06/08/2022
Qi is often translated as “life force”, but qi goes beyond that simple translation. According to Classical Chinese Philosophy, Qi or Chi or Ki or T'chi comes to be the embodiment of energy and matter, everything is constituted by Qi at different levels of proportion, both in the macrocosm and in the microcosm. The ideogram Qi presents a dynamic essence characterized by its substantial aspect and its functional aspect.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the concept of Qi has two main branches. There is the physical or nutritive part of Qi that makes up the Qi of the air (Kong Qi), the Qi of the water and the food (Gu Qi) that we eat. The other branch of Qi is related to the physiological functions that are the vital fluids and the energy itself that flows through our bodies, such as the Heart (Xin), Spleen (Pi), Stomach (Wei) and Lung Qi (Fei), etc.
When we become deficient or accumulate an excess of the Qi, we begin to experience imbalances and health problems, with varying symptoms. It is the imbalances and interruptions of this fluid force that are responsible for most human ills, whether physical, mental or emotional. As with yin-yang, Qi needs balance in order to maintain good health.
Keeping this concept in mind, Qi also describes mental functions and emotions. In the Chinese language, emotions are associated with the word Qi, for example, anger is called “Qi anger” and joy is “Qi joy”. Therefore, when an intervention is performed with acupuncture or any other Chinese therapy, it not only affects the physical functions of the body but also the mental functions and emotions.
