Guided by the concept of wholism of man to nature, the subject of health preservation in Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that all the life activities of the human body must comply with the objective law of the relative wax and wane and transformation of yin and yang throughout the four seasons; otherwise, diseases will occur, which may even endanger man’s life.
The History of the Han Dynasty says “It is a universal law to sprout in spring, grow in summer, to harvest in autumn and to store in winter; if it is not conformed to, there will be no law and discipline to be followed.” Therefore, this requires that people properly adjust their mental activities, their work and rest in daily life and the five flavors in their diet in accordance with the changes of the four seasons. For instance, of the four seasons of the year, spring and summer are of yang nature while autumn and winter are of yin nature, the natural phenomena will present, with the changing of the climate, sprouting in spring, growing in summer, harvesting in autumn and storing in winter. Thus , people should cultivate yang-qi in spring and summer to cultivate the vital energy for sprouting and the vital energy for growing; and in autumn and winter, cultivate yin-qi to harvest and store the vital essence.
The three months of spring are a season of resuscitation of all things on earth. Grasses and trees are sprouting, which makes the natural world look brand-new and full of vitality. People should retire to bed early at night and rise early in the morning. You should also take a stroll in your yard after waking, while letting your hair hang down loosely so that you feel relaxed all over. Newborn things should not be stripped of their energy of growth. They should be appreciated instead of being killed. All these constitute the ways of health preservation in spring. Those who disobey them will incur impairment of the liver and, when summer comes, contract cold syndromes.