皇甫隆遇青牛道士封君达云体欲常少劳无过食去肥 节酸咸减思虑损喜怒谨房室
抱朴子曰人亦有不病者各有所制摄生食不欲饱眠不欲扇星下不卧刘根别传曰取七岁男齿
女发与已头垢合烧服之一岁则不知老常为之使老有少容也(太平御览)
世有 羸而寿考亦有盛壮而暴亡若元气犹存则 羸而无害及其已耗则盛壮而愈危是以善
养生
者谨起居节饮食导引关节吐故纳新不得已而用药则择其品之上性之良可以久服而无害者则五
脏和平而寿命长不善养生者薄谨节之功迟吐纳之效厌上药而用下品伐真气而助强阳根本已危
僵仆无日(苏文)
神者气之子气者神之母形者神之室气清则神畅气浊则神昏气乱则神劳气衰则神去室空则
神腐人以气为道道以气为生生道两存故长生久视
老君曰气象天地变通莫测阳龙阴虎木液金精二气交会炼而成者谓之外丹含和炼藏吐故纳
新上
入泥丸下注丹田修运不息朝于绛宫采于五石以哺百神此内丹也修道之士内丹可以延年外丹可
以升仙内丹成而外丹不应外丹应而内丹不充皆未至于升举
六气者 主肺呵主心嘘主肝呼主脾吹主肾嘻主三焦三焦法象于三十六气分行于六腑通利
水谷调适形神
夫欲养神先须养气养气先须养脑养脑先须养精养精先须养血养血先须养水而九还七返者
大而论之一年小而论之一日北斗一日一夜一周天天降地腾从寅至申为七返却到坤为九还
皇甫隆遇到青牛道士封君达，（他传授的养生之道是）身体要常常保持适度的劳作，但不要过度；饮食上要节制，少吃肥腻、酸咸的食物；减少思虑，控制喜怒情绪；谨慎对待房事。
《抱朴子》说：人也有不生病的，各有各的调养方法。养生时，饮食不要过饱，睡眠不要贪多，星月之下不要卧睡。刘根的别传中说：取七岁男孩的牙齿和女孩的头发，与自己的头垢混合烧成灰服用。坚持一年就不会觉得衰老，经常这样做能使老人恢复年轻时的容貌。（出自《太平御览》）
世上有身体瘦弱却长寿的人，也有体格健壮却突然死亡的人。如果元气还存在，那么瘦弱也无妨；如果元气已经耗竭，那么即使体格健壮也会更加危险。所以善于养生的人，会谨慎起居，节制饮食，通过导引活动关节，吐故纳新。不得已而用药时，则选择品质上乘、药性温和、可以长期服用而无害的药物，这样五脏就能平和，寿命就能延长。不善于养生的人，轻视谨慎节制的功效，拖延吐纳养生的效果，厌恶上品药物而使用下品药物，损伤真气而助长虚阳。根本已经危险，倒下死亡的日子就不远了。（出自苏轼文章）
神是气的儿子，气是神的母亲，形是神的居室。气清朗则神舒畅，气浑浊则神昏沉，气紊乱则神劳累，气衰败则神离去，居室空虚则神腐朽。人以气为道，道以气为生，生与道两者共存，所以能长生久视。
老子说：气象变化像天地一样，变通难以预测。阳龙阴虎、木液金精，二气交会炼成的称为外丹；含和炼藏、吐故纳新，上入泥丸宫，下注丹田，修炼运转不停，朝拜绛宫，采集五石来哺育百神，这称为内丹。修道之士，内丹可以延年益寿，外丹可以飞升成仙。内丹成就而外丹不响应，或者外丹响应而内丹不充实，都还没有达到飞升的境界。
六气分别对应脏腑：肺主呵字音，心主嘘字音，肝主呼字音，脾主吹字音，肾主嘻字音，三焦主呬字音。三焦效法于三十六气，分行于六腑，通利水谷，调适形体和精神。
想要养神，必须先养气；养气必须先养脑；养脑必须先养精；养精必须先养血；养血必须先养水。所谓“九还七返”，大体来说是一年，小而言之是一日。北斗七星一日一夜运行一周天，天降地腾，从寅时到申时为“七返”，回到坤位为“九还”。
Huangfu Long encountered the Green Ox Daoist Feng Junda, who taught him: The body should be kept in a state of constant but moderate exertion, avoiding overwork; diet should be regulated, reducing intake of rich, fatty, sour, and salty foods; one should reduce excessive thinking and control anger and joy; sexual activity should be practiced with caution.
The *Baopuzi* states: Some people do not fall ill because they each have their own methods of regulation and preservation. In preserving life, one should not eat until full, nor sleep excessively, nor lie down under the stars or moon. The *Bi Zhuan* (Separate Biography) of Liu Gen says: Take the teeth of a seven-year-old boy and the hair of a girl, mix them with one's own head dandruff, burn them into ash, and ingest it. Doing this for one year will prevent the feeling of aging; frequent practice can restore youthful appearance to the elderly. (From *Taiping Yulan*)
In the world, there are those who are emaciated yet live long lives, and those who are robust yet die suddenly. If the Yuan Qi (Primal Qi) still exists, being emaciated is harmless; if the Yuan Qi has already been depleted, even robustness becomes dangerous. Therefore, those skilled in health preservation carefully regulate their daily routine and diet, use Daoyin (guiding and pulling exercises) to move the joints, exhale the old and inhale the new. When medication is unavoidable, they select high-quality, mild-natured herbs that can be taken for a long time without harm, thereby keeping the Zang-Fu organs (Five Viscera) in harmony and extending lifespan. Those unskilled in health preservation disregard the benefits of careful regulation, delay the effects of Tu Na (exhaling stale air and inhaling fresh energy), despise superior medicines while using inferior ones, damage the True Qi (Zhen Qi) while boosting false Yang, causing the root to become precarious, making collapse and death imminent. (From Su Shi's writings)
Shen (Spirit) is the child of Qi (Vital Energy); Qi is the mother of Shen; Xing (Form/Body) is the chamber of Shen. When Qi is clear, Shen is vibrant; when Qi is turbid, Shen is dull; when Qi is chaotic, Shen is fatigued; when Qi declines, Shen departs; when the chamber is empty, Shen decays. Humans take Qi as the Dao (Way); the Dao takes Qi as Life. Since Sheng (Life) and Dao coexist, one can achieve longevity and prolonged vision.
Laozi said: The phenomena of Qi change like Heaven and Earth, unpredictable and unfathomable. Yang Dragon and Yin Tiger, Wood Fluid and Metal Essence, these two energies intersect and refine to form what is called Wai Dan (External Elixir). Containing harmony and refining the viscera, exhaling the old and inhaling the new, entering the upper Ni Wan Palace, descending to the lower Dantian, practicing continuously, paying respects to the Jiang Gong (Crimson Palace), gathering the Five Stones to nourish the Hundred Spirits—this is called Nei Dan (Internal Elixir). Practitioners of the Dao find that Nei Dan extends life, while Wai Dan enables ascension to immortality. If Nei Dan is achieved but Wai Dan does not respond, or if Wai Dan responds but Nei Dan is insufficient, neither has reached the state of ascension.
The Six Qi correspond to specific sounds: Fei (Lung) governs "He", Xin (Heart) governs "Xu", Gan (Liver) governs "Hu", Pi (Spleen) governs "Chui", Shen (Kidney) governs "Xi", and San Jiao (Triple Burner) governs "Si". The San Jiao models itself on the Thirty-Six Qi, distributing them through the Six Fu Organs (Six Hollow Organs), facilitating the passage of water and grain, and regulating the form and spirit.
To nurture Shen, one must first nurture Qi; to nurture Qi, one must first nurture the Brain; to nurture the Brain, one must first nurture Jing (Essence); to nurture Jing, one must first nurture Blood; to nurture Blood, one must first nurture Water. The concept of "Nine Returns and Seven Revolutions" refers broadly to one year, or narrowly to one day. The Big Dipper completes one circuit of the heavens in a day and night. From Yin hour to Shen hour constitutes the "Seven Revolutions," returning to Kun position constitutes the "Nine Returns."