The human body is an organic whole. The medicine of TCM life cultivation and rehabilitation should guide or help patients to be in harmony with nature and society. Besides, it should also make all component parts of the human body harmonious and unified mutually, physique and spirit harmonious and unified. These are the principles of wholism in the science of life cultivation and rehabilitation.
1. Component parts in harmony with the organic whole, equal stress on physique and spirit
During rehabilitation, local dysfunctions should be unified with the organic whole. In addition, attention should be constantly paid to the regulation of relationships between physique and spirit to restore the unified and harmonious states. More information, please read Relationships Among Six Fu-Organs.
2. Unity between functions and nature, blood and qi in step with four seasons
The activities of life cultivation and rehabilitation should conform to seasonal and climatic changes as well as geographical differences, etc. This book constantly pays attention to principles of "treatment in accordance with geographical conditions" and "treatment in accordance with seasonal conditions", the purposes of which are to conform to the laws of seasonal and climatic changes and regional differences during regulation of viscera, promotion of qi flow and blood circulation and cultivation of the mind. In doing so, people can adapt themselves to the natural changes of germination, growth, reaping and storing so as to keep the relative balance of yin and yang inside and outside the human body. As a result, the aim of health and longevity will be reached. More information, please read Relationship Between Heart and Small Intestine.
Social environments may also influence physiological functions and pathological changes of the human body. For example, due to the social development, industrialization and urbanization speed up. This causes environmental pollution (including air pollution, soil pollution and noise pollution). As a result, some new diseases occur. The changes of life style and increase of work pressure give rise to more and more "modern civilization diseases". More information, please read Relationship Between Lung and Large Intestine.
A large number of the currently widespread psychosomatic diseases are associated with social environments such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, peptic ulcer and bronchial asthma. Therefore, guiding patients to adapt themselves to changes of social environments, correcting their bad life styles and behaviors, greatly enhancing the control over and prevention of environmental pollution belong to the important content of the science of TCM rehabilitation as well. More information, please read Relationship Between Spleen and Stomach.