Qi

Qi (Chinese 氣 / 气, qì) is a fundamental category of Chinese philosophy and medicine: a universal life energy, a substance-force that pervades all existence.

Etymology. The character 氣 depicts vapor (气) rising above rice (米) — the breath of life born from matter.

Kinds of Qi in the Human Being

Qi manifests at all levels, forming a multi-tiered system:

• Yuan Qi (元氣, "original qi") — innate, received from the parents
• Zong Qi (宗氣, "ancestral qi") — respiratory qi in the chest
• Ying Qi (營氣, "nourishing qi") — derived from food, circulates in the meridians
• Wei Qi (衛氣, "defensive qi") — immune, circulates outside the meridians

States of Qi

Qi can be Yin or Yang and may be in different states:

• Stagnation — qi zhi (氣滯)
• Deficiency — qi xu (氣虛)
• Counterflow — qi ni (氣逆)

Working with Qi. This is the foundation of acupuncture, Qigong (氣功), Taijiquan (太極拳) and Feng Shui. In Ba Zi (#10), Qi manifests through the balance of the Five Elements (Wu Xing, 五行); in Feng Shui (#22), through the quality of spatial flows.

Analogs in Other Cultures

A universal principle. The concept of life energy is present in most traditions: Indian Prana (प्राण), Japanese Ki (気), Tibetan Lung (རླུང). All describe the same reality in different words.