Today let’s talk about a very important concept in TCM — Yang qi. Did you know that regardless of what disease you have, sufficient Yang qi is the key. Take the Qing dynasty TCM master Huang Yuanyu as an example: when he was young he used the wrong medicine, damaging his spleen Yang, and as a result his body remained weak and he ultimately lost vision in his left eye. So he later emphasized the importance of protecting Yang qi.

What exactly does Yang qi do? Simply put, Yang qi is like the “little sun” of our body, providing warmth and energy. If Yang qi is insufficient, it’s like the sun not shining and we feel cold and the body develops problems. As some readers have commented, constantly feeling fatigued, having a runny nose, sore waist and weak legs, frequent sweating, and a sensation of heaviness in the head and lightness in the feet — these are manifestations of Yang deficiency.

What if there is Yang deficiency? At that point, don’t just focus on treating the symptoms; the most important thing is to first consolidate and tonify Yang. How to tonify it? We need to use warming herbs such as Aconite (Fuzi), Dried Ginger (Ganjiang), and Cinnamon (Rougui); they’re like adding fuel to the body’s fire to restore Yang qi. Once Yang qi returns, those pathogenic Yin factors won’t dare to cause trouble.

Then, we can also combine substances with astringent properties such as Dragon Bone (Longgu) and Oyster Shell (Muli). They’re like putting a lid on the body to lock Yang qi in place so it doesn’t escape. Using Yang-tonifying and astringent medicines together can steadily and gently generate original qi, allowing your body to become progressively stronger.

So, everyone, you must take care to protect your Yang qi in daily life and not let it escape. The body is the foundation for all endeavors, so we must take good care of it!