So, What’s the Deal with Qi?
Last time we talked a little bit about qi. As you may recall, it is one the “Three Treasures” that are essential to human life. In Chinese medical theory, qi is seen as the vital energy of the body, but qi is not an abstract concept. Understanding how it is formed, what it does in the body, and what happens in the body when there are problems with qi are key to understanding Chinese medicine.
FORMATION OF QI
Before we discuss how the body “makes” qi, let’s take a moment to think back to high school physics class. Specifically, let’s review the Law of Conservation of Energy. It states that in an isolated system, the total energy in the system remains constant over time. Energy cannot be created or destroyed; instead, it transforms from one form to another.
For example, if you would like to make some tea, you might fill up your electric kettle and switch it on. As electricity flows through the heating element of the kettle, it makes the heating element extremely hot. Electric energy has been transformed into heat energy. This heat energy is then transferred to the water in the kettle, causing it to boil. After a minute or two, you are able to make perfect cup of tea, thanks to the Law of Conservation of Energy.
So, what does this have to do with qi? Well, if qi is the energy of the body, it cannot be spontaneously created. We need to take energy from substances in the outside world and transform it into energy that the body can use to carry out metabolic processes. The ancient Chinese recognized this important fact. They believed that everything in the universe has qi, and that there were specific, different types of qi that belonged to different substances. Human beings took the energy or qi of those different substances and transformed them into useable energy in the body.
For example, they saw that air possessed something that was necessary to the human body. This substance is called Da Qi, or “Great Qi.”
They also recognized that an important substance passed from food to the human body. This substance is called Gu Qi, or the “Qi of Grain and Water.”
The third type of qi that is needed to form the overall useable energy of the body comes from within the body, from the Jing (or “Essence”). As we discussed previously, Jing has a lot in common with genes. The ancient Chinese recognized that this precious substance could be activated to form other substances that are essential to human life. This type of qi is called “Essential Qi” or “Source Qi”. In biomedicine, genes are important because they provide a blueprint for the formation of proteins, which are essential substances in the human body.
Da Qi, Gu Qi, and activated Jing combine in different ways in the body to form many different types of qi. Each of these types of qi fulfills specific functions within the human body.
HOW QI WORKS IN THE BODY
The different types of qi in the body form a body system known as Zheng Qi (or “Upright Qi”). Just like with the bones of our body, there are names for specific types and for the system as a whole.
While there are several complex pathways involving different types of qi in the body, the easiest way to understand the basics of how qi works in our bodies is this:
Although this is a simplified chart that leaves out several specific types of qi in the body, you can see that Da Qi, Gu Qi, and Jing combine through various pathways to ultimately form Zhen Qi (or “True Qi”), which is the usable qi that flows through the body. You can think of Zhen Qi as potential energy, ready and waiting to fill the body’s needs. Zhen Qi can activate into two specific types of qi, Wei Qi or Ying Qi, depending on what the body needs at that point in time.
Wei Qi is the defensive qi of the body. Compared to Ying Qi, Wei Qi is very yang. Like a knight guarding the castle walls, its main function is to protect your body from invasion by pathogens.
When your Wei Qi is strong (which depends on the proper functioning of all the types of qi that come before it in our flow chart), your body is protected and you won’t get sick, no matter how many people sneeze on you on your train ride home from work.
However, if your Wei Qi is not strong, it will be very easy for pathogens to get into your body and make you miserable.
On the other hand, Ying Qi is the nutritive qi of the body. In comparison to Wei Qi, Ying Qi is very yin. It is closely related to the blood, since blood nourishes the body, and flows with the blood in the vessels and in the acupuncture channels. When your acupuncturist inserts a needle into your body, they are manipulating the Ying Qi to help balance your body.
If the Ying Qi gets blocked up for any reason, including injury, emotional upset, stress, or issues with any of the other types of qi, many symptoms can arise. According to Chinese medical theory, acupuncture works to treat issues in the body because inserting needles into the channels helps to restore the normal flow of qi. When everything is flowing freely, the body is able to function at its best.
Next time, we’ll take a more in depth look at what happens in the body when qi is not functioning properly.
NOTE: This blog is meant for educational purposes only — please don’t try to diagnose yourself using it! If you have a medical issue, please seek guidance and treatment from a licensed medical professional.
© 2018 Alli Urbanik Kimmel
