Sun Simiao's Health Preservation - Be cautious with words to avoid depleting qi

Speech is a tool for human beings to exchange ideas, an indispensable and important part of a person's daily life, and also one of the most widely used physiological functions by humans. Therefore, it is highly reasonable for Sun Simiao to incorporate health preservation into his words. The so-called health preservation must "start from the Four Uprightnesses", which are speech, behavior, sitting and standing, and speech being the first of the four uprightnesses. As the saying goes, words are the voice of the heart. Speech is the expression of thoughts. Only when the heart is upright can the words be upright. Therefore, Sun Simiao emphasized that "One must not indulge in wild thoughts when speaking." Just as Confucius said, "Thoughts should be free from evil." Only when the heart is free from evil thoughts can words be "right". For instance, the morning is the best time to plan for the day. After getting up every morning, one should plan the day's schedule, "If you want to focus on doing good deeds, don't worry about money first." All words and deeds should be beneficial to the country, the nation and the people, rather than being overly concerned with personal fame, fortune, status or constantly chattering about money and false reputation. It is evident that words reveal a person's ideological realm. To be cautious with words, one must start by rectifying one's mindset. Another aspect of being cautious with words is to be careful not to talk too much and hurt one's energy. Although human speech originates from the throat, it is the application of vital energy. Therefore, people with abundant vital energy speak loudly and can read for a long time without feeling tired. However, those with insufficient vital energy not only speak in a low voice but also cannot speak for a long time. It is evident that verbal recitation always depletes one's vitality. Sun Shi advised people to "not talk too much", saying that "excessive talking leads to a lack of energy", and it is advisable to "speak less", as less speaking allows energy to be replenished and not dissipated in vain. Furthermore, it is important not to talk while walking, otherwise it will "make one lose breath". When you want to speak, stop first and then start speaking. The reason here is also quite simple. Since both a person's words and deeds are driven by "qi", if one speaks and acts simultaneously, it will increase the consumption of "qi", which is not conducive to health preservation. Moreover, speaking loudly while walking at a fast pace will also give external pathogenic factors an opportunity to invade. Sun Simiao's viewpoint and approach of being cautious with speech incorporate health preservation into the minute aspects of daily life, which is highly reasonable yet often overlooked. It holds significant guiding significance for today's health care. All words are spoken in the throat and originate from the sea of qi. Based on this theory, Sun Simiao proposed a method of nourishing qi through speech, which is: "When reading or reciting words, one should always think that the sound is in the sea of qi." The Qi sea is located below the human navel. In Taoism, it is called the Dantian, where the primordial qi converges. Speech is inherently harmful to the qi. If one can focus on the sea of qi while speaking and imagine the sound coming from it, it will have the effect of concentrating the mind on the dantian. Undoubtedly, it turns speech and recitation into a form of qigong exercise, which is truly an excellent way to maintain health. Being cautious with one's words is multi-faceted. For instance, one should not talk while eating. If one talks while eating, it will cause chest and back pain. We know that talking while eating is a very bad habit. It not only affects chewing and digestion, but also leads to swallowing a large amount of air due to constant talking, and even causes choking and other problems. Sun also requested that one should not talk or laugh after going to bed. He believed that the five internal organs of a person are like bells and chimes; if they are not suspended, they cannot produce sound. When a person is in bed, the five internal organs are not yet suspended, so it is not advisable to force them to speak. This view stems from the theory that the five tones correspond to the five internal organs. From a physiological perspective, loud talking and laughing before going to bed can excite the nerves and affect falling asleep. Sun also pointed out that people should be especially cautious with their words in winter and must not "speak loudly when exposed to the cold". In conclusion, Sun Simiao's "Be cautious in speech" is very rich in content, and many aspects it involves are often overlooked by people. If it is given due attention, then everyone can do it. Among the numerous health preservation methods, being cautious with words can be said to be a unique one. It is evident that Sun Simiao's approach to health preservation was extraordinary in the ordinary. As the saying goes, "One can look up and down without going against the pleasures of one's nature, and look around without giving up the preferences of one's eyes and ears." The essence of Sun's health preservation lies in integrating health preservation into daily words and deeds.