Energy Equals Qi…
Consider this equation:
Energy = Qi = Vitality = Breath = Life
In a sense, this summarizes what qigong is about. Remember when we talked about the meaning of qi? Qigong is really the path of cultivating a better quality of life. Along that path are many side paths, all of which feed into and support the core idea of cultivating energy.
In 1973, at the beginning of my formal studies with Sifu Lew, I ran across a book with a rather technical sounding name about Chinese medicine. It was called, “Theoretical Foundations of Chinese Medicine: Systems of Correspondence” by Manfred Porkert. The writing had the density you might expect from a book originally written in German based on Chinese texts, then translated into English.
At the time I first read it, I was way over my head. Years later I came to appreciate what he was talking about. One part in particular that sticks with me even today was the concept of the different types of qi (energy) described in the human body. Porkert described 46 distinct types of qi.
For example, there is the energy we get from our parents (pre-natal qi), the energy we get from our food (post-natal qi), the energy we get from breathing, etc.
In a larger sense, everything in the world has qi. Trees, rocks, animals, birds, sun and moon all carry and convey a kind of energy. The world is truly a living, breathing entity along with every part of it.
But what does this have to do with qigong?
One of the important aspects of increasing energy is recognizing the sources of it. If our parents didn’t have good health or died young, then we need to pay a special kind of attention to conserving our pre-natal energy. We always need to notice the quality of our food in order to extract the most qi from it when eating.
Similarly, breathing gives us qi. If we breath deeply and very shallow, there is no way to take in maximum energy. Qigong practice helps open the breath so you get more ‘bang for your buck’ when you breathe.
After about 15 years of qigong practice I had an opportunity to test this for myself. I was taking a physiology class at the local community college. In one section of that class we did a lung capacity test using a simple breath measuring device that told us our lung volume.
When my turn came to use the device, I took in a nice deep breath and then exhaled into the breathing tube. At the end of the test the machine measured my lung capacity at 50% more than ‘normal’ for my size and age. The professor thought the machine was broken…
Anyway, the take-away from today’s message is to pay attention to all of your sources of energy throughout the day. The quality of your food, water, exercise, relationships, emotions and thoughts all affect how much energy you have.
It can seem overwhelming to think about all of these at once, so perhaps pick just one and notice tomorrow (or today, depending on when you read this) how that aspect of your life adds or takes away from your energy and feeling of aliveness. Then pick another for the next day.
After a while you’ll begin to choose more of the activities and influences that energize you and let go of the others. Won’t you?
Be well,
Dr. Bruce
