Maintenance guidance for a qi-deficiency (type B) body constitution

This is a maintenance guidance plan for a person with a qi-deficiency (type B) body constitution.

As practitioners of life cultivation, we know we have a qi-deficiency body constitution if we feel tired easily and we pant when we climb a few stairs.

What is qi? Qi is vitality energy. It is a mix of air and other essences that flow in our body. If we are low in qi, we will feel tired easily.

With a qi-deficiency body constitution, we know we are seriously deviating from a balanced (type A) body constitution. What can we do to correct it?

Fortunately for practitioners of life cultivation like us, there are various ways to do the correction. If the deviation has been for a long time, it will take some time for us to do the correction. If the deviation has been recent, it will be relatively easy for us. Here is the guidance plan for the do-it-yourself persons.

01 Overview

As practitioners of life cultivation, how do we know we are qi-deficiency?

When we want to know whether we have a type B body constitution, we will go back and read the article on determination of body constitution, but here is a recap.

01 Definition

A physical state characterized by weak breath and low functional status of the body and organs due to insufficient vitality.

02 Causes

Weakness at birth, lack of nourishment on a daily basis, or loss of qi after illness. For example, there are many weak family members, weak parents during pregnancy, premature birth, improper artificial feeding, selective eating, avoidant eating, or weakness due to old age, and so on.

03 Visible physical characteristics

Overall characteristics: Insufficient vitality, with fatigue, shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating and other symptoms of qi deficiency as the main characteristics.
Physical characteristics: Muscles are soft and loose.
Common manifestations: Usually have a low voice, shortness of breath and laziness in speaking, easy fatigue, lack of energy, easy sweating, light red tongue, tooth marks on the edge of the tongue, and weak pulse.
Psychological characteristics: Introverted, not adventurous.
Incidence tendency: susceptible to colds, visceroptosis and other illnesses, recovery after illness is slow.
Adaptability to the external environment: Intolerance to wind, cold, heat, and dampness.

02 Guidance plan

This guidance plan is formulated for the do-it-yourself person. If you find it difficult to do it on your own, you are welcome to join as a member of our life cultivation community to exchange ideas and get tips on practice.

01 Body maintenance principles

To avoid fatigue, food should be sweet and warm, and medicine should be used to replenish qi.

Avoiding fatigue: This mainly means that people with qi- deficiency constitution should do everything according to their ability, so as not to feel tired, so as to avoid further loss of qi. Qi is the primary driving force of life and has the functions of propulsion, nutrition, and maintenance. All physiological activities of the body rely on the transformation and promotion of qi.

“If qi is strong, things will be strong, and if qi is weak, things will be weak.” —–Taoism

When qi is strong, the spirit will be strong. Only when the spirit is strong will health and longevity be achieved.

“Exertion leads to depletion of qi.” —–Huangdi Neijing Su Wen·Ju Pain Lun

Over-exertion will further deplete the already deficient qi. Thus, we should not over-exert ourselves in physical activities.

Food should be sweet and warm: Mainly means that people with qi-deficiency should eat sweet and warm food.

Every food has its unique nature and flavors which play a big role in regulating qi and blood, as explained below.

“The five flavors enter the mouth and are collected in the stomach and intestines to nourish the qi of the five internal organs.” —–Huangdi Neijing, Suwen: Different Treatise on the Five Internal Organs

Food has the four natural properties of cold, hot, warm and cool, and the five flavors of sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty. Different natural properties and tastes have different effects on our body. Thus we should pay attention to every food we eat and make a note on our life journal.

“These five substances are pungent, sour, sweet, bitter, and salty, and each has its own benefits. It may be scattered or collected, slow or acute, hard or soft. The four seasons and five internal organs whose illnesses are brought about by the five tastes. ” —–Huangdi Neijing, Suwen Zang Qi Dharma Shi Lun

When we have a type B body constitution, we should eat foods that are sweet and warm in nature. They enter into our spleen and stomach where they are digested and produce nutrients that can be used to replenish qi in the spleen. Nutrients are the source of qi and blood biochemistry and they nourish the whole body.

“The spleen and stomach disperse the finest qi to the liver, and obscene qi circulates in the tendons. They return the turbid qi to the heart, and obscene qi return to the veins, and so on. The spleen disperses qi upwards to the lungs.” —–Huangdi Neijing, Suwen: Different Treatises on Meridians

With a type B body constitution, some of us may take medicine to adjust our body constitution. In that case, we should take medicines that will replenish qi.

Furthermore, qi-replenishing medicines correspond to the five internal organs and can be divided into five categories: tonifying heart qi, tonifying liver qi, tonifying spleen qi, tonifying lung qi, and tonifying kidney qi. They should be clearly distinguished and applied accordingly without confusion. We usually seek the help of a professional practitioner.

02 Environmental living

As practitioners of life cultivation, we pay great attention to our living environment. We try to follow certain rules.

We will (1) go to bed early and get up early in spring, (2) go to bed late and get up early and take a nap appropriately in summer, (3) go to bed early and get up early in autumn, and (4) go to bed early and get up late in winter.

We will (1) pay attention to avoid the heat in summer without using the air-conditioners. When using air conditioners, we will avoid direct or prolonged blowing of cold air.

We will (1) keep ourselves warm in autumn and winter with the proper clothing, (2) avoid profuse sweating, and (3) avoid getting drunk on alcohol.

We will try to live a regular life, and avoid staying up late continuously.

We will sleep in accordance with the four seasons. Wellness solutions lie in adjusting our activities according to the changes of yin and yang in the four seasons, and following the laws of nature to obtain nourishment from heaven and earth.

The biological clock in the human body is consistent with the day and night laws of nature. Arranging work and rest in accordance with the laws of nature is beneficial to the health of our body.

The four seasons are characterized by warm spring, hot summer, cool autumn, and cold winter. Organisms also have corresponding changes in spring sprouts, summer growth, autumn harvest, and winter storage. The work and rest time of the four seasons should be different according to the relationship between yin and yang in the season.

“Nourish yang in spring and summer” means that we should go to bed early and get up early in spring, and go to bed late and get up early in summer. Because the days are long and the nights are short in summer, we should take an appropriate nap in summer.

“Nourish yin in autumn and winter” means that it is better for us to go to bed early and get up early in autumn, and to go to bed early and get up late in winter.

“The righteous energy remains within, and evil cannot do us harm. “—–Old saying

When we have a type B body constitution, we are intolerant to heat, humidity, cold and heat, and we have poor adaptability to the environment. We will be most affected by sudden rises and falls in temperature, as well as overcooling and overheating. Thus we should pay attention to body maintenance according to changes in seasons and temperatures. We should add or remove clothes, circulate air, keep warm and avoid summer heat, and so on.

Air conditioners should be used in moderation. We should not be greedy for coolness in summer or heat in winter. We should avoid excessive indoor and outdoor temperature differences.

Sweating profusely, being drunk, and staying up late can easily dissipate too much of the already deficient qi, aggravating the degree of qi-deficiency. Thus, we should avoid such situations from happening.

03 Body movement

When we have a type B body constitution, it is natural for us not to be engaged in physical activities because we will feel uncomfortable being active. We have a tendency to stay put. We prefer to sit rather than stand. We prefer to lay down rather than sit.

However, it is not good for us to be dormant. There is an easy solution. If we have a qi-deficient body constitution, we may choose stretching exercises from the Mustang Shenzhan Techniques such as wuqinxi, 8-brocade (baduanjin), or taiji (Tai Chi). If we are too lazy to learn new techniques, then we may try walking, jogging, kite flying, croquet and other gentle sports based on our personal physical strength.

It is not advisable to do strenuous exercise and we should avoid fierce competitions and winter swimming.

Exercise can unblock qi and blood meridians, move muscles and bones, and regulate internal organs. It is good for our health.

Sun Simiao, a famous herbalist in the Tang Dynasty, pointed out: “If people work on their body, all kinds of diseases will not come to them.”

He also said: “The way to maintain health is to always engage in small physical activities.”

If we are qi-deficiency, we are often too lazy to move because of insufficient qi. However, lazy movement can easily lead to stagnant qi and aggravate the degree of qi-deficiency. Therefore, we should move.

On the other hand, those with qi-deficiency should be less active. They should act according to their ability and focus on gentleness. They should not be hyperactive or compete for victory in exercise to avoid overexertion and energy consumption.

Therefore, as wellness solutions, we highly recommend traditional sports and health preservation programs such as wuqinxi, 8-brocade, and taiji. They combine movement and stillness, nourish both body and mind, are simple and easy to perform, and are more suitable for people with qi-deficiency.

Winter swimming involves entering cold water in the cold season, which seriously consumes yang-energy and is not suitable for those with qi-deficiency. Therefore, we should refuse to participate in such activities when we are invited by friends who have different body constitution.

04 Mental adjustment

If we have a type B qi-deficiency body constitution, we should have plenty of rest.
We may learn to appreciate calligraphy, painting, opera or feed flowers, birds, fish and insects.

We should be more content, less comparison with the Joneses. We should keep ourselves calm and avoid restlessness. We should also avoid overthinking.

If we have a qi-deficiency body constitution, we are often in a depressed state of mind and mood, which hinders the circulation of qi and blood.

The purpose of our mental adjustment is to make ourselves optimistic, open-minded and happy physically and mentally, so as to promote the circulation of qi and blood.

“The five colors make one blind, the five tones make one deaf, the five tastes make one’s mouth refreshed; galloping in the fields and hunting makes one’s heart go crazy.”—–Lao Zi: DaodeJing, Chapter 12

Therefore, if we have a qi-deficiency body constitution, we should take more rest and purify our mind and desire in order to preserve our spirit and avoid being distracted and wasting our vital energy.

Thus, it is more suitable for us to engage in appreciating calligraphy, painting, opera, or feeding flowers, birds, fish, and insects that focus on calming and rejuvenating the mind.

Comparing ourselves with others will often lead to our apparent shortcomings and disadvantages. If we are not strong enough to change the situation, we will be thinking about it. If we think too much, we will hurt our spleen and consume our energy. Thus, we should find a way to stop comparing ourselves with the Joneses.

Instead, we should cultivate our mind by being content with what you have, not being overjoyed with material possessions, and not being sad with lacking them ourselves.

“Tranquility and emptiness, the true qi comes from it. If the spirit is kept within, the disease will not visit you.” —–Huangdi Neijing, Su Wen Ancient Innocence Theory

05 Dietary techniques

If we have a qi-deficiency body constitution, we should follow certain dietary techniques in our daily life. It will help us a lot.

On the whole, we should eat more of the sweet, warming and qi-boosting foods such as japonica rice, glutinous rice, millet, corn, yam, potatoes, dates (jujube), carrots, mushrooms, goose, quail, beef, rabbit, silver carp, mandarin fish, eel, and so on.

On the whole, we should eat less qi-consuming foods such as green radish and betel nut.

When drinking tea, we should choose black tea instead of green tea.

On the whole, eat less fat and oil and salt.

Here is an explanation why certain foods are good for those of us with qi-deficiency body constitution.

Common ones such as japonica rice are neutral in nature and sweet in taste.

“Japonica rice can nourish the spleen, benefit the five internal organs, strengthen qi and stop diarrhea, and japonica rice is the first in having such health benefits. “—–Shijian Materia Medica

Japonica rice is beneficial for people with reduced appetite, loose stools, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Glutinous rice is warm in nature and sweet in taste. It has the effect of tonifying the spleen and replenishing qi. People with spleen deficiency may use it to make porridge.

It is often used in the treatment of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer in modern times.

Beef is neutral in nature and sweet in taste, and has the functions of nourishing the spleen and stomach and replenishing qi and blood. It is advisable to take it as beef stew, or make porridge with an appropriate amount of beef and rice. It is of great benefit to the recovery of weak spleen and stomach.

Jujube (large dates) is warm in nature and sweet in taste. It can nourish the spleen and stomach and replenish qi and blood. People with spleen deficiency and insufficient qi and blood can take it regularly. It is advisable to simmer jujube and take it.

Yam is neutral in nature and sweet in taste. It has the functions of nourishing yin and lungs, replenishing qi and strengthening the spleen, tonifying the kidneys and strengthening essence. People with weak spleen, poor appetite and chronic diarrhea may eat more of it.

Foods such as green radish and betel nut have a qi-consuming effect. Eating too much can easily affect the digestion and absorption of nutrients, so people with qi-deficiency should avoid them as much as possible.

Black tea is on the warm side, while green tea is on the cold side, so those with qi-deficiency should choose black tea instead of drinking too much green tea.

Here are recipes for medicinal foods for replenishing qi, such as

01 Poria and japonica rice porridge

12 grams of poria cocos and 100 grams of Japonica rice, prepare porridge with water.

02 Yam and longan soup

100 grams of yam (shanyao) and 15 grams of longan, prepare soup with water, simmer over low heat for a long time until they are tender and soft.

Use fresh peeled jam if available. If not, use the dried form called huaishan. For longan meat, use the dried form called guiyuan.

06 Medication techniques

In traditional herbal medicine, the following herbs are usually used by practitioners to replenish qi for people with a qi-deficiency body constitution.

They include (1) ginseng (renseng), (2) astragalus (huangqi), (3) codonopsis root (dangseng), (4) radix pseudostellariae (taiziseng), (5) atractylodes macrocephala (baizhu), and (6) others.

In the case of spleen qi-deficiency, the practitioners usually use sijunzi pills or shenling baizhu powder to boost the spleen-qi.

In the case of suffering from frequent colds due to lung qi-deficiency, the practitioners usually choose yupingfeng powder to boost the lung-qi.

In the case of kidney qi-deficiency, the practitioners usually prescribe kidney-qi pills.

Ginseng (renseng) is slightly warm in nature, sweet and slightly bitter in taste. It can greatly replenish qi, improve intelligence and calm the mind.

Astragalus (huangqi) is slightly warm in nature and sweet in taste. It has the effects of nourishing qi and raising yang-energy, replenishing qi and strengthening the surface (skin), reducing toxins and promoting muscle growth, diuresis and reducing swelling. It is less expensive than ginseng.

Codonopsis pilosula (dangseng) is neutral in nature and sweet in taste. It has the effects of replenishing qi, promoting body fluid and nourishing blood. It is often used for fatigue, shortness of breath, palpitations and other symptoms caused by qi-deficiency. It is a relative of ginseng, but costs much less.

Pseudostellariae Radix (taiziseng) is neutral in nature, sweet and slightly bitter in taste. It has the effects of nourishing the lungs, strengthening the spleen, replenishing qi and promoting fluid production. It is usually prescribed for people with weak spleen who have reduced appetite, are easily tired, and are thin in children.

Atractylodes macrocephala (baizhu) is warm in nature, sweet and bitter in taste. It has the effects of nourishing qi and strengthening the spleen, drying dampness and diuresis, acting as antiperspirant and fetus-protectiveness. It is used for people with weak spleen, reduced appetite, loose stools, fatigue, lack of qi, and spontaneous sweating.

Qi-enhancing prescriptions of over-the-counter herbal medicine:

01 Sijunzi pills
They are composed of
codonopsis pilosula (dangseng),
atractylodes macrocephala (baizhu, stir-fried),
poria cocos (fuling), and
licorice, roasted (fried gancao).

They are beneficial to qi and strengthen the spleen. They are used for spleen and stomach qi-deficiency, poor appetite, loose stools, and reduced appetite.

02 Shenling atractylodes powder (seng ling baizhu san)
It originated from Taiping Huimin Heji Bureau Prescription.

It consists of
lotus seed meat (lianzirou),
coix seed (yiyiren),
amomum villosum (sharen),
platycodon (jigeng),
white lentil (bai fuling),
white poria (bai biandou),
ginseng (renseng),
roasted licorice (jiu gancao),
atractylodes (baizhu), and
yam (shanyao).

It helps the qi and strengthens the spleen. It has the effect of expelling dampness and stopping diarrhea.

It is used for syndromes of spleen deficiency and excessive dampness.

03 Yupingfeng powder
It is derived from Zhu Zhenheng’s “Danxi Heart Method” of the Yuan Dynasty.

It consists of
astragalus (huangqi),
atractylodes (baizhu), and
fangfeng (fangfeng).

It has the effects of benefiting qi, stabilizing the surface (skin), and acting as an antiperspirant.

It is used in spontaneous sweating, superficial deficiency and susceptibility to wind evil.

Yupingfeng powder is a traditional herbal medicine prescription for preventing colds due to qi-deficiency.

It can also treat early common colds with mild symptoms, such as nasal congestion and sensitivity to coldness after having a common cold.

Note.
The purpose of stabilizing the surface (skin) is to stabilize and strengthen the defense line of the human body’s surface, so that the human body is less susceptible to external diseases and pathogens. This treatment method can be called fixing the surface.

Because the human body is mainly managed and controlled by the lungs. Traditional herbal medicine says that the lungs control the skin, and the weather is connected to the lungs. Our breathing and the exchange of substances and air from the outside world are all carried out through the lungs, so fixing the surface is important in traditional herbal medicine. The purpose is mainly achieved through the method of replenishing lung-qi. Commonly used clinical prescriptions, such as yupingfeng powder, are a typical traditional herbal medicine prescription that nourishes lung-qi and strengthens the external surface (skin).

04 Shenqi pills
It is mostly based on a prescription recorded in Zhang Zhongjing’s “Synopsis of the Golden Chamber”.

It consists of
dried rehmannia glutinosa (gan dihuang),
dioscorea (shuyu),
dogwood (shanzhuyu),
alisma (zexie),
poria (fuling),
peony bark (mudanpi),
cinnamon twigs (guizhi), and
aconite (fuzhi).

It is mainly used to treat insufficient kidney-qi and backache.

It is used to treat symptoms such as
soft feet,
fear of cold in the limbs,
tightness in the lower abdomen,
difficulty in urinating or frequent urination,
pale and fat tongue,
heavy and thready pulse;
wheezing and coughing due to phlegm and fluid retention,
edema and athlete’s foot,
quenching thirst, and
prolonged ejaculation.

07 Music adjustments

Enjoy music with pastoral, mountain and other natural and scenic styles.

People with qi-deficiency should cultivate their temperament with soft and gentle music, which is beneficial to the circulation of qi and blood without damaging qi and blood. Pastoral, mountain and other natural-style music is more suitable. This type of music has the characteristics of quietness and smoothness, making people feel peaceful and comfortable.

08 Other adjustments

01 Tuina technique

Gently massage zusanli, yinlingquan and other acupoints.

01 Zusanli acupoint

Location
Lie on your back and extend your lower limbs, or sit upright with your knees bent. It is on the front and outside of the calf, 3 inches below the outer knee eye (dubi acupoint), and one finger across from the front edge of the tibia.

Massaging zusanli acupoint is a good way to replenish qi and blood, because zusanli is an important acupoint for strengthening the body. The stomach meridian of zuyangming to which this point belongs has a lot of qi and blood, and it controls the acquired qi.

There is also a folk saying that “it’s better to press zusanli often than to eat an old hen.”

The method of using zusanli to maintain the body has been highly praised by people since ancient times. As early as the Sui and Tang Dynasties, there are records of moxibustion at zusanli to treat diseases and maintain health.

“Evils in the spleen and stomach ….. are all coordinated with zusanli.”—–Huangdi Neijing

02 Yinlingquan acupoint

Location
On the inside of the calf, in the depression behind and below the medial condyle of the tibia. The joint point of the spleen meridian of zutaiyin.

Function
Clears and warms heat: Helps remove heat toxins from the body and promotes balance in the body.

Strengthen the spleen and regulate qi: Helps enhance spleen function and improve digestion and absorption.

Benefits the kidneys and regulates menstruation: It has a positive effect on kidney function and helps regulate the menstrual cycle.
Stimulates and activates meridians: Promotes the circulation of qi and blood, relieves pain and discomfort.

03 Qihai acupoint

Location
In the front midline, one and a half inches below the navel, it belongs to the ren meridian.

Function
To nourish vitality, nourish the kidneys and strengthen essence, replenish yang, and prolong life.

Indications
Qi deficiency syndromes such as collapse, weight loss, exhaustion of internal organs, and fatigue; intestinal diseases such as indigestion, pain around the navel, diarrhea, dysentery, constipation; difficulty in urinating, enuresis; spermatorrhea, impotence, hernia; menstruation. Gynecological diseases such as irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, metrorrhagia, vaginal discharge, ejaculation, persistent lochia, retained afterbirth, etc.

04 Baihui acupoint

Location
The intersection of the midline of the head and the line connecting the tips of the two ears belongs to the Du meridian, also known as “Three Yangs and Five Hui”. The meeting of hundreds of meridians and the host of all diseases can improve the qi of the whole body.

Function
The Baihui acupoint can help improve many illnesses: headache, lightheadedness, hemorrhoids, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, hangover, dizziness, insomnia, anxiety, and so on.

02 Moxibustion technique

If moxibustion is used, it can warm yang and replenish qi, and nourish the brain and marrow.

Moxibustion is usually applied on qihai, baihui and other acupoints.

03 A brief summary

As practitioners of life cultivation, we frequently check what type of body constitution we are. If we have a qi-deficiency body constitution, the first thing we want to do is to watch out what we eat. We have to eat in any event, so we might as well eat what will balance our body constitution back to normal.

Then we should pay attention to our environment and dwelling. We should change our sleeping time according to seasonal changes. We should guide against environmental factors such as coldness and heat.

Then we should put our mind at peace in order to calm down and cultivate a smooth flow of qi.

We should also engage in some physical activities to allow for smooth flow of qi, although we should not engage in strenuous exercises because we will be out of breath or short of breath. Some forms of stretching exercises are highly recommended.

We should try certain tuina (massage) techniques to help the flow of qi along.

If we feel that herbal medication may help, we should consult a professional practitioner. As practitioners of body wellness, we always regard medication as the last resort. We do not take it unless we need it.

All in all, once we follow the guidance plan here, we will adjust our body constitution from qi-deficiency type back to the balanced type.

In our next article, we will focus on Type C yang-deficiency body constitution, on its classification and maintenance. Stay tuned.

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