“To nurture life is to tend the root, harmonize the flow, and brighten the spirit.”  ~Classical Taoist teaching

In our modern world of biohacking supplements, optimization protocols, and expensive wellness trends, it’s easy to lose sight of something profound: the wisest health traditions never required a subscription service.

For over two thousand years, Traditional Chinese Medicine has understood health through an elegant framework called the Three Treasures, Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit). Before you dismiss this as mystical philosophy disconnected from “real” health, consider this: these concepts describe interconnected aspects of human vitality that modern science is only now beginning to measure and understand in its own language.

Why the Three Treasures Matter Now

We live in an age of reductionism. Take this supplement for energy. Use this device for sleep. Download this app for stress. Yet the traditional understanding, of the Three Treasures offers something our fragmented approach often misses, a holistic view of health that recognizes how our physical reserves, daily energy, and mental-emotional wellbeing are intimately connected.

You can’t optimize one treasure while neglecting the others and expect radiant health. It doesn’t work that way, no matter what the wellness industry promises.

 Modern Science and the Three Treasures

Modern research is beginning to validate what ancient physicians intuited thousands of years ago. Jing, the essence of our constitutional vitality, parallels measurable systems like genetic stability, telomere length, mitochondrial efficiency, stem cell reserves, and hormonal integrity — the biological foundations of resilience and longevity. Qi, our daily vital energy, corresponds with cellular metabolism, circulatory efficiency, oxygen utilization, and nervous system regulation, reflecting how energy is generated and circulated throughout the body. And Shen, the spirit or consciousness, aligns with modern insights into neuroplasticity, emotional regulation, and heart-brain coherence — the physiological underpinnings of clarity, peace, and purpose.

Together, these systems reveal a striking convergence: what Traditional Chinese Medicine described as the Three Treasures, science now observes as the interconnected web of genes, energy production, and consciousnessthat determines not only how long we live, but how deeply we thrive.

Meeting the Three Treasures

Jing: Your Essential Reserves

Think of Jing as your foundational life force, the deep reserves you’re born with and gradually draw upon throughout life. In modern terms, we might talk about genetic potential, hormonal health, reproductive vitality, and the resilience of your core systems.

Jing governs growth, development, reproduction, and aging. When your Jing is strong, you have robust constitutional health, clear thinking, and the capacity to weather life’s stresses. When it’s depleted, you experience premature aging, chronic fatigue, weakened immunity, and diminished fertility.

Qi: Your Daily Vitality

Qi is the dynamic energy that flows through you every day, powering your breath, circulation, digestion, and movement. It’s the difference between waking up energized and dragging yourself through the afternoon.

While Jing is your savings account, Qi is your daily operating budget. You generate it from the air you breathe, the food you eat, and how well you rest and recover. Strong Qi means efficient digestion, mental clarity, emotional stability, and the energy to actually live your life rather than merely survive it.

Shen: Your Radiant Spirit

Shen encompasses your consciousness, emotional balance, mental clarity, and what we might call your inner light. When someone has vibrant Shen, you can see it in their eyes, there’s a presence, aliveness, and authentic joy that no amount of surface-level “wellness” can fake.

Shen lives in the heart (in Chinese medical theory) and reflects the integration of your whole being. Clear thinking, emotional resilience, restful sleep, meaningful connection, and a sense of purpose, these are all expressions of healthy Shen.

The Candle: A Perfect Analogy

One of the most elegant ways to understand the relationship between the Three Treasures is to imagine a burning candle.

The candle itself, the wax, represents your Jing. It’s the substantial foundation, your finite reserves that you’re born with. Once you light the candle, it begins to burn down gradually over time. You can’t make more wax, but you can control how quickly you burn through it.

The flame is your Qi, the active, dynamic energy generated from the interaction of the candle (Jing) with air and heat. The flame needs the candle’s substance to exist, but it also requires the right conditions: proper oxygen, shelter from wind, a good wick. When these conditions are optimal, the flame burns steadily and efficiently. When they’re poor, it flickers, sputters, or burns too hot and wastefully.

The light radiating from the flame is your Shen, the brightness, warmth, and illuminating presence that emanates from the whole system working together. It’s what others perceive when they’re around you. A candle with a weak, flickering flame casts dim, unstable light. A candle burning bright and steady radiates clear, steady illumination.

Here’s what makes this analogy so valuable: You can see immediately how these three aren’t separate. You can’t have the flame without the candle. You can’t have light without the flame. And how you tend the flame determines how long your candle lasts, burn too hot and fast, and you’ll exhaust your reserves prematurely. Tend it wisely, and it can burn bright and steady for a very long time.

The Integration That Changes Everything

Here’s what makes the Three Treasures framework so valuable: these aren’t separate systems to optimize independently. They’re intimately related.

Jing supports Qi. When your fundamental reserves are strong, you have the foundation for abundant daily energy. Qi supports Shen. When your vital energy flows freely, your mind is clear and your spirit bright. And Shen, when cultivated, helps you make choices that preserve Jing and cultivate Qi wisely.

The relationship also works in reverse. Chronic depletion of Qi (through overwork, poor diet, or insufficient rest) eventually drains your Jing reserves. Disturbed Shen (anxiety, emotional turmoil, mental stress) disrupts your Qi and, over time, depletes your Jing.

This is why piecemeal solutions so often fail. You can’t supplement your way out of a life that’s fundamentally out of balance. You can’t “biohack” past the wisdom of living in harmony with your body’s deeper rhythms and needs.

A Different Kind of Health Conversation

The Three Treasures tradition doesn’t promise quick fixes or miraculous transformations (red flag phrases in the wellness marketplace). Instead, it offers a time-tested framework for understanding how to build and maintain genuine vitality across your entire lifespan.

This isn’t about adding more to your already-overwhelmed schedule. It’s about understanding the fundamental patterns that either support or undermine your health, and making choices that align with your body’s actual needs rather than the wellness industry’s profit motives.

 The Path Forward: Radiant Health Through Balance

Radiant health isn’t a destination you reach by following a 30-day protocol. It’s a dynamic state of balance that you cultivate by understanding and nourishing all three treasures throughout your life.

The good news? Once you understand this framework, much of what supports your health becomes clearer and simpler, not more complicated.

In our upcoming posts, we’ll explore each treasure in depth:

Part 2: Jing, Preserving Your Essential Vitality will examine how to protect and wisely use your constitutional reserves, the practices that deplete Jing prematurely, and the traditional (and modern) approaches to supporting this foundational aspect of health.

Part 3: Qi, Cultivating Daily Energy and Flow will dive into practical ways to generate, circulate, and maintain your vital energy through food, breath, movement, and lifestyle.

Part 4: Shen, Nourishing Your Spirit and Consciousness will explore how to cultivate mental clarity, emotional balance, and that quality of presence that makes life truly worth living.

Together, these three treasures form a complete picture of what it means to be vibrantly, authentically healthy, not just surviving, but thriving with genuine vitality that carries you through all phases of life.

Because that’s what you deserve. Not another expensive supplement protocol, but the wisdom to understand what your body actually needs to flourish.

The Radiant Health Project is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to cutting through wellness industry hype and sharing evidence-informed, traditional wisdom for genuine health. No products to sell, no affiliate links, just integrity-first guidance for your wellbeing.

Join us next time as we dive deep into Jing, your most precious health treasure.

Mark J. Kaylor is a passionate advocate for holistic health and natural remedies, with a focus on extending both lifespan and healthspan. As the founder of the Radiant Health Project and host of Radiant Health Podcast, Mark blends in-depth research with traditional wisdom to empower others on their journey to vibrant health. Through his writing and speaking, he shares insights into the transformative power of herbs, nutrition, and lifestyle practices.

Disclaimer: All information and results stated here is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The information mentioned here is not specific medical advice for any individual and is not intended to be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. This content should not substitute medical advice from a health professional. Always consult your health practitioner regarding any health or medical conditions.