What is Qi?

Do you understand Qi? It's complicated. Here are some basics.

Is it chi or qi?

Both terms have been used to describe this undercurrent force and while they are technically interchangeable, they vary slightly based on its cultural origin. “[It’s called] qi in Chinese medicine or prana in ayurvedic, yogic tradition,” says Annie McDonnell, LAc, of New York’s Joy Alchemy Acupuncture. - https://www.oprahdaily.com/

Qi is energy in the very broadest sense possible. Qi is universal. Qi embraces all manifestations of energy, from the most material aspects of energy (such as the earth beneath your feet, your computer, and flesh and blood) to the most immaterial aspects (light, movement, heat, nerve impulses, thought, and emotion). - University of Minnesota.

Qi - noun:- vital energy that is held to animate the body internally and is of central importance in some Eastern systems of medical treatment (such as acupuncture) and of exercise or self-defense (such as tai chi) - https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/qi

In English, qi (also known as chi) is usually translated as “vital life force,” but qi goes beyond that simple translation. According to Classical Chinese Philosophy, qi is the force that makes up and binds together all things in the universe. It is paradoxically, both everything and nothing. - Acupuncture & Massage College.

Every individual is born with jing and qi, both of which disperse with age. Longevity requires maintaining or restoring one’s original allotment of qi. Qi may be converted into jing, which in turn facilitates the circulation of qi throughout the body. Shen, unlike jing and qi, is not allotted at birth but must be cultivated throughout life. As the three treasures dissipate or become out of balance, one’s health declines. Physical exercises and meditative, medicinal, and dietary practices integrate body and mind, thus enhancing the circulation of qi, replenishing the three treasures, and extending and

nourishing (yang) life. - Britannica

In traditional Chinese culture, qi, also ki or ch'i[1] in Wade–Giles romanization (/ˈtʃiː/ CHEE audio speaker iconqì), is believed to be a vital force forming part of any living entity.[2] Literally meaning "vapor", "air", or "breath",[3] the word qi is often translated as "vital energy", "vital force", "material energy", or simply as "energy".[4] Qi is the central underlying principle in Chinese traditional medicine and in Chinese martial arts. The practice of cultivating and balancing qi is called qigong.

- Wikipedia.com

Practitioners of Chinese Medicine and qigong have identified many different kinds of qi. Within the human body there is the qi that we’re born with, called Yuan qi or ancestral qi. The qi that we absorb during our lives from food, water, air and qigong practice is called Hou tain qi or post-natal qi. The qi that flows at the surface of the body, as a protective sheathe, is called Wei qi or protective qi. Each internal organ also has its own qi/life-force, e.g. spleen-qi, lung-qi, kidney-qi. According to Taoist cosmology, the two most fundamental forms of qi are Yin-qi and Yang-qi—the primordial feminine and masculine energies. Many qigong practices utilize heaven qi and earth qi, as well as the qi that emanates specifically from trees, flowers, lakes, and mountains. - https://www.learnreligions.com/

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