Qi - the life force 元气 - 生命之源

As I mentioned in the previous posting, I never paid much attention to Chinese medicine when I was small. But somehow, the concepts and words stayed with me. Unlike some of my Chinese friends, I believe its holistic approach on healing even though I don't understand its principles. The first few months after giving birth to my first daughter, I felt very weak physically as I had no family around to help me with house chores or cooking. I started to develop vertigo and I was scared. It was really the first time in my life that I felt so ill that I couldn't get out of bed in the morning. As a matter of fact, it was very scary when the ceiling kept spinning and I felt like I was in a whirlpool. Since we didn't have medical insurance at the time, I went to Chinese herbalist for my problems. His diagnosis was I did not have enough Qi even though I had enough blood. I thought that was strange as I didn't think I was anemic. So I asked him further what this all meant. He further explained that Qi was the life force or energy that pushed the blood around. I could have enough blood but I needed sufficient Qi to do the job. He prescribed a couple packs of Chinese herbal tea to boost my Qi, told me to put my tongue on top of my mouth when I felt dizzy. He also sold me some American ginseng slices as a supplement. It is pretty common knowledge that ginseng is like a tonic for weak health. I was thinking to myself if this is due to poor circulation, I'll just start exercising to get my metabolism up again. So I started exercising 1-2 hours a day, took ginseng and put my tongue on top of my mouth when I felt weak. The vertigo went away in a week and I felt stronger again. This was my first effort to understand Qi.

Qi, pronounced as Chi, or Chee, or Ki in Japanese, is the vital life force or energy in the body. If Qi is out of balance, it will be manifested in form of health problems in the body. Qi flows through Meridians, or channels, which are invisible pathways that connect all parts of the body. There are 12 meridian channel systems in the body in total. The function of the meridian channels is to transport the Qi and blood, and circulate yin and yang to nourish the body. This probably is hard for Westerners to understand and there are various scientific studies regarding the nature of Qi.

Qi is the key concept in Eastern medicine, Eastern philosophy, as well as in martial arts. For the pre-modern Chinese, Qi comprised both yin and yang, with duality and interdependence in operation. The workings of nature were explained as the workings of Qi. Qi was all encompassing. Humans were subject to the workings of Qi as well as being agents of Qi, every person being so in different ways and at different times. Still, we cannot precisely describe Qi. When Western people talk about Qi in terms of the healing arts, Qi seems to be understood as 'vitality' or 'life-energy'. For those who are studying Chinese medicine, Qi is presented as being a substance flowing in our body along the 'meridians'. In the view of martial artists, Qi is a source of spiritual strength for winning. When an Eastern philosopher defines Qi, it is a function of life, which permeates through the life of an individual and the life of the universe. Physicists see it as a new kind of 'energy', and still, brain physiologists approach it as 'information' or 'entropy'. Thermographical studies demonstrated that skin temperature was raised by 3-4ºC when exposed to Qi emitted from Qigong healers. When Qi was received, a warm sensation was felt. This supports the idea that Qi has an infrared radiation component. Depending on who you are and what you do, trying to understand Qi is like many blind people touching different parts of an elephant.

Qi has energy and entropy aspects. While it is often described in the West as energy, or vital energy, Qi is the energy of the body, of the meridians, of food, of the universe. The term Qi carries a deeper meaning. Qi has two aspects: one is energy, power, or force; the other is conscious intelligence or information. Many believe Qi is an 'energy'. However, there is a subtle difference in understanding between the Chinese and the Japanese. The former seems to believe that it is a 'substance' or 'matter' flowing in and through our bodies, and that it can be emitted from the body of a Qigong healer. In contrast, the Japanese considers that Qi is a form of energy and as being about 'relationships and patterning'. These concepts are another way of describing 'information'. There are studies that raised the possibility that Qi-energy may carry information, and that the information is in a form of 'entropy'. If Qi consists of simple energy, then, Qi effects might be mimicked by an instrument. However, if Qi involves entropy, it may be difficult to artificially reproduce the entire Qi effect. Scientists tried but there has been no major breakthrough if Qi can or may be measured.

As a Christian, I think of Qi like the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is described as the wind, you can't see it but you can certainly feel its power when it whips up in speed. So is qi. You can't see it but it's there and you can feel its power when it's out of balance. Despite its abstract nature, it is a form of life force or energy and requires much respect and care.