Qi: The Chinese Interpretation of The Life Force
The history of Chinese civilization dates back three thousand years ago. It started in the Shang era on the banks of the Yellow River. The ideas that have sprouted on the banks of this mighty river have taken roots globally as they slowly permeated as life force into the consciousness of mankind.
Some Chinese scholars go so far as to speculate that even non living entities have a ‘Qi’. Wind, they believe, is the Qi of Earth. This idea finds parallel in other ancient civilizations as well. In ancient Indian civilization, it mirrors the concept of ‘prana’, while in ancient Greek culture it finds resonance with the notion of ‘pneuma’. In the western conception of things, Qi comes closest to the idea of ‘humorous’.
The idea of Qi is also linked to the physical, physiological, mental and spiritual well being of individuals. The deficiency of Qi can make an individual weak and disease prone, while an excess of Qi can lead to stress and irritability and restlessness.
As Qi is in a continuous flux trying to adjust to the optimum scenario, the Yin and Yang undergo the ‘five stages of transformation’. These five phases are also denoted as the five elements. The five elements are also correlated with the changing cycle of seasons. Water represents life in winter waiting to spring out, while wood is associated with the season of spring as new life emerges out of the fertile soil. Fire and Earth represent the maturation and ripening of the seasonal crops in early and late summer. Metal is the fifth element which represents the process of harvesting and storage of grains in the season of autumn.
The internal concessions and contradictions implicit in these five elements are as they are in continuous motion to reach the optimum Qi. Water nourishes the Wood, while at the same time being antagonist to fire. Likewise, wood feeds in to allow fire to grow, while negating earth at the same time.
According to the Chinese philosophy, individuals acquire Qi throughout their lifetime. In fact, they have even coined a separate term for the Qi that individuals are born with before it undergoes transformation that is aided and hindered both by external factors and internal struggles.
The prenatal Qi in individuals is known as “Yuanqi”. A moral living, adequate amount of sleep and a healthy lifestyle can initiate Yuangi into a right balance of Qi throughout life. However, any imbalance in this Qi can result in disease and ailments in human beings.
Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), believe that while the Qi is always in motion in the body, it sometimes gets stuck at particular points. The traditional practice of Acupuncture is thus associated with insertion of needles in superficial tissues to allow the Qi to be set in motion again.
The traditional Chinese technique of meditation, known as Qigong is also associated with maintaining the balance of Qi internally in the human body as well as in aura external to it. It is associated with coordinating breathing and meditation, on focused movements and a general awareness of the surroundings.
The origin of this technique can be traced back to the late fourth century BC. The early writings on meditation techniques can be attributed to the scholars of the ancient Chinese Jixia Academy. Xun Zi, a Confucian scholar writes on how evolution occurred along as innate objects which possessed only the Qi gave way to simple living forms with both Qi and life, which led to advanced life forms with Qi, life and perceptivity. However, only the humans were gifted by Qi, life, perceptivity and Yi (which is the ability to differentiate between right and wrong and acquire a moral compass). He thus elaborated on the methodology to strike a balance in Qi and Yi.
The practice of Qigong involves slow and rhythmic movements. This is in resonance with the Chinese ideology of slowing the pace of things and focusing on the task at hand, as opposed to the western notion which celebrates a fast paced lifestyle. The slow and rhythmic breathing allows the mind to generate awareness of the life that is within us as opposed to the external dilemmas we may face, and this creates a sense of serenity and releases the stress that is unbalancing the Qi.
The meditation techniques of Qigong have permeated in martial art techniques of many Asian cultures. The most popular among them are Kung fu and Tai Chi. The healing aspect of the Asian martial arts also involves the generation of a Qi field that arises from the cultivation of a positive field generated with slow movements that creates a power of healing for beings that fall within the radius of this energy field. This generation of Qi field is associated with the practice of Wisdom Healing Martial arts.
The idea of Qi is also associated with the popular Chinese practice of Feng Shui which is associated with placement and arrangement of the surroundings. It is associated with the idea of restrained Yin and energized Yang that at their peak represent the Qi of heaven and earth respectively. The interaction of the Qi of both in turn has an effect on the human Qi. Thus Feng Shui is the science of harmonizing and creating a balance between these three kinds of Qi.
Qi, according to Chinese tradition, is a life force that is omnipresent, that permeates and surrounds the entire Universe. It unites the entire cosmos into a single flow of energy which connects the soul of the pebble with the essence of the sweeping ocean; the life in an insignificant earthworm with the sentience of the sagacious monk, so that all begins and ends in a unity.
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