Vol 13, Issue 3/2003
Vitality and Dynamism
The term Qi in the energy-based view of humankind in Chinese medicine.
By Daniel Stehli
The term »Qi« is mostly well-known to those practising Taijiquan and Qigong, but things are less clear when it comes to the precise energetic processes in the human body. Daniel Stehli, therapist for Chinese medicine, explains the genesis of Qi from the genetic input of our parents and from the components extracted from the air we breathe and the food we eat. He then moves on to the further refinement of »true Qi« in the body, which in turn forms the nourishing Yingqi and the protecting Weiqi. The many terms describing Qi in various states and functions, often sounding similar but nonetheless different, are explained from the perspective of Chinese medicine. This should serve to clarify the complex energetic process and to facilitate future encounters with the labyrinth of specialist Chinese terms.
