Become familiar with your Qi
Qi is known as the ‘life force’. It is an ancient Asian principle and one of the core concepts of Chinese medicine. It is born from the interaction between Yin and Yang. Chinese medicine believes that as long as the body’s Qi flows smoothly, the body will be healthy.
Many of us are not aware of the rhythm and flow of Qi around our bodies; through our meridians, heart, blood vessels, the intracellular spaces; driving the function of our organs and connecting us to the environment in general. It is a non-substantial system that supports all the other systems in the body: the nervous system, the endocrine system, the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system and the digestive system. Despite its lack of substance, without it, the body cannot function.
We can influence our Qi through both physical and subtle activities. The more physical manipulations include rest, sleep, movement, sports, breath work and nutrition. A lifestyle that is in balance offers the best ability to cultivate good Qi. Our physical environment, the weather, the rhythms of nature and astrology also have the ability to alter our Qi.
Through training our thoughts, awareness, visualization and intention, we are also able to direct Qi for the purposes of healing and a superior state of health. This awareness mostly requires us to redirect the senses inwards in stillness, to explore our internal world. Once we reconcile our internal and external world, Qi will flow smoothly and uninterrupted.
If the Yin and Yang balance in our bodies is out of balance, the Qi flow and eventually even the production of Qi will be disturbed. Over the short-term, the body is mostly able to balance its functions by itself. Depending on one’s general health state and inborn constitution, the body can develop different conditions which may lead to either Qi blockages (physical blockages that don’t allow Qi to flow), Qi flare ups (energy not moving along it’s physiological pathways in the body) or Qi not being produced (Qi deficiency). In order to rectify the flow, strengthen Qi and its production, the Chinese medicine practitioner balances Yin and Yang within the patient’s body. They achieve these manipulations through the use of tools such as acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, GuaSha (scraping), blood letting and herbal therapy.
Science is finding more and more evidence for Bio-energetic body systems, especially meridians (energy pathways on the body’s surface) and acupuncture points (points of energy accumulation on the bodies surface). Other related practices that work with Qi include meditation, QiGong, Martial Arts and FengShui.