What is Qi?

Acupuncture works by moving qi in the body. But what is qi and why is it important?
 
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we learn that qi is energy.  In its most basic form, it contains yin and yang – two ends of a spectrum. Yin corresponds to darkness, cold, winter, female, stillness. Yang corresponds to light, heat, summer, male.  This energy further separates into the five elements – water, wood, fire, earth and metal.
 
In the body, yin refers to the front and yang to the back. The five elements are reflected in the five major organs – the kidneys, liver, heart, spleen/pancreas, and lungs. When we refer to these organs, we’re not talking about the actual physical organ, rather organ functionality.  There’s something that is not actual living tissue, rather the instructions for how the cells and organs should behave.
 
I think of qi as the body’s intelligent energy.  It’s what makes lung cells know how to breathe, stomach cells know how to digest food, liver cells know how to detoxify, kidney cells know how to filter waste and heart cells know how to pump blood.
 
We come into the world with only these basic instructions to keep us alive. Breathe and eat to supply the body with energy.  Get rid of the waste productions that result from this process.  And then, of course, take a nap.
 
Remarkably, without any training, our bodies are pretty good at this.
 
Then life happens.  There’s all this other stuff we need to do.  We learn to speak and read and accumulate knowledge.  We have to go out into the world of work.  Our bodies develop the capacity to reproduce.  We form connections with other people.
 
The world gets much more complex.  In the midst of the complexities, we can forget the basics – breathe, eat, move and rest.
 
What used to be so simple may know seem out of reach.
 
Here’s the thing.  Getting these basics back is not out of reach.  Acupuncture and East Asian medicine are truly designed for this.
 
When I’m working with people, I’m reminding them of the things that their body already knows.
 
The beauty of the work is in helping people reclaim the power that lives within them.
 
Need encouragement, advice on how to do this?
 
There’s an easy way to get in touch with me.  Sign up for a free, 30 minute consultation. 

If you’re new to acupuncture, have seen me before or are a current patient, I’m happy to spend a little time helping you live with more health, greater ease and increased well-being.

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