Abstract

“Cultivating yang in spring and summer, while protecting Yin in autumn and winter” is one of the most important principles of health preservation, which was put forward in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine. However, ancient scholar-physicians held different views on the principle at their own levels of understanding, as well as with its application, mainly represented by the restriction doctrine, the growth and storage doctrine, and the root doctrine. The three doctrines were related with the opposition of yin and yang, waxing and waning of yin and yang, and mutual rooting of yin and yang, respectively. In light of the evolution of the yin-yang theory during Qin and Han dynasties and its influence on the theory of Chinese Medicine, this principle was developed on the basis of conforming to the cycle of four seasons and understanding of yin-yang circulation theory. The ideas in the doctrine of growth and storage were consistent with the principle, whereas the two other doctrines were developed by the influence of the theories on opposition and balance of yin and yang.