Traditional Chinese medicine focuses on nourishing qi

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "Qi" is both the basic substance that constitutes the human body and the basic substance that maintains human life activities. "Zhuangzi·Knowing the North" says: "Human life is the gathering of Qi; gathering is life, dispersion is death", "Man lives with a breath", "Three inches of Qi can be used in a thousand ways, but once it is gone, everything is over", etc., all of which emphasize the role of "Qi" in human life activities.

The generation of "Qi" is complex, with different sources and multiple classifications. It has five functions: promoting, warming, consolidating, defending and qi transformation. Diseases caused by "Qi" include Qi deficiency, Qi depression, Qi stagnation, Qi obstruction, etc. Heart Qi deficiency, lung Qi deficiency, liver Qi depression and stagnation, and lung Qi obstruction are common clinical conditions. "Lingshu Kouwen" described the symptoms of Qi deficiency: "Insufficient upper Qi will cause dissatisfaction in the brain, ringing in the ears, tilting of the head, and dizziness in the eyes; insufficient middle Qi will cause changes in urine and stool, and ringing in the intestines; insufficient lower Qi will cause paralysis, numbness, and depression."

In view of the important role of "Qi" in human life activities, Chinese medicine health care always takes nourishing Qi as the first priority. Huang Kaijun, a doctor in the Qing Dynasty, proposed the "Qi Nourishing Training" in his "Youyu Zhai Medical Talks", which summarized the methods of nourishing qi.

1. Think less and nourish your heart

Heart Qi refers generally to the functional activities of the heart. In modern times, it can also specifically refer to the heart's function of promoting blood circulation. Insufficient heart qi can lead to a series of diseases. "Lingshu Tiannian" says: "At the age of sixty, the heart energy begins to decline, and one suffers from worries and sorrows, and the blood and energy become sluggish, so one likes to lie down." Worrying is the easiest way to consume the heart energy. "Lingshu Benshen" says: "If the heart is nervous and worried, it will hurt the spirit." "Lingshu Kouwen" states: "The heart is the master of the five internal organs and six bowels. Therefore, sadness and worry will cause the heart to move, and when the heart moves, the five internal organs and six bowels will all be shaken." Emotional factors such as fear, anxiety, extreme joy, sorrow, worry, fear and confusion first affect the heart and then cause diseases in related organs.

Anger is a strong emotional response that often occurs when one's self-esteem is threatened or damaged. Anger can easily lead to pain in the ribs, chest tightness and discomfort, and common symptoms include digestive disorders or menstrual disorders in women. In severe cases, it can cause high blood pressure and even sudden death. This is what the Su Wen "Original Qi Tong Tian Lun" says: "Great anger will cause the body and qi to be exhausted, and blood will pool above the body, causing fainting." It can be seen that it is very important to maintain a calm and balanced mind.

Stomach Qi refers to the digestion and absorption function of the human body. Adequate stomach qi is a sign of good health. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "if there is stomach qi, there is life, and if there is no stomach qi, there is death." Li Dongyuan, one of the four great medical scientists of the Jin and Yuan dynasties, more clearly stated that "the stomach qi is the foundation of human beings." Indulging in appetite and eating too much fatty and sweet food can easily damage the stomach qi. The Su Wen·Bi Lun summarizes it as “eating and drinking too much will damage the stomach and intestines.”

The lungs control the qi, regulate breathing, are responsible for the diffusion and descent of qi, and regulate the water channels. The most common symptoms of insufficient lung qi include cough, fatigue, fear of wind, spontaneous sweating, and susceptibility to infection. In addition to disease factors, talking too much can easily deplete lung qi. Traditional Chinese medicine says that “talking too much consumes energy”. Sun Simiao also warned people not to talk too much and that "too much talking will exhaust your energy"; it is better to "speak less" as talking less can nourish your energy and avoid wasting it unnecessarily.

Kidney Qi refers to the functional activities of the kidneys, which are mainly manifested in reproduction, growth and development. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "sexual overwork hurts the kidneys" and advocates a moderate sexual life, less desire to preserve essence. When the essence, energy and blood are abundant, the body will naturally be healthy.

The text of "Yanqi Training" is simple and easy to understand. If readers can appreciate the profound meaning contained therein, they can achieve the state that Huang Kaijun said: "If people can pay attention to the five nourishments, it will be easy to live a long and eternal life."