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ing in a great variety of carefree, light and lively activihappy and at peace. This is a good method of eliminatties. By these means, the spirits are raised, intelligence is ing detrimental emotions. increased, muscles and tendons are exercised, and circuiii. Diverting ones attention. This is also known as lation of Qi and blood is activated. Thus health preservadiverting ones emotion, i.e., changing the focus of excition is achieved in the midst of amusement and sports, tation. The principle is to free a person from entangling achieving the aim of nurturing the mind, strengthening emotions by taking certain measures to separate them the body and prolonging life. Some traditional methods from harmful stimulating factors. An ancient Chinese employed for this purpose include taking up hobbies psychotherapy method based on this principle is treatsuch as playing the piano and chess, raising flowers, ment by diverting the patients attention so as to reguplants, birds or fish, sightseeing, and chatting with friends. late the functional activities of Qi and maintain a sound 3. Adjusting Emotions mind. For instance, when in great distress or depression, In the course of ones daily life, complicated situations one may listen to a favourite piece of music; or when one are bound to influence ones moods and give rise to is in great sorrow following some misfortune, one may emotions such as anger, grief, etc. When one is in a bad stay with relatives or good friends for a period of time. or abnormal mood, one should try to adjust and control The change of surroundings and atmosphere may divert it lest it becomes extreme. This consists mainly of the bitter emotions and restore normal life after the mind has following methods: been calmed. Or, when afflicted by troubling thoughts, i. Exercising self-control. TCM theory holds that extremone may take a walk so that the surroundings of nature ity of the seven emotions, i.e., joy, anger, melancholy, may relax and refresh the mind, and thinking ability will anxiety, grief, fear and terror, is one of the main causes of be restored. illness. Therefore, timely adjustment of ones emotions iv. Suppressing One Emotion with Another. As one of with a view to preventing them from becoming excesthe traditional emotion-adjusting methods, this is emsive is an effective method of health preservation. Since ployed to combat excessive emotions when other methancient times, experts in health preservation have beods have proved ineffective. The essence of this method lieved that anger is the chief lies in the use of a contrary When faced with something exasperating, pathogenic factor, for great emotion to replace an excesone should calmly consider which is more anger may impair the Liver sive one. Zhu Dan Xi, a faimportant, anger or health. This comparison mous doctor of the Jin and and also affect the Heart, Stomach and brain. Hence, will enable one to gradually eliminate Yuan Dynasties (1115-1368 control of anger is an imporA.D.), developed a method ones anger. tant method of adjusting the of psychotherapy based on emotions. The essence is to control emotions by rational the theory of mutual effect of the seven emotions as reasoning, i.e. to cultivate morality, train ones will, described in the Nei Jing. When a person is afflicted with consciously control ones mood and overcome emoanger, his emotion should be diverted with sorrow and tional impulses with reason. As the ancients put it mitigated with fear; if his mind is injured by ecstasy, it When faced with something exasperating, one should should be restricted by horror and alleviated by anger; if calmly consider which is more important, anger or health. he is afflicted with sorrow and anxiety, his emotion This comparison will enable one to gradually eliminate should be restricted by joy and alleviated by anger; if ones anger. afflicted with sorrow, it should be restricted by contemii. Providing Outlets for Anger. This is to help regain plation and alleviated by anxiety; and in case of mindones psychological balance by finding proper outlets injury due to fright, it should be curbed by anxiety and for detrimental emotions that have accumulated. This relieved by horror. The literature presents many cases of method can be explained as follows: the successful use of this method in adjusting the emoa. Direct release. When in great sorrow, one should have tions, which are worthy of our attention. a good cry so that one may feel comfortable after the This article was first published in The Journal of Traditional sorrow has been fully given vent to. This helps regulate Chinese Medicine, Beijing. the circulation of Qi and blood and consequently prevent depression. Other measures are a loud cry when in great pain; a thorough pouring out of ones heart when in great anger; a deep sigh or moan when worried; or hearty singing when in great joy. Different forms of expression are used for different emotions, all to restore the mind to a peaceful and tranquil state. b. Controlled release. In contrast to direct release this measure stresses a controlled and gradual release of the pent-up negative emotion. For instance, one may confide in relatives or good friends the bitterness or grievance one feels, or express feeling by reciting poems or writing articles. The advice and consolation of ones relatives and friends and the consequent release of emotion will enable one to acquire psychological comfort and support, broaden the mind and finally become
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