16/10/2009 13:11Chi Gong 101: How to Feel Your Chi EnergyPage 1 of 12http://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/how-to-feel-your-chi/
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Chi Gong 101: How to Feel Your Chi Energy
Tags:chi, Exercises, Ki, Qigong
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A Simple Guide In Plain English
Introduction
Chi
(
qi
) is an ancient Chinese term, which can be translated as energy. Like energy, the word
chi
is used in both abstract and concrete terms, and applied to both general concepts and specificphenomena. In other words,
chi
is ambiguous. (People who use the term often have a specificmeaning in mind.)In the broadest sense of the word,
chi
is generally understood to be pervasive, present in everyoneand everything, but it is not uniformly distributed.
Chi
moves freely around the universe, assuming various forms along the way. Disciplines such as
Chi Kung
(
Qigong
) and Feng Shui purport to observe and manipulate
chi
, for the specific benefitof human life.According to this model,
chi
is present in the air. Therefore, it is sometimes understood to besynonymous with
air
.
Chi
circulates around the body, as do oxygen and blood; some peopletherefore assert that
chi is
breath or blood. Within the realm of martial arts, physical postures areknown to affect circulation, and subsequently
chi
has been equated to good posture itself. All theseconceptions must be seen as incomplete, if not plain wrong.By definition,
chi
is not a specific form of matter (e.g. element or molecule), nor is it a specificexpression of energy (e.g. kinetic or thermal). On the contrary, these are all specific expressions of
chi
.This definition would seem to imply that matter and energy are somehow equivalent. While such astatement may offend the “common sense” of the average person, actual scientists have acceptedits truth for a century. (Einstein famously expressed it as
E = MC
2
.)If
chi
does not take one specific form, is it therefore a non-falsifiable and unscientific theory? Notexactly. As in the case of dark matter, we can look for indirect evidence of its existence.
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16/10/2009 13:11Chi Gong 101: How to Feel Your Chi EnergyPage 2 of 12http://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/how-to-feel-your-chi/
Wong Kiew Kit demonstratesa horse stance
Regardless,
chi
-based models are useful where they provide explanations for past observations,and correct predictions for future events, e.g. medical diagnosis and treatment.What then is
chi kung
? Simply put, it is a set of exercises with reproducible results, which aremost easily understood within a
chi
-based model, and more difficult (or sometimes impossible) toexplain with other models.
Chi kung
is a practice, not a theory or a belief.
Chi kung
is not occultmagic, and it is not a religion or cult affiliation.When performed properly, many
chi kung
exercises can improve the practitioner’s health. Somehave no such effect, and others can result in injury. Here are instructions for a very simple andsafe introductory exercise.
Steps
1.
Relax your body and mind.
If this is your first time performing this exercise, find (or create) adistraction-free environment.2.
Stand in a martial arts horse stance.
Any stance will do.Remain in the stance for one minute or longer; doing so mayenhance your results in the next steps. If you are extremelyweak, then you may skip this step.3.
Exit the horse stance, and stand up straight.
Again, relaxyour body and mind. Physical, intellectual or emotionaltension will degrade your sensitivity and impair your resultsin the next step. Rub your hands together for a few seconds.Close your eyes.4.
Move your palms toward and away from each other, as if gently squeezing a small beach ball.
Visualize the
chi
gathering between your hands. Move at a speed of 1-3squeezes per second, within a distance of 6 to 24 inches.Continue this kneading for 2-4 minutes, or longer as necessary, until you notice an unexpectedsensation in your hands. You may feel heat, tingling, vibrating, or strong magnetic repulsion. Manypeople will experience these feelings on their first attempt; others will need to repeat the exercisedaily until a result is obtained.
Warnings
These sensations constitute the observation of a “
chi
-effect”, and not necessarily a directexperience of
chi
itself. Other exercises will produce different sensations and effects, in differentparts of the body, or outside it.The exercise outlined above is a trivial
chi kung
practice; do not mistake it for anything more.
Chikung
is an extremely broad and deep subject, and the ability to feel sensations via the steps abovedoes not demonstrate mastery, or even basic competence. These results are only a hint at what canbe accomplished with time, discipline and good instruction.Do not assume that Chinese
chi
, Japanese
ki
, Greek
pneuma
and Indian
prana
are all the samething.Contrary to popular belief, martial artists are not the best source of information on
chi
, or
chi kung
,and their unsubstantiated opinions should not be taken too seriously.
More Information
Chi kung (qi gong)
books and DVDsRenli’s
Chi
FAQWhat Every Martial Artist Should Know About
Chi
and TCM
Categories:
Health and Fitness·Qigong·Spirituality·Training Tips
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30 responses so far
1
Vale Taiji
// Jun 18, 2009Thanks for that – it’s really useful to have Chi discussed in plain English. I’ll be pointing people tothis post!2
Josh Young
// Jun 18, 2009The idea that somatic sensations correlate to qi suffers from subjectivity, suggestiveness and a lackof a positive correlation between perceived sensation and mastery of qi.Several of the qi concepts presented above are irreconcilable with somatic sensations.To say that no division exists between the physical and thus the energetic is vacuous, If this isaccurate that all that can be experienced ever is qi. If this is true then the distinction between qi asa biophysical phenomenal and as term pertaining to energy become ill defined in the article andthus presents irreconcilable contradictions in terms of the total coherence of the qi concepts withthe somatic sensations.I implore the author to write a commentary on the classics and explain clearly what qi means inthem without being vacuous or providing an interpretation that cannot be drawn from directtranslations.
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