Chi is defined as a life force that constantly flows through the body and which, if hindered or altered, can cause disease. For the Orientals, only if the body is kept healthy can the mind evolve.
Last update: May 12, 2020
Many will have happened to see a show in which a martial arts artist hits a brick with his hand, breaking it in two without hurting himself and this seems to be beyond all logic. The answer that the Orientals give to this phenomenon is Chi (or Qi), a thousand-year-old Taoist concept.
Chi is used not only by martial artists, but also by traditional Chinese doctors. It is defined as a "flow of life energy". A life force that can be concentrated, released and let flow as you wish. In a way it is what we call energy in the West.
According to the Orientals, the Chi, or the vital breath, rules everything. The goal of various oriental practices such as, for example, Tai-Chi, acupuncture or reiki is to facilitate the flow of Chi or to concentrate it for a specific purpose.
"Whoever stays in his center lasts forever".
-Lao Tzu-
The Who and its principles
It is believed that Chi began to be talked about in the East about 4000 years ago. Since then, this life force is thought to circulate in our body through a series of "rivers". In Chinese medicine these rivers are called meridians.
It has long been believed that the way to get Chi to flow is through breathing and meditation. It is thought that by breathing correctly a person can synchronize with the rhythm of the cosmos. Also, through meditation one can awaken this life force from stillness and stagnation and let it flow through the body and mind.
Over time, the Orientals realized that there was something else that, besides breathing and meditation, could aid the flow of this life force. They identified in the movement the means to balance and harmonize the Chi.
But that doesn't fly with any movement, in fact there are specific ones, which have been grouped into what we know today as Taijiquan or Chi-Kung.
The types of Chi
For the Orientals, the vital energy resides in different parts of the body, including the more remote ones. Furthermore, it is also present on the outside of the body. It is definitely concentrated in the kidneys and it is from there that it makes life and health possible. There are different types of life energy, the main ones are:
- Zong Qi. It comes from breathing and is considered the fuel the body needs to work. Oxygen is its engine and affects the functioning of muscles, various organs, hearing and voice.
- Qi of taste This energy comes from the earth and from all the processes carried out to absorb nutrients. This Chi is closely related to the blood. The flavor of each food defines which organ will benefit from its intake: spicy / lungs, acid / liver, sweet / spleen, bitter / heart, salty / kidney.
- Wei Chi. It is said to come from the Chi of the foods, which protects against infection and lubricates the skin and hair (although there is no evidence for that).
The energetic function of Qi
For the Orientals, the health of the mind is inseparable from that of the body. An imbalance of one of the two affects the other.
Chi flows to keep a person alive and healthy, to restore balance and to prevent the weakening or deterioration of the body and mind.
The first sign that Chi is not flowing properly is excessive fluid production: hyperhidrosis or urine. From this point of view, sickness is believed to be a sign of an incorrect flow of this life force.
It is possible to rebalance it through meditation, breathing, the pressure of certain parts of the body (through acupuncture or massage) and the practice of Tai-Chi.
The flow of vital energy also depends on the spiritual dimension of each of us. From an emotional point of view, first of all one must try to enter a state of calm. Calming the mind is a way to restore energy balance. If the body is to be healthy, it must not be an obstacle to the mind. In this way, the mind can be free to evolve.
Some practices allow you to focus Chi on a specific area of ​​the body. For example, in martial arts we try to focus mainly on the hands, arms and legs. This picture, according to the Orientals, allows a seemingly weak person to break a brick or jump very high in defiance of gravity.
