The greatness of Oriental philosophy lies, to an extent, in its subtlety and breadth of vision regarding the connection between human beings and their environment. TCM recognizes environmental influences such as the change of seasons, the climate, wind, heat, astrology, Feng Shui, and so on, as fundamental causative factors in one’s health as well as one’s diseases.
A person’s ability to adapt to the ever-changing conditions of life determines that person’s health and well-being. For example, if you want to keep a peaceful mind, you should not overreact to annoyances. This also means one should never overextend oneself emotionally.
With fewer temptations, a peaceful mind generates strength, freedom, and real happiness. Ease through mental tranquility, an approach to guide the mind into peace, is one of the features of the TCM regimen. This ease doesn’t imply an inactivity in life. Rather, it encourages people to seek tranquility during changing circumstances.
The effort to seek tranquility amidst turmoil is quite different from any physical exertion. This effort puts emphasis on the quiet idea, nothingness, to minimize any interference whether internal or external, to maximize efficiency in life, in order to change the internal organization of the body organs, to prolong the life span, to prevent illness and give full play to the potential of the human body.
Physically, our bodies seek to maintain a steady and harmonious state of balance through movement. This balance is not limited to the coordination of various body parts, but also includes the balance between the body and its external environment. Once this balance is upset, life will fall into disorder and chaos, disease and death to follow. “Tranquility” and “Peaceful Mind” facilitate this essential balance for life. The tranquility of the mind stimulates the body’s mechanisms for physiological regulation and control, enabling the body to achieve an internal steady state. The peaceful mind that maintains the quiet state of the human organism provides the regulating means to keep the body balanced with its external environment.
The vitality of a person, not only is indicated by the physical strengths and weaknesses, but also depends on the vitality of spirit and creativity. In ancient China, it has been recognized by experts in regimen that only by enhancing the “tranquility”, can the person be less consumed, and more energy be saved and stored. First, the tranquility state can develop a healthy personality, enhancing one’s inner mental strength, and making one feels much better physically, mentally and spiritually; become strong, accomplished, as well as be out of disease and distress. Second, the peaceful mind is conducive to enhance the thinking agility to stimulate greater creativity. It’s obviously that through the development of independent character to the environment enhances the inner spiritual strength.