The theoretical basis of Taoist health preservation is Taoist world outlook. It is believed that everything in the universe, including human beings, is the product of Tao's metaplasia, so the best living state is only in line with the laws of Tao, integrated with everything in the world and in a natural living state.
The basic content of "Health Collection" says: "Health preservation is important, first, to nourish the mind, second, to love God, third, to maintain health, fourth, to guide, fifth, to talk, sixth, to eat, seventh, to live, eighth, to be vulgar, ninth, to take medicine, and tenth, to avoid. In addition, inner alchemy, qigong and martial arts are also important means.
The main work "Taiping Jing" clearly points out the longevity view of attaching importance to essence, loving qi and respecting God. The Notes of Laozi Sier emphasizes the principle of "self-development, and the spirit of harmony is the foundation". Huang Tingjing put forward the cultivation method based on "thinking". Bao Puzi's Internal Chapter puts forward a systematic way of keeping in good health, which is mainly to replenish qi and blood. "Health Record" puts forward the principle of "twelve less" and "twelve more". Sun Simiao's Thousand Women, Thousand Women's Wings and Nourishing the Spirit and Training the Qi Ming integrate medical, hygienic and Taoist theories, and hold that "the breath is reasonable, that is, all diseases are not born". "Be good at relating, you must know how to adjust the gas. Prescription for regulating qi cures all diseases. China Taoist Dictionary (Beijing: China Social Sciences Press, 1995). History of Taoism in China