Qi - Definition and Types

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Qi - also spelled Ch'i or Ki - pronounced chee - usually gets translated as

" energy " . Roger Wicke in vol. 1 of his text says, " One working definition of Qi

is the potential of the universe to create matter and form. " He says that a

definition closer to the needs of healers is that " Qi is the active, functional

aspect of the body. " He says Qi is a potential for creating energy and activity.

(p. 70)

 

There are different types of Qi. There's the Qi of the universe outside the

person, and there is the Qi within the individual.

 

The undifferentiated Qi in the body is called Righteous Qi. You'll also see this

referred to as Upright Qi or Zheng Qi, Source Qi, True Qi or Zhen Qi, or Normal

Qi, but you'll see the Righteous Qi term most often.

 

The Righteous Qi is made up of the Original Qi (Yuan Qi, Prenatal Qi) that the

person got from the parents at conception, the Qi from food (Grain Qi, Gu Qi),

and the Qi from air (Air Qi, Kong Qi). The Spleen is responsible for the

extraction of Grain Qi, and the Lung extracts the Air Qi. The Spleen carries the

Grain Qi to the Lung where it interacts with Air Qi and Original Qi to form

Righteous Qi.

 

The Righteous Qi may then become Protective Qi, Nutritive Qi, Chest Qi, Organ Qi

(Zang-Fu Zhi Qi - Solid-Hollow Organ Qi), or Meridian Qi (Jing-Luo Zhi Qi or

Meridian Branch Qi).

 

You're already familiar with Protective Qi (Wei Qi). This is the energy that

circulates near the surface of the body and around the meridians and organs.

Protective Qi protects the body from outside Evils. People with low Protective

Qi tend to be prone to infections and/or to be very weather sensitive. Herbs

like astragalus specifically will increase Protective Qi. The Wei Qi also warms

the organs.

 

Nutritive Qi (Ying Qi) moves with the Blood. It transforms the nutrients from

food into Blood. Wicke says that Nutritive Qi is similar to the Western concept

of metabolism. It trnasforms and creates new Blood. It helps the Blood to

nourish the tissue of the body. We'll be going into Ying Qi in more detail

later. The term Blood in TCM means a bit more than it does in Western

terminology.

 

The Organ Qi differentiates into different types of energy. For example there's

the Qi of the Liver, the Kidney, the Small Intestine, etc.

 

The Meridian Qi is what gets worked with the most in acupuncture/ acupressure

and massage. If there's insufficient flow of energy through a meridian, sections

of the meridian may feel cold to the touch. This is something that the healer

and the patient sometimes can feel. Some healers can sense energy flow through a

meridian, but this is a special talent which takes special training to develop.

If there is Qi Stagnation in a meridian, it may manifest as pain and cramping.

Because of the nature of Qi, this is a pain which will move around a lot instead

of staying in one place. An analogy is the pain from gas in the intestines. It

doesn't stay in one place but moves around.

 

The Chest Qi (Ancestral Qi, Zong Qi) collects in the chest and travels down into

the abdomen and up into the throat. It provides for breathing and speaking as

well as regulating the beating of the Heart. Chest Qi also plays a role in the

movement of Blood through the body. Yoga, Qi Kong, and other methods of movement

meditation can be used to develop and control Chest Qi. You won't be getting

into Chest Qi for quite a while. Protective Qi, Nutritive Qi, Organ Qi, and

Meridian Qi play more immediate roles in health.

 

Victoria

 

 

 

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