Heart Diagram: If Your Heart Is Unwell, How to Recuperate
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To treat the heart, use "He" (exhalation). "He" is for purging, while inhalation is for tonifying.
The heart is the qi of Li, the essence of fire, its color is red, its image is like a lotus flower, and its spirit is like a vermilion bird. The heart gives birth to a spirit that transforms into a jade maiden, eight inches tall, carrying jade essence in and out of the heart's palace. Its spirit is restless and unstable; those who are impulsive are usually affected by the heart. To calm its spirit and preserve its form, one must be completely loyal and filial, assist justice and embrace benevolence, stop its wind, calm its urgency, extinguish its blaze, clarify its spirit, and preserve its form, thus achieving harmony. The heart corresponds to the small intestine, governs the blood vessels, and presides over the tongue. When a person's blood is stagnant, it is due to fright in the heart. If the tongue cannot taste, it is due to a deficiency in the heart. The most intelligent have seven holes in their heart, those of average intelligence have five, the less intelligent have three, the discerning have two, ordinary people have holes, and the foolish have none. Forgetfulness indicates a separation of the heart spirit. A preference for bitter food indicates an insufficient heart. Frequent sadness indicates an injured heart. Frequent echoing indicates a chaotic heart. A bluish-black face indicates a cold heart. A red complexion indicates no other evil in the heart. The heart governs campaigns, and when the heart is ill, one should use "He." "He" is the qi of the heart. By regulating its qi, "He" can calm the heart and harmonize its spirit. Therefore, people whose hearts are disturbed often exhale "He," which is a natural way to maintain health, yet people do it without knowing. If one does not exhale "He," it can lead to anger. Therefore, "He" is used for heart ailments to dispel evil qi. The heart is located in the startling gate of the nine palaces, governing propriety, making people enjoy good deeds, be generous, respectful, and filial to cultivate benevolence, thus the heart will be harmonious and the form complete. Furthermore, the heart is active in summer. When the qi of heaven and earth intersect, all things bloom and bear fruit. Sleeping at Hai hour and rising at Chou hour, without tire in nurturing, growing strong and abundant, these are the virtues of summer. Going against them will injure the heart. Always during the new and full moons of April, May, and June, in the clear morning, sit facing south, strike the golden beam nine times, rinse the dark spring three times, meditate calmly, inhale the red qi of the Li palace to pacify the qi in the mansion, swallow it three times, to replenish what was lost by exhalation, implant its spirit, open the heart's acupoints, take the elixir of fire (Li), bathe the jade maiden, stabilize the spirit and body, and all misfortunes will not harm, neither metal nor fire can injure, this is the spirit of nourishing the mind.