Maintaining mental health: Methods of calming the mind and conserving essence through moderation in sexual activity.

Maintain mental health

Traditional medicine believes that physical hygiene alone is insufficient for disease prevention; it is also essential to cultivate mental well-being and regulate one's spirit. The *Neijing* (Inner Canon of Medicine) states: "Tranquility and emptiness allow true qi to flow freely; when the spirit is at peace, illness cannot arise. Therefore, one should have a calm mind and few desires, a peaceful heart without fear, and a body that is active without fatigue... Thus, desires cannot tire the eyes, and licentiousness cannot confuse the mind. Whether foolish or wise, virtuous or unworthy, one is not afraid of external things, and therefore is in harmony with the Dao." This shows that mental well-being involves minimizing negative mental stimuli, preventing excessive emotional fluctuations, suppressing excessive desires, and maintaining an open and cheerful mind. Only in this way can one "maintain independence of spirit and unity of body and mind," reducing the risk of illness.

The specific measures related to mental health can be summarized as follows: calming the mind and nourishing the spirit, conserving essence through moderation, cultivating mood and regulating qi, adjusting the spirit in a timely manner, practicing qigong to cultivate the spirit, and cultivating one's nature to soothe the mind.

Cultivating tranquility and peace of mind. "Tranquility and peace of mind" refers to maintaining a calm and serene state of mind. The key to achieving this tranquility is to maintain a state of "tranquility and emptiness" in thought. This "tranquility and emptiness" essentially means eliminating distracting thoughts, allowing emotions to flow freely, and cultivating a calm and detached spirit-the way of "cultivating tranquility." Furthermore, relinquishing fame and fortune, and reducing desires, are also important methods for cultivating tranquility and peace of mind. The famous ancient Chinese health expert Ji Kang pointed out: "There are five difficulties in maintaining health: first, not relinquishing fame and fortune; second, not controlling joy and anger; third, not abstaining from sensual pleasures; fourth, not abstaining from rich flavors; and fifth, a scattered spirit." This illustrates that sensual pleasures, greed, unpredictable emotions, being overly calculating, and being preoccupied with gains and losses, all lead to a scattered spirit, which are all very harmful to physical health.

Practice moderation in sexual activity to preserve essence. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that essence is the substance that constitutes the human body and sustains life. The ancients said: "One must be calm and pure, not exhausting the female body, not agitating one's essence." If one does not exercise restraint and indulges in excessive sexual activity, one will exhaust both body and mind, deplete yin essence, disturb the vital spirit, and damage health.

Cultivating a calm and balanced mind is essential for maintaining good health. Harmonizing the seven emotions-avoiding excessive joy or anger-is crucial for preserving the body's vital energy (Qi). The human body is an organic whole, with various physiological systems coordinated under the unified command of the cerebral cortex. Physical illnesses affect mental well-being, and mental unhealthiness inevitably leads to physiological changes. A person who is optimistic and confident, takes control of their destiny, is energetic, cheerful, possesses high moral character, and is mentally vibrant is essential for disease prevention, health maintenance, and longevity. Conversely, a person who is pessimistic, depressed, narrow-minded, and lacks confidence in life is more prone to illness and accelerates the aging process.

Regulating the spirit at the right time. Humans live in nature, and the changes of the four seasons directly or indirectly affect the physiological and psychological activities of the human body. The *Neijing* (Inner Canon of Medicine) states: "Yin and Yang, and the four seasons, are the beginning and end of all things, the origin of life and death. Going against them will bring disaster, while following them will prevent illness." The changes in the four seasons are an important aspect of the changes in the external environment, and psychological activities are the master of the activities of the internal organs. Maintaining harmony between the internal and external environments is an important condition for ensuring physical and mental health. In addition to regulating the spirit and nourishing life according to the changes of the four seasons, Traditional Chinese Medicine also regulates the spirit and daily life according to the sequence of time each day. Dividing a day into four stages (four periods), the body's Yang Qi rises and falls accordingly. The movement of Yang Qi throughout the day is consistent with the laws of birth, growth, harvest, and storage of the four seasons. Therefore, the method of regulating the spirit each day is the same as that of the four seasons, guided by the changes of Yin and Yang. In the morning and forenoon, the body's Yang Qi is vigorous, so the spirit should be invigorated and outward; in the evening, Yang Qi recedes, so it is advisable to rest and relax. In short, daily mental well-being should be maintained by being active in the morning, full of energy during the day, peaceful at night, and quiet before sleep.

Qigong cultivates the spirit. The purpose of qigong in nourishing the spirit is to guide the "internal energy" along specific meridian pathways by eliminating distracting thoughts, focusing the mind on the dantian (lower abdomen), and regulating breathing to achieve stillness. This balances yin and yang, renews qi and blood, preserves vital energy, and strengthens the spirit and body. Practice emphasizes the combination of stillness and movement. Stillness is yin, movement is yang; stillness nourishes the spirit, while movement trains the body. Based on the principle of yin and yang's interdependence, one should seek stillness within movement and movement within stillness; the ability to be both active and still can lead to longevity.

Cultivating one's character and spirit. "Character" refers to a person's personality and moral character. Whether a person's personality is open-minded and their moral character is noble directly affects their psychological and physiological changes. In real life, most long-lived people have cheerful personalities, optimistic emotions, and noble moral character. Conversely, a personality prone to irritability, anxiety, depression, and anger is often the root cause of illness and even premature death. Therefore, strengthening one's character and cultivating good moral character is also an important aspect of regulating one's spirit and maintaining health.