Saturday, May 16, 2009
Qi (Chi), Qi Flow and Health
Qi or Chi is one of the most difficult of all Chinese concepts to comprehend. The literal meaning of Qi is “breath” or “air”, and by extension, “breath of life “, “life force” or “energy that sustains living beings”. The Chinese believe that the flow of Qi governs nature and life.
Qi is believed to flow through the human body in channels called meridians. The Chinese consider all illnesses, both physical and mental, as a result from irregularity in the flow of Qi. In a healthy person, Qi flows along the meridians freely and smoothly. When Qi becomes imbalanced, disease and illness begin to take forms. Qi imbalances can occur as a result of poor diet, overexertion, inactivity, injury, toxins, the environment or emotions (anger, worry, sadness, grief, fear, fright). Traditional Chinese medicine, one of the oldest medical disciplines in the world, strives to keep the flow of Qi balanced, increase the levels of Qi and make sure the Qi remains strong. Treatments are, therefore, aimed to find and correct the source of the imbalance.
A variety of techniques were developed in traditional Chinese medicine to treat illness by adjusting the Qi flow in the body. Herbs and food influence Qi from inside the body. Acupuncture, Tui na, Cupping and Moxibustion use external stimuli to access acupuncture points (also called acupoints) along the meridians in an effort to clear blockages. Qigong practices are used to strengthen the Qi flow, which in turn also increases one’s health. Many famous Chinese physicians throughout history, for example Hua Tuo (141-208 AD), Li Shizhen (1518-1593 AD), were also Qigong practitioners.
In respect to the onset of body aches and pains associated with the aging process, Chinese doctors may attribute that to Qi blockages caused by old injuries. For example, a senior citizen’s constant ache and stiffness in his knee would be explained in the West as possibly caused by the “bum knee tore in high school during the football game." A Western doctor would usually tell this old man to take Ibuprofen or Aspirin to ease the pain. A Chinese doctor would say that the knee was mostly healed and that it worked fine while the man was young when his Qi flowed was still strong. However, now that he is old, his Qi flow is slower and that it gets stuck at the site of his old injury. Treatments would be prescribed to improve the Qi flow.