Can Qi Be Spiritual and Physical QI (In Chinese Character )

Can Qi be spiritual and physical

Author : - Dr. Edward Tsang (registered Chinese Herbalist & Acupuncturist ) Wu Zhu Metaphysician

QI (in Chinese character ௛) is composed of air, rice, heat and vapor. The form of Qi represents energy, steam, gas, essence, the movement of blood and fluids, and may be material or immaterial. When Qi exists, living beings prosper in the universe. Qi manifests in both spiritual and physical forms. Qi has different types of form during its functional activities in human bodies, such as, Lung-Qi, Heart-Qi, Spleen-Qi, Stomach-Qi, Kidney-Qi. During the transformation of these Qi, it changes to the forms to Wei-Qi, Ying-Qi, Zhen-Qi, Da-Qi, Gu-Qi, Yuan- Qi, etc. Beinfield & Korngold, Between Heaven and Earth. (1992), p.30 say : “Matter is Qi taking shape. Mountains forming, forests growing, rivers streaming, and creatures proliferating are all manifestations of Qi”

In the theory of Chinese Medicine, when Qi moves, blood moves, so we feel warmth in our bodies. When Qi is deficient, blood is stagnant, and we feel cold. When Qi condenses, energy transforms and accumulates into physical shape.

Qi also houses our spirit and mind. When Qi is in disharmony, we cannot think, plan or work properly and we lose our direction. Kaptchuk, Chinese Medicine (2000). p.58 says : “Spirit is the translation for the Chinese word “Shen”, Spirit is the fundamental texture that is unique to human life. In the same way that Essence (Jing) distinguishes organic life from inorganic material, Spirit separates human life from animal life”

Maciocia. (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. p.72 says

In particular, five functions are affected by the state of the Heart : Mental activity (including emotions) Consciousness Memory Thinking Sleep”

Qi is therefore the spirit of human being.

Qi affects our physical body, Liver ߗ (wood) stores blood and Qi and ,moves blood and supplies blood to the heart ֨(fire). If Qi is deficient our Wei-Qi cannot flight against the external pathogens. Illnesses and diseases will arise. If Qi is imbalanced, Blood cannot nourish our internal organs.

If Heart-Qi is in good condition, it will govern blood and control blood vessels, so the heart functions healthily. If Qi is deficient, blood cannot be kept in the vessels, causing diseases of haemorrhages. Maciocia. (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. p. 72. says : “If the Heart is strong and Blood abundant, there will be normal mental activity, a balanced emotional life, a clear consciousness, a good memory, keen thinking and good sleep”.

Heart-Qi then nourishes the Spleen က and Stomach ષ(earth); if Spleen- Qi is healthy, blood will circulate properly. Spleen controls the muscles and our limbs and brings Qi upward to Lung (metal); if Stomach- Qi functions well, it receives and digests food and brings Qi downward to the small intestine for further separation. However if Spleen-Qi and Stomach-Qi are deficient, our muscles and four limbs will be cold, symptoms of diarrhoea arises, food in stomach cannot be digested causing distention and diseases of belching, hiccup, nausea and vomiting. Maciocia (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. p. 90 says: “If this function is normal, the digestion will be good, with good appetite, normal absorption and regular bowel movements.”

If Lung-Qi is in harmony, skin and hair will flourish and respiration is normal, sense of smell is normal and the sound is clear, normal urination if Lung-Qi moves in good condition and nourishes kidney ࿽/bladder ፎ ౞(water), the function of kidney and bladder is in harmony, ear hearing is good ; hair is flourished and bright and kidney delivers good Qi to Liver (wood). The circulations of these organs is therefore functioning properly.

Vice versa, if Liver-Qi is impaired , women experience painful menstruation, nails are dark, dry, crack , and dull and eyes are visionless. If Heart-Qi is deficient, hands feel cold, pulse is irregular, poor memory. Maciocia. (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. p.72 says : “if the Heart is week and blood deficient there may be mental problems

(such as depression), poor memory, dull thinking, insomnia or somnolence and extreme cases, unconsciousness”.

If Spleen and Stomach- Qi are deficient, Spleen cannot control blood in the vessel and blood is haemorrhage, Maciocia. (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. p .90 says : “If Spleen-Qi is weak, the refined Qi cannot be transported to the muscles and the person will feel weary, the muscles will be weak and, in severe cased may atrophy”

If Lung- Qi is deficient, we will feel tiredness, weak voice and breathlessness, limbs and hands feeling cold, causing cough and urinary retention. Maciocia. (2000).The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. p. 84 says : “Weak Lung-Qi can therefore cause tiredness, weak voice and breathlessness”.

If Kidney- Qi is deficient, sexuality is weak, bones will be brittle and loosen teeth, asthma happens, ears are tinnitus, hair become grey. Maciocia. (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. p. 96 says: “If Essence is weak, the kidneys and there will be lack of vitality, infertility or sexual weakness”

Qi therefore reflects our spirit and physical body. When Qi is healthy, lives are abundant; when Qi is weak, lives are lacking of meaningfulness. If our Spleen-Qi is deficient, Spleen cannot control the transportation and transformation inside of the organs, there will be poor digestion, appetite, abdominal distention, loosen stools, blood will be spilled out of the vessel and we shall not taste properly ; if stomach-Qi is impaired, Stomach cannot transforms food and drink, Stomach-Qi cannot downward digested food and fluids to small intestine, in result, we shall experience nausea, vomiting, hiccups, belching. When Spleen and Stomach- Qi is weak, Spleen-Qi and Stomach-Qi cannot nourish our lung, liver, kidney and heart, we shall face a lot of illness in our daily lives.

Maciocia. (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. P. 59 says : “If Qi is flourishing there is health, if it is weak there is disease, if it is balanced there is quiet, if it moves in the wrong direction there is disease”

Qi houses not only our minds, thoughts, and wills, but also relates to our organs, spleen and stomach, lung, large intestine, heart, small intestine, kidney, bladder, liver and gall bladder. In Chinese Medicine, without the

functions of Qi, there will be no life in human beings. Therefore Qi is a part of the human being’s spiritual and physical formation.

References :

Harriet Beinfield, L.Ac. & Efrem Korngold, L.Ac., O. M. D.(1991). Between Heaven and Earth . New York :The Ballantime Publishing Group.

Ted J. Kaptchuk. (2000). Chinese Medicine. London : The Random House Group Limited. Edition of the Classic Bestseller.

Giovanni Maciocia. (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. Churchill Livingstone. London : Harcourt Publishers Limited.