what is qi?
Exploring the cosmic force of qi and our connection to everything around us.
what is it that makes you get up in the morning? that spurns the sun to rising? how do the seasons turn, one into the other, year after year? notice how the breath moves through your body. is it just air? when you love someone, do your eyes sparkle? do you feel, sense, understand an energy between you? what spins the planets in the cosmos & the atoms inside your cells? could it be that they are all the same, that there is something universal yet so specific that weaves it all together?
“humans are a part of the cosmic mosaic, moving within the realms of ever fluid nature.”1
imagine yourself on a good day. what makes it good? perhaps it is spring turning into summer, & you are outside in your garden. there are birds hopping & singing. the soil feels rich & alive. flowers are in all stages of blooming & blossoming. the air is crisp, a relief to your lungs. perhaps there is a moment when you feel so much a part of everything that at the same time, you are the most yourself, & you are the most one with it all. see this invisible fabric that weaves the cosmos together.
you could call it breath, music, the “force that makes up and binds together all things in the universe,”2 or qi.
in Chinese classics, it is said that life “is a gathering of qi”.3 it is hard to define because it is not a static thing. rather qi is “in a state of continuous flux, transforming endlessly from one aspect of qi into another”.3
it can be considered constructive or destructive, depending on the context,1 arising as both the fruit of a calm heart, & the way sickness moves through a body. when you do practices such as breathwork, meditation, qi gong, or martial arts, one could say that you are building your qi, becoming stronger, quieter, more vital. when you walk, exercise, shake, sing, or scream, you are releasing and moving your qi. when you eat nourishing foods, you are giving your body the basic materials to create nutritive qi in your body.
when you receive acupuncture, the needles act as messengers to your qi, encouraging flow, reminding your body of what is possible. You might feel euphoric, in less pain, more open, like your mind is clearer, your eyes brighter.
“to understand qi, is to understand the mystery of life…the living force running through the cosmos, the movement of the galaxies, the sun, the moon, and the weather,”4 right down to the food we eat & the breath in our lungs. it’s something that you have to look at softly. with an open mind. like the big questions - what is love, who am I, why are we here, how does it all work? these must be held with tenderness & bold curiosity.
perhaps there is a life force woven into every action, every cell death, every moment of eye contact, every breath - that both makes & creates us. we are qi. we dance with qi. everything is qi. nothing is qi. How to hold this mystery? how does one truly sense all the cosmic threads at once?
when you are sad, & someone you love puts their hand on your shoulder, or kisses your forehead, does it change the feeling within you? what about when you hold someone, heart to heart, is there a moment, when your heart beats sync? your breaths link up, & perhaps tension melts from both bodies. & what about the joy of child, playing with bubbles, or making up a song? what about the crushing crashing feeling of heartbreak?
the world is made of song & flowers. feelings move us. the cosmic winds dance the planets. the seasons ground us. the earth feeds us. we are connected to one another & all that is. and this “all”? perhaps, that is qi.
References
1. Flowers J. What Is Qi? Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2006;3(4):551-552.
2. College A & M. What is Qi? Definition of Qi in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
3. What Is Qi? (and Other Concepts) | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing.
4. What is Qi? – a beginners guide. Long White Cloud Qigong. Published February 6, 2020.