"Awareness practice" mainly includes the following methods:
- Sitting meditation and mindfulness: This is a practice of observing and experiencing the whole body through sitting meditation, in order to achieve mental and physical health. This method helps people start with awareness of their bodies, maintain independent observation and thinking, expand their connection with the world, and gradually open up their spiritual world.
- Relaxation practice: Dr. Li Xin also emphasized the importance of relaxation practice in improving mental and physical imbalances. This practice can help people reduce tension and stress, and better manage their emotions and physical state.
- Three aspects of awareness: namely, the body, emotions, and thoughts. This is a comprehensive awareness framework proposed by Dr. Li Xin, aiming to help people understand and adjust their states comprehensively. By being aware of these three aspects, people can better understand their behaviors and reactions, and make choices that are beneficial to their own health.
These awareness practices not only help improve personal mental health, but also promote the harmonious development of mind and body.
The suggestions for improving mental health through exercise and lifestyle mainly include the following points:
- Appropriate exercise: The book emphasizes the significant effects of appropriate exercise on improving mental health. For example, exercise can help people interact with their bodies attentively, thereby improving symptoms of depression. Specific exercise recommendations include transitioning from walking to running, and gradually engaging in some competitive training, such as tennis and table tennis.
- Physical exercise: For people who are physically weak and have insufficient muscle strength, it is recommended to engage in moderate physical exercises, such as doing 30-60 squats, 10-30 push-ups, or holding a plank for one minute every day. These exercises help strengthen the body's protective layer and better maintain mental health.
- Good lifestyle habits: Good lifestyle habits and psychological states are important guarantees for personal physical and mental health. Specific recommendations include going outdoors and connecting with nature more often, and practicing meditation anytime and anywhere.
The application of traditional Chinese medicine theory in the treatment of depression, neurasthenia, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorder mainly includes the following aspects:
- Depression: Traditional Chinese medicine refers to depression as "yu zheng". The treatment methods include medication and non-medication treatments. Medication treatment mainly focuses on liver-regulating drugs, such as Xiaoyao San, which have the effects of regulating liver, nourishing blood, and invigorating spleen. Non-medication treatments include psychological counseling and interventions (such as sandplay therapy, acupoint tapping emotional release technique), acupuncture, moxibustion, and ear acupressure.
- Neurasthenia: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that neurasthenia is related to deficiency of heart and gallbladder yang, and lack of nourishment to the brain and spirit. The treatment methods include using Chinese herbal medicine to warm and tonify heart yang, resolve phlegm and invigorate the mind, and regulate liver stagnation. Specific prescriptions include Chaihu Guizhi Tang, Wendan Tang, and Dingzhi Xiaowan. In addition, acupuncture therapy can be used to regulate brain function disorders, promote blood circulation, and improve sleep quality and emotional instability.
- Anxiety disorders: Traditional Chinese medicine classifies anxiety disorders as "yu zheng". The treatment methods include medication and non-medication treatments. In terms of medication treatment, appropriate Chinese patent medicines or herbal prescriptions can be selected according to the specific conditions of the patients, such as Qiju Dihuang Wan, Zhusha Anshen Wan, which mainly nourish the kidneys, calm the liver, and clear heat to nourish blood. Non-medication treatments include acupuncture, cupping, massage, and dietary therapy.
- Bipolar disorder: Professor Hao Wanshan proposed the treatment of bipolar disorder (bipolar affective disorder) with the methods of warming and tonifying heart yang, resolving phlegm and invigorating the mind, and regulating liver stagnation. The methods include using modified prescriptions such as Chaihu Guizhi Tang, Wendan Tang, and Dingzhi Xiaowan, which have achieved satisfactory results.
How to deal with psychological stress. The following are specific methods:
- Self-awareness: The book emphasizes the interaction between the body, emotions, and thoughts. By being aware of these aspects, readers can better understand their own states and effectively cope with psychological stress.
- Jungian psychology: The author quotes Jung's psychological theory, emphasizing the need for individuals to have a clear understanding of themselves and their physical and mental states. When people become aware of their tension and anxiety, this awareness itself can greatly alleviate tension and anxiety.
- Lifestyle adjustments: Depression is mainly manifested as a gloomy state of low spirits, weakness, and closure, which are all manifestations of energy stagnation or obstruction. Dr. Li Xin suggests using methods such as "supporting yang" and "promoting circulation", such as going outdoors for running, hiking, and moxibustion, to help energy flow and improve psychological state.
- Awareness practice: The author shares many beneficial awareness practices for mental and physical health, such as sitting meditation and mindfulness. These practices help readers start with familiarizing themselves with their bodies, maintain independent observation and thinking, expand their connection with the world, and thereby reduce psychological stress.