Monday, August 07, 2006
Qi:
(An exerpt from my upcoming book: The Help-Yourself Guide To Traditional Chinese Medicine)
Qi (sometimes translated as as Chi, Ki or Key) is a philosophical cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine. But the question remains — What is Qi? Some believe that Qi is a function, others believe the Qi is a form of energy. Still others view Qi as a spiritual characteristic. According to ancient Chinese thought, Qi is the fundamental constituent of the universe, a primordial, invisible energy whose changes and movement produced phenomena. This viewpoint greatly influenced the theory of traditional Chinese medicine.
Generally speaking, Qi refers to the vital energy, or life force in the universe. An active all-pervasive force that is both upward and downward, inward and outward, outside and inside our bodies. Qi circulates from one organ to another, along pathways or channels to maintain and protect all of our activities and bodily functions. When Qi is impaired in its movement, weakness, illness and pain result. In traditional Chinese medicine it is believed that if the body has no Qi motion it has no life activity. Qi is the function of the body that manifests itself in the body's metabolism, physiological appearance and pathological symptoms. For this reason, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine regard Qi as the basic feature of life and of paramount importance.
Qi denotes the essential energy that maintains vital activities as well as the functional activities of the body's internal organs and tissues. However, its ontological relation to other forces and phenomena should not be overlooked, especially if one hopes to comprehend the body's interrelations with the environments it is immersed in.
Traditional Chinese doctors believe that Qi circulates throughout the body following a series of channels commonly known in the West as the meridians. This circulation of Qi is said to create an energy blueprint or a biological information system which instructs the body's cells on how to reproduce and function. Therefore, the proper flow of Qi is essential to health. If the Qi flow is blocked, becomes excessive, or deficient along the channels, disease will result.
Dr. Zhang
