《玉华灵书》曰∶神以气为母，气以形为舍。炼气成神，炼形成气。阳神未聚，三花不入泥丸；
真气未朝，五彩不生丹阙。无形笼络，神气两难。故天地大也，未免轻清重浊之象；日月明也，难逃
圆明缺暗之形。积阳生神，上以丽乎天
者，星与辰也；积阴生形，下以伏乎地者，土与石也。水中气升，而为雨为云；气中水降，而为露为雾。
万象群生，不能无形。惟人也，集灵以生，资道以成。不知养形之端，精魂耗散，而阴壳空存。未
死之前，已如槁木。余喘既绝，尽力粪壤。养形之道，可不深思？
《西山记》曰∶仲夏、仲冬之月，善养形者，处于深堂，避其大寒、大热之气而伏其肌肤。非特
此也，先寒而衣，衣不得顿多；先暖而解，解不得顿少。久劳，则安闲以保极力之处；久逸，则导引以
行稍滞之气。暑不当风，当风则荣闭而卫结；夏不卧湿，卧湿则气散而血注；冬不极热，极热则肾受
虚阳，而春夏肝与心有雍蔽之疾也；夏不极凉，极凉则心抱浮寒，而秋冬肺与肾有沉滞之患也。不可极
饥而食，食不过饱，过饱则伤神，饥则损胃。不可极饮，饮不过多，多则损气，渴则伤血。沐用旬，
浴用五。夫五则五气流传，浴之荣卫通畅；旬则数满复还，真气在脑，沐之则耳目聪明。若频频浴者，
血凝而气散，虽肌肤光泽，久而气自损矣。故有瘫痪之疾者，气不胜血，神不胜形也。若频频沐者，
气雍于上，滞于中，令人体重形疲，久而经络不能通畅。故古人以阳养阳，阳不耗散；以阴炼阳，
阳不损弱。如一年内，春夏养阳，秋冬养阴，是借阴养阳，以阳消阴也。一日内，午前炼干以气，
前起炼形，后起金晶；午后炼坤以药，有药则聚气炼丹，无丹则收火煮海。皆以真阳见用于自身，
不然敛身聚之，可以无中养就真气。升身真气，以灭魔阴焉。奉道之士，广览多学，徒以劳损，
不知阴阳为之总领之元也。真阴真阳为胎，凝于丹田，次以真阴为气，真阳成形，身外有身。超凡入圣矣。
《玉华灵书》说：神以气为根本（母），气以形体为居所。修炼气使其化为神，修炼形体使其化为气。阳神尚未凝聚时，精、气、神“三花”不能进入泥丸宫；真气未至丹田朝会时，五彩祥云不会在丹阙（指丹田或内景）生成。若没有有形的身体作为笼络依托，神与气都难以存留。所以天地虽然宏大，也难免有轻清上升和重浊下降的现象；日月虽然明亮，也难逃圆满与残缺、光明与昏暗的变化。积累阳气以生神，向上依附于天的，是星辰；积累阴质以成形，向下潜伏于地的，是泥土与石头。水中的气上升，就形成雨和云；气中的水下降，就形成露和雾。世间万象众生，都不能脱离形体而存在。只有人，聚集灵性而生，凭借大道而成形。如果不明白保养形体的开端，就会导致精魂耗散，只剩下空壳般的躯体。在死亡之前，就已经像枯木一样毫无生机。一旦最后一口气断绝，最终也只能尽力化作粪土。保养形体的道理，难道不值得深思吗？
《西山记》说：在仲夏和仲冬这两个月份，善于保养形体的人，应居住在深邃的厅堂中，避开大寒和大热的气候，使肌肤得以伏藏安宁。不仅仅是这样，要在感觉寒冷之前就穿上衣服，但穿衣不能一下子增加太多；要在感觉温暖之前就脱下衣服，但脱衣不能一下子减少太多。长时间劳累后，就要通过安闲静养来保护那些过度用力的部位；长时间安逸后，就要通过导引术来运行那些稍微停滞的气机。夏天不要直接吹冷风，因为吹风会导致营气闭塞而卫气郁结；夏天不要睡在潮湿的地方，因为卧湿会导致气机涣散而血液凝注；冬天不要追求极度的热，因为极热会使肾脏受到虚阳的伤害，从而导致春夏季节肝脏和心脏出现壅塞遮蔽的疾病；夏天不要追求极度的凉，因为极凉会使心中怀抱浮寒，从而导致秋冬季节肺脏和肾脏出现沉滞的病患。不可以极度饥饿时才进食，进食不要过饱，过饱会损伤神志，饥饿则会损害胃腑。不可以极度口渴时才饮水，饮水不要过多，过多会损耗气机，口渴则会伤害血液。洗头用十天一次，洗澡用五天一次。因为五天则五气流传，洗澡能使营卫通畅；十天则周期数满复还，真气汇聚于脑，洗头则能使耳目聪明。如果频繁洗澡，会导致血液凝滞而气机涣散，虽然肌肤光泽，但久而久之气自然会受损。所以患有瘫痪疾病的人，是因为气不胜血，神不胜形。如果频繁洗头，会导致气壅滞于上部，阻滞于中部，使人身体沉重、形体疲乏，久而久之经络就不能通畅。所以古人主张以阳养阳，阳气就不会耗散；以阴炼阳，阳气就不会损弱。比如在一年内，春夏保养阳气，秋冬保养阴气，这是借助阴来养阳，用阳来消除阴。在一天之内，午前锻炼干卦之气，起床后锻炼形体，起身后锻炼金晶（指头部或精神）；午后锻炼坤卦之药，有药则聚气炼丹，无丹则收火煮海（比喻炼化精气）。这都是让真阳在自身发挥作用，否则收敛身形并聚集真气，可以在体内培养真气。升起体内的真气，用以消灭阴魔。信奉道法的人士，广泛阅览、多多学习，却徒然导致劳损，不知道阴阳是统领万物的本源。真阴和真阳作为胎元，凝结在丹田，接着以真阴化为气，以真阳化为形，就能达到身外有身的境界，超凡入圣了。
The *Yuhua Lingshu* (Jade Flower Spiritual Book) states: Shen (Spirit) regards Qi (Vital Energy) as its mother, and Qi resides in the Xing (Form/Body). By refining Qi, one transforms it into Shen; by refining Xing, one transforms it into Qi. Before the Yang Shen (Yang Spirit) gathers, the "Three Flowers" (San Hua, referring to Jing/Essence, Qi, and Shen) do not enter the Niwan Palace (the upper Dantian or brain center); before the True Qi (Zhen Qi) arrives at the Danque (inner palace/Dantian), the five-colored auspicious clouds do not arise. Without a form to contain them, both Shen and Qi are difficult to sustain. Therefore, although Heaven and Earth are vast, they cannot escape the phenomena of light and clear rising versus heavy and turbid sinking; although the sun and moon are bright, they cannot avoid forms of fullness and emptiness, brightness and darkness. Accumulating Yang generates Shen; those that attach to Heaven above are stars and constellations. Accumulating Yin generates Form; those that lie beneath the Earth are soil and stone. Qi within water rises to become rain and clouds; Water within Qi descends to become dew and fog. All phenomena and living beings cannot exist without form. Only humans gather Ling (Spirituality) to be born and rely on Dao (the Way) to be completed. If one does not know the beginning of nourishing Xing, Jing (Essence) and Hun (Ethereal Soul) will dissipate, leaving only an empty shell. Before death, one is already like dead wood. Once the last breath ceases, one strives only to become manure. Must not the way of nourishing Xing be deeply contemplated?
The *Xishan Ji* (Record of Western Mountain) states: In the months of mid-summer and mid-winter, those who excel in nourishing Xing should dwell in deep halls, avoiding extreme cold and heat to allow their skin and muscles to rest and hide. It is not merely this; one should dress before feeling cold, but not add too many layers at once; one should undress before feeling warm, but not remove too few layers at once. After long labor, one should maintain tranquility to protect areas where strength has been overused; after long leisure, one should practice Daoyin (guiding and pulling exercises) to move Qi that has slightly stagnated. In summer, one should not expose oneself to wind directly, for wind causes Ying (Nutritive) Qi to close and Wei (Defensive) Qi to knot; in summer, one should not lie on dampness, for dampness causes Qi to scatter and Blood to congeal. In winter, one should not seek extreme heat, for extreme heat allows Kidney to receive deficient Yang, leading to obstructions in Liver and Heart during spring and summer; in summer, one should not seek extreme coolness, for extreme coolness allows Heart to harbor floating cold, leading to stagnation in Lung and Kidney during autumn and winter. One should not eat when extremely hungry, and eating should not lead to fullness; excessive fullness injures Shen, while hunger damages Stomach. One should not drink when extremely thirsty, and drinking should not be excessive; excess damages Qi, while thirst injures Blood. Wash hair every ten days, bathe every five days. Five days allow the Five Qi to circulate, and bathing ensures smooth flow of Ying and Wei; ten days complete a cycle, allowing True Qi to reside in the brain, so washing hair makes ears and eyes clear. If one bathes frequently, Blood congeals and Qi scatters; although skin and muscles may appear lustrous, Qi will eventually be damaged. Thus, those with paralysis suffer because Qi cannot overcome Blood, and Shen cannot overcome Form. If one washes hair frequently, Qi becomes obstructed above and stagnant in the middle, causing heavy body and fatigued form, and eventually meridians fail to flow smoothly. Therefore, the ancients advocated using Yang to nourish Yang, so Yang is not dissipated; using Yin to refine Yang, so Yang is not weakened. For example, within a year, nourish Yang in spring and summer, and nourish Yin in autumn and winter; this is borrowing Yin to nourish Yang, using Yang to eliminate Yin. Within a day, refine Qian (Heaven/Yang) Qi before noon; rise early to refine Xing, and upon rising, refine Jinjing (Golden Essence/Spirit). After noon, refine Kun (Earth/Yin) with medicine (internal alchemical substances); with medicine, gather Qi to refine Dan (Elixir); without Dan, control fire to boil the sea (refine essence). All these utilize True Yang within oneself; otherwise, by gathering the body and concentrating Qi, True Qi can be cultivated internally. Raising the True Qi within extinguishes demonic Yin. Those who follow Dao read widely and learn much, yet vainly incur damage from overexertion, not knowing that Yin and Yang are the primal leaders of all things. True Yin and True Yang serve as the embryo, condensing in the Dantian (Lower Elixir Field); subsequently, True Yin becomes Qi, and True Yang becomes Form, resulting in a body outside the body. One transcends the mundane and enters sainthood.