine.”
7. Technique cultivation: Non-food, non-medicine methods outside the above—using massage, tuina, acupuncture, bathing, fumigation, magnetic therapy, and instrument stimulation for health preservation.