Nourishing the heart means protecting the heart. People who always maintain psychological balance have strong internal organs, balanced qi and blood, and balanced yin and yang, so they can live a long and healthy life.

People who always maintain psychological balance have strong internal organs, even qi and blood, and balanced yin and yang, so they can live a long and healthy life.

"Psychological balance" is the cornerstone of health and longevity. For modern urbanites, whoever has psychological balance will have health and longevity. "Nourishment of the mind" is an important method to maintain psychological balance.

What is "nurturing the heart"? "The Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic" considers it to be "Tianwu", that is, a state of mind that is plain and tranquil, optimistic and open-minded, and focused on self-entertainment.

Mencius said: "To nourish the heart, don't be good at having few desires. As a person, you have few desires. Even if you don't have them, you are few. If you are a person, you have many desires. Even if you have them, you are few." ——"Dedicate Your Heart"

Influence

To nourish the heart, people's habits are developed over many years. It is impossible to get rid of all the problems at once. It needs to be adjusted over time and gradually improve the habits that have been cultivated for many years. Eliminate old bad habits. Therefore, the human heart itself also needs to be "nurtured". We must learn to nourish our heart as a tree or a bonsai. Mencius said: "To nourish the heart, don't be good at having few desires." (Mencius - Devoting the Heart)).

By reducing unhealthy desires, you can nourish your soul. If our heart is compared to a plant, then it can also be said that eliminating greed and selfishness, keeping a pure heart, and developing the kind side of one's character are like watering and fertilizing one's heart to ensure the health of the heart. Healthy growth. Mencius also emphasized that "nurturing the mind" must be concentrated and persevering, and cannot be "exposed to ten colds at once."

The two idioms that everyone knows today, "concentrate one's mind" and "one exposure to ten colds", were specially invented by Mencius to cultivate the mind. Although Mencius' "cultivating the heart" and "cultivating the heart" are both directed at the "heart", their meanings are slightly different.

"Intention" refers to specific psychological activities, emphasizing on grasping the conscience; "nurturing the heart" emphasizes that cultivating a sound mind requires time and patience, and cannot be achieved overnight. "Cultivation" focuses on short-term behavior, while "nurturing the heart" focuses on long-term results; "Cultivation" requires perseverance and determination, and "nurturing the heart" requires care and experience.

There is a "Heart-nurturing Hall" in the Forbidden City, which is the place where emperors nourished their hearts. It can be seen that Mencius’ thoughts on cultivating the mind had a great influence on ancient Chinese culture.