On Qi
For the past couple of weeks I have been having mixed emotions about writing an article about this thing called "Qi," the concept of which is as simple as it is vast, and as important as it is un-"scientific." Some may have a notion of it as "energy" or "life force," which you might say is a simple way to describe something really important. Some may have a negative opinion of it—you can't measure it, so it doesn't exist—so, sure, it's unscientific too. But vast? I say yes, absolutely. I think of Qi as people may think of love or happiness. You know when you have it, when you don't. It's really important, but you can't measure it. You may have a vague idea how to attain it and a really clear idea about how to lose it. And if you start talking about it, chances are, you'll find the topic to be a little too big to tackle during your coffee break. But here I am nonetheless.
Most have at least heard of Qi. In Mandarin Chinese, it is pronounced "Chee" with the tongue toward the front of the palate. You'll also see it spelled "Ch'i," depending on the system of Romanization, a convention for spelling out Chinese characters to help Westerners with pronunciation. But the understanding of this concept often doesn't go far beyond this, and rightly so, as it can have several meanings and be approached from different angles. And the beginning is a good place to start.
The traditional character in Chinese literally shows steam rising up from cooking rice, which can mean a number of things. Is it just the steam, or is it the rice, too? Or is it the Essence that is created from this process that combines warmth, moisture, and nourishment? The Yellow Emperor's Classic states:
A human being results
from the union of the Qi of Heaven and Earth.
So more than two thousand years ago, Qi was thought of as
the material as well as the immaterial, the dense as well
as the ethereal. In Chinese medicine, the concept of Blood
is discussed as one of the vital substances, along with Qi
and Body Fluids, but it is in truth the denser
form of Qi. Better put, it is all Qi: the Blood, the
tissues, the body fluids, the emotions, the spirits, and,
yes, the Qi.
I feel like it is important here to mention that this
concept of material and immaterial is not foreign to modern
science. Nowadays scientists will readily admit that solid
matter is not very solid. In the Newtonian paradigm, we
know that solid objects are mostly empty space. For
example, if the nucleus, or center, of an atom were the
size of a tennis ball, the outer edge of the atom (where
the electrons are) would be more than a mile away! And
according to contemporary science, the more recent "string
theory" states that matter is made up of "vibrations" of
energy that have come together in particular patterns. It
is odd then that many have such a difficult time with the
concept of Qi.
From Qi to Qi
That Qi is the life force is only partly true,
for without Qi, there can be no life. But there is much
more to "life" than having Qi or not having Qi. And while
everything comes from a single Qi, it can manifest in many
different ways, much the way embryonic stem cells can
develop into any kind of cell the body needs to
grow. In the human body, we are born with what is called
"Original Qi," which is distributed among the organs and
tissues. It aids in the interaction of Food Qi and Air Qi,
thereby facilitating the creation of the Qi and Blood that
sustain us. Essentially our bodies cannot exist
independently of our surroundings. We are part of a larger
ecosystem, and the quality of our Qi is wholly reliant on
the quality of the Qi in our environment.
So Qi is everywhere. We breath it in and eat it and
transform it into other kinds of Qi that have a variety of
functional aspects in the body. There is the Defensive Qi
that resides between the skin and muscle protecting us from
external invasion of pathogenic factors such as wind, cold,
damp, dryness, and heat. There is the Nutritive Qi that
nourishes the organs and flows within the vessels and
channels. And there is the Qi of each of the individual
organ systems which have their own function, direction of
flow, and interaction with other organ systems' Qi.
But for purposes of academic study, Qi has come to mean the
lighter substance, the motivating energy behind the
material, and what causes growth and regeneration. It
transforms food and air into Blood, body fluids, and
tissues, and the unusable portions into waste; it
eliminates that waste with the Qi that descends via the
bowels and bladder; it transports fluids and Blood
throughout the vessels; it holds and contains the Blood
within the veins and arteries; it raises our organs and
keeps our bodies from sagging; it protects us from colds
and flu; and it keeps our bodies warm. It is therefore more
Yang than Blood.
Qi sickness
So if it all comes from the same Qi, if we are
all connected through this vast pool of universal Qi, then
why is there illness and dysfunction? This question is
perhaps too involved to give a satisfactory answer within a
couple of pages. Suffice it to say that we are a part of
nature, but our lives and lifestyles often do not reflect
this. We now exist farther than ever from our food sources,
we eat processed foods, we use artificial lights to stay
awake well past dark, we self-medicate to stay awake and to
get to sleep, and the list the goes on. So when the forces
of Yin and Yang are not in balance then there is Qi
dysfunction and therefore illness. There must be a balance
of hot and cold, nourishment and elimination, rest and
activity for things to flow smoothly. While there is
nothing intrinsically damaging about wind or cold or heat
or damp, Qi becomes pathogenic because our bodies
are unable to deal with environmental changes properly. Our
Defensive Qi allows the penetration of wind or cold causing
us colds, flu, arthritis, aches, and muscle twitches.
Simple foods can overwhelm our bodies if the Stomach Qi is
weak. And a Liver deficiency will create undue strain on
the body as it attempts to deal with times of stress and
change.
In Chinese medicine Qi must circulate in the proper
directions for harmonious organ function; it must be strong
enough to move, warm, protect, hold, raise, and change; it
must be able to carry the Blood but not be so strong it
causes the Blood to move recklessly; and it must move
freely, for stagnation can create many difficulties
including pain, tumors, frustration, and chronic
weaknesses. If the Qi is weak or its movement upset in any
way, then it is unable to keep the body running smoothly.
We are unable to extract nutrients from our food, we
develop clots or bleed easily, we sweat too much, our
organs experience prolapse, we catch colds frequently, and
we develop poor circulation causing coldness of the limbs.
These are just a few of the many possible manifestations of
Qi sickness.
How can we maintain optimal Qi?
The following is a brief list of ways to protect
our Qi and keep it flowing smoothly.
• Qi exercises, such as Qi gong, Taiji
quan (Tai chi chuan), and Yoga are ideal for collecting
environmental Qi through movement and breath. The strongest
and smoothest pulses I have felt have been on people who
have come directly from one of these practices.
• Proper diet, including
maintaining regular eating habits, is of utmost importance.
The Stomach organ system is the root of Post-Heaven Qi and
Essence. Beyond the Qi we acquire from our ancestors, it is
from good diet that we acquire vitality and good health. Do
not forget where the Chinese character comes from! Be sure
to eat a staple of organic whole foods and a balance of the
five flavors (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty).
Avoid overeating, over-consumption of concentrated
foodstuffs (sugar, coffee, alcohol, and other drugs), and
avoid processed foods, including partially hydrogenated
oils and chemical preservatives.
• Skin protection. Our skin and the
Defensive Qi residing beneath the skin protect us from
external influences. But they cannot do their job without
help; we need to help protect them by keeping our head,
neck, and back shielded from the elements (hats and scarves
are invaluable!). Also avoid hanging out in the steam room,
sauna, or hot tub for too long. Qi leaks out from the pores
because it follows the body fluids when sweating (remember:
they are the same and inseparable). Qi will also escape
from the body when there is an opening in the skin, as with
any kind of bleeding, injury, and surgery.
• Appropriate rest. In Chinese medicine,
over-work—through physical over-exertion, a lack of mental
rest, over-exercise, and excessive sexual activity—can
deplete the Qi. Likewise, too much rest can also damage the
Qi and cause stagnation. You may have noticed that long car
or plane rides are rarely invigorating and often make back
and leg pain worse.
• Emotional well-being. Unexpressed
emotion and excessive emotional upset can be quite
exhausting. Be sure to let your needs be known, and if
under a lot of stress, take lots of breaks, and remember to
breath!
• Qi therapy. Bodywork, acupuncture, and
herbal medicine are wonderful tools to aid the body, mind,
and spirit in the process of self-healing. Quite often the
individual simply needs a little "nudge" to open the flow
of Qi, rectify its movement so that it travels in the right
direction, and provide support to Qi that is weakened.
While the subtleties of Qi may continue to be debated among
philosophers to this day, we merely need to know that
everything we are and everything that sustains us comes
from Qi. We must honor ourselves and we must honor our
planet in order to preserve our vitality, for the planet
also experiences sickness. So an important and simple first
step, while unscientific, is to acknowledge that we all
come from the same one thing, whether you choose
to call it Mother, Universal Life Force, The Creator, Big
Bang, Dao, or God.