"Four Qi Regulating Spirit" is the title of the second chapter of Huangdi Neijing Suwen. The so-called "four qi" refers to the characteristics of qi circulation in which Yin and Yang rise and fall throughout the year, which is manifested by the climatic characteristics of alternating spring temperature, summer heat, autumn dryness and winter cold, as well as the phenological phenomena of spring birth, long summer, autumn harvest and winter storage.
Harvest in spring, summer, autumn and winter storage
According to the theory of health preservation, the four qi is a major aspect of the influence of the external environment on the human body, and the activities of the five zang-fu organs must be coordinated with the external environment in order to maintain the health of the body, while the mental consciousness is the master of the activities of the five zang-fu organs, so the four qi should be used to regulate the spirit. The so-called "four qi regulating the spirit" refers to a self-care method that people actively adopt various methods to adjust their body and spirit in order to maintain their physical and mental health and hope to achieve the purpose of prolonging life.
The idea of "adjusting the spirit in four seasons" has always been valued by health experts. All previous dynasties' health-preserving physicians regarded the spirit of aftercare as the fundamental method of health-preserving and longevity, and it was a good medicine to prevent and treat diseases, such as Chen Zhi's Book of Caring for the Aged in the Song Dynasty, Qiu Chuji's Book of Health-preserving News in the Yuan Dynasty, Gao Lian's Eight Notes on Respect for Life in the Ming Dynasty, Notes on Four Seasons, Leng Qian and so on.