Sun Simiao's health preservation - "Nourishing according to the seasons" to preserve qi

Qi is one of the three treasures of the human body. Qi and essence are both the material basis of the spirit. God is the manifestation of human life activities, and qi is the driving force of life activities. To enjoy good health and a long life, one must not neglect to cultivate one's vital energy. Sun Simiao's ten essentials of health preservation first list "frugality of the spirit", followed by "love of qi", illustrating the significance of the spirit and qi to the human body. Sun quoted a metaphor by Baopuzi, viewing the entire human being as a country, with the divine being like the monarch of this country and the qi being the people of this country. "Love the people to preserve the country; cherish the spirit to preserve oneself. When the people disperse, the country will perish; when the spirit is exhausted, the body will die." " To govern a country, one must love the people; to maintain good health, one must love the qi. Since qi is the driving force of human life activities, it is inevitable that qi will be constantly consumed as life progresses. Therefore, human aging is caused by the weakening of qi. The Inner Classic of the Yellow Emperor once pointed out: "At the age of forty, one's Yin energy is already half, and daily life is in decline." At the age of fifty, I weigh a lot and my eyesight is not very smart. At the age of sixty, one experiences impotence, significant decline in strength, dysfunction of the nine orifices, weakness in the lower body and excess in the upper body, and both tears and tears become weak." It indicates that when a person reaches middle age, their energy has already declined. As age increases, the degree of energy decline becomes more and more severe, and the phenomenon of aging becomes more and more obvious. The purpose of health preservation is to prevent and delay aging. To achieve this goal, one must love and nourish qi. Sun emphasized that people must understand this principle when it comes to health preservation: "Knowing it makes one strong; not knowing it makes one old." It is pointed out that those who are good at health preservation can have an abundance of qi. With an abundance of qi, one can achieve "sharp hearing and vision, a light and strong body, rejuvenate the elderly, and make the strong even stronger." It is entirely possible to achieve the above-mentioned effects by mastering and practicing the correct health preservation methods. Sun Simiao himself is an excellent example. Even at the age of over a hundred, he still had a "pale complexion", sharp hearing and vision, vigorous movements, and a quick mind. He treated diseases and wrote books, all because he had long cultivated his character and was good at preserving his true essence energy, effectively delaying aging. So, what was the method of loving and nourishing qi that Sun Simiao practiced? First of all, one must understand that the essence, energy and spirit of a person are inseparable. Essence can transform into qi, and qi can generate essence. Essence and qi are the material basis of the spirit. Excessive use of the spirit and thoughts will inevitably deplete qi and damage essence. Therefore, the love of energy and the restraint of spirit, as well as the subsequent cultivation of the body, are all closely related. The key lies in transforming the concept of love and energy into actions and implementing it in all aspects of daily life, that is, "By integrating all the elements and having them all in place, even without any medicine or bait, one can live a long life." For instance, "Do not spit too far, do not walk too fast, do not listen too hard, do not look too far, do not sit for too long, do not stand too tired, do not lie down too long 懻." That is to say, all aspects of daily life must be handled just right. No matter how big or small the matter is, one should not go too far. One's words, deeds, sitting and standing should all follow the four upright principles. To understand the meaning of "restraint" is the art of loving one's breath. Secondly, those who practice the art of loving and nourishing qi must be well-versed in the "timely nourishment" method. Seasonal health preservation was proposed by Sun Simiao based on the health preservation ideas in the Inner Classic and his own long-term practical experience. It is also an important part of health preservation by loving qi. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, human beings are born by the energy of heaven and earth. "When heaven and earth unite their energies, they are called human beings." Therefore, the qi of the human body is closely connected with the natural qi of heaven and earth. The sky has the changes of the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The qi of the human body also changes accordingly, with growth in spring, growth in summer, harvest in autumn and storage in winter. Therefore, in different seasons, one should adopt different lifestyles to nourish one's qi. This is called "nourishing according to the seasons". Sun Simiao spent his entire life in seclusion in the mountains and forests, practicing ancient health preservation techniques in accordance with the changes of the four seasons. Eventually, he lived to the fullest. The main method was that the third month of spring is the season of renewal and renewal. All things in the universe are full of vitality, and the human body's energy also ascendant and grows in spring. Therefore, in spring, health preservation should focus on nourishing the "vital energy", regulating the daily routine, going to bed at night and getting up early in the morning, taking a walk and wandering in the dawn light, paying attention to relaxing all parts of the body, and making oneself feel refreshed and at ease. When dealing with people and things, one should get along harmoniously and be sincere to each other. This is the way to maintain health in the third month of spring. In the third month of summer, the energy of heaven and earth converges, all things thrive and flourish, presenting a thriving scene. The human body's energy is vigorous in response to the summer. Therefore, in summer, health preservation should focus on nurturing the "energy of growth". Go to sleep at night and get up early in the morning. One should keep a calm and composed mind, avoid getting angry for no reason, and treat everything in the outside world with love. Only in this way can the qi of Ying Xia Chang be nourished. In the third month of autumn, it is the harvest season. The sky is high and the air is refreshing. All things tend to converge, and the human body's energy should be reaped in autumn. In the three months of autumn, people should pay attention to nourishing the "energy of gathering", going to bed early and getting up early, and it is best to be in line with the activities of chickens. Pay attention to calming the mind, gathering the spirit and protecting the lung qi from being invaded by pathogenic factors. This is the way to nourish and harvest in response to the autumn climate. In the three months of winter, it is the season of seclusion and storage. The weather is extremely cold and all things are in hiding. The qi of the human body is hidden deep within in response to winter. Therefore, in winter, one should nourish the "qi of storage". Avoid excessive physical activity to prevent disturbing the Yang qi. It is advisable to go to bed early and get up early. Pay attention to keeping warm and avoid sweating to prevent catching a cold. One should keep a calm mind and avoid any rash scheming. One should maintain a contented and happy mental state. This is the way of nourishing and storing for the winter. In conclusion, taking care of oneself in accordance with the seasons is an important method for maintaining the health of qi. Its aim is to enable the human body to adapt to the climate changes of the four seasons. For instance, on the Winter Solstice, the first Yang energy begins to rise. On this day, one should lie down with thick grass laid under the north wall of the room to nourish the newly born Yang energy. After the first day of the eighth lunar month every year, when the Yin energy becomes increasingly strong, it is necessary to warm the feet with a gentle fire appropriately, pay attention to keeping the lower body warm, and avoid making the legs and feet feel cold. This way, the Yang energy can always be kept in the lower part and not released in the upper part, which is helpful for nourishing the Yang energy. In early spring, when the weather has not yet fully thawed and the temperature is still low, it is advisable to wear clothes that are thicker at the bottom and thinner at the top to nourish Yang and restrain Yin, which is beneficial to health. In winter, it is extremely cold and the Yang energy is stored within. One should not sweat due to overwork, as this may release the Yang energy and harm health. The key to cherishing qi lies in protecting Yang qi. "Yang qi is like the sky and the sun; if it loses its proper place, it will shorten one's lifespan and fail to shine." That's exactly the point. Therefore, Sun pointed out: "Only when one's clothing, food, sleep and place are all in harmony with The Times can one truly follow the way of health preservation." Therefore, those who are good at nurturing life do not violate the taboos of the sun and the moon, nor do they lose the harmony of the seasons. If one encounters an untimely climate, such as a sudden warm in winter or a sudden cool in summer, these are all untimely climates that can cause many diseases when touched. When it is necessary to avoid it, one should also practice the method of regulating qi to balance one's own cold and heat, and thus avoid disasters. Therefore, the way of loving qi also requires practicing the techniques of breathing in and regulating qi such as welcoming qi, consuming qi, and subduing qi, in order to maintain qi and make it abundant, which has the effect of strengthening the body and prolonging life.