01 Introduction: Focus on Revitalizing the Body

Traditional herbal medicine emphasizes revitalizing the body’s overall state rather than targeting specific diseases. It categorizes ailments and applies different methods accordingly. Once the body is revitalized, health naturally follows.

For instance, wet wood grows mushrooms, but dry wood does not. Similarly, some people develop nodules and polyps, which may recur if their body constitution remains unchanged. High blood pressure requires daily antihypertensive drugs, and rheumatic bone disease needs constant ointments and painkillers. These treatments address symptoms but not the root cause, leaving the physical condition unchanged.

Restoring a normal, healthy physical condition depends on vital yuanqi, which includes:

• Sufficient vital yuanqi
• Normal circulation of vital yuanqi without blockage

02 Indicators of Health

We use four indicators to assess physical improvement:

1. 
   Enjoying food
2. 
   Sleeping well
3. 
   Smooth urination and defecation
4. 
   Overall body strength

Achieving these indicators signifies basic health. In daily life, patients often have issues with one or more of these indicators. Health is defined by full and smooth vital yuanqi. There are over eighteen thousand diseases identified but herbal medicine simplifies them into one concept: the inability of the Positive to suppress the Evil, leading to illness.

There are two main issues:

1. 
   Insufficient vital yuanqi (xu or deficiency)
2. 
   Blocked vital yuanqi circulation (yu or stagnation)

Addressing these issues gradually restores health. Strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach is foundational, as the spleen transports and transforms nutrients into vital yuanqi, while the stomach stores food. Additional treatments like moxibustion and tapping sticks can help unblock severe stagnation.

03 Stability Over Speed

Revitalizing health should prioritize stability over speed. The core principle is vital yuanqi, supported by two basics: tonifying deficiency and clearing stasis. This approach seeks to cure the root cause rather than providing quick fixes, especially for chronic diseases in the elderly, which often develop over many years.

For example, coronary heart disease results from years of gradual blood vessel blockage. Similarly, rheumatism in women may stem from inadequate postpartum care, manifesting later in life. Quick results require strong medicine, which can damage vital yuanqi. Instead, we cultivate vital yuanqi and follow a seasonal revitalization protocol to improve health gradually.

Patients naturally desire quick cures, especially when suffering from complications like dizziness and blurred vision. However, doctors must prioritize long-term revitalization. Educating patients about herbal medicine helps them understand their body’s needs and feel at ease with gradual treatment.

Some medicines work quickly but are harsh on vital yuanqi, akin to “killing one thousand enemies and injuring eight hundred of our own.” Young people can occasionally use such medicines, but they are too damaging for the middle-aged and elderly.

Chronic diseases also impose economic burdens, with prolonged treatment costs straining families. Huang Yuanyu, a renowned physician, believed in prioritizing patient interests and maintaining medical ethics. As practitioners of life cultivation, we strive to embody his spirit.

To be continued.

Part one of two.