What Is Qi (Chi)?

Central to Taoist world-view and practice is qi (chi). Qi is life-force -- that which animates the
forms of the world. It is the vibratory nature of phenomena -- the flow and tremoring that is
happening continuously at molecular, atomic and sub-atomic levels. In Japan it is called “ki,”
and in India, “prana” or “shakti.” The ancient Egyptians referred to it as “ka,” and the ancient
Greeks as “pneuma.” For Native Americans it is the “Great Spirit” and for Christians, the “Holy
Spirit.” In Africa it’s known as “ashe” and in Hawaii as “ha” or “mana.”

In China, the understanding of qi is inherent in the very language. For instance: The literal
translation of the Chinese character meaning “health” is “original qi.” The literal translation of
the character for “vitality” is “high quality qi.” The literal translation of the character meaning
“friendly” is “peaceful qi."

Many Different Kinds of Qi

Practitioners of Chinese Medicine and qigonghave identified many different kinds of qi. Within
the human body there is the qi that we’re born with, called Yuan qi, or ancestral qi. The qi that
we absorb during our lives from food, water, air and qigong practice is called Hou tain qi or
post-natal qi. The qi that flows at the surface of the body, as a protective sheathe, is called Wei
qi or protective qi. Each internal organ also has its own qi/life-force, e.g. Spleen-qi, Lung-qi,
Kidney-qi. According to Taoist cosmology, the two most fundamental forms of qi are Yin-qi and
Yang-qi -- the primordial feminine and masculine energies. Many qigong practices utilize
Heaven qi and Earth qi, as well as the qi that emanates specifically from trees, flowers, lakes
and mountains.

Balanced & Free-Flowing Qi = Health

The fundamental insight of qigong and Chinese Medicine (acupuncture and herbal medicine) is
that balanced and free-flowing qi results in health; while stagnant or imbalanced qi leads to
disease. This is true not only at the level of the human body, but also in terms of natural
landscapes -- mountains, rivers, forests -- and man-made structures -- houses, office-buildings,
and parks. In the same way that an acupuncturist diagnoses energetic imbalances, and works
to re-establish free-flowing qi in the human body; so does the practitioner of Feng
Shui perceive energetic imbalances in natural or man-made landscapes, and then apply
various techniques to remedy those imbalances. In both cases, the goal is to establish a more
open flow of energy in the particular (internal or external) environment. We can understand
Taoist ceremony, also, as being a form of qigong or Feng Shui, since specific actions and
arrangements of ritual objects are used to invoke the flow of sacred energy. Like a powerful
acupuncture treatment, the successful ritual opens a portal between the human realm and the
realms of the spirits, Deities and Immortals.

Feeling the Qi

The capacity to perceive the flow of qi directly -- to actually see or feel it -- is something that
can be cultivated through training in qigong or acupuncture. Like any skill, some people are
better at it than others: for some it seems to come “naturally,” for others it’s more of a
challenge. Even if it’s not consciously cultivated or acknowledged, most of us can tell the
difference between someone who has “great energy” and someone from whom we feel a “bad
vibe.” And most of us are able to notice, when we enter a room, whether the atmosphere
seems relaxed and uplifted, or tense and heavy. To the extent that we notice such things, we
are tuning into the level of qi.
We might be in the habit of perceiving our world in terms of solid shapes and forms. What
Taoism teaches is that we can train ourselves to perceive in other ways; and a good place to
start is with our own human body. Though we may now experience our body as being rather
solid, at a molecular level it is comprised mostly of water – a very fluid substance! And at an
atomic level it is 99.99% space – a vast (and infinitely intelligent) emptiness.

As we practice qigong and Inner Alchemy, we cultivate the capacity to perceive at all of these
different levels – to feel ourselves and our world as fluid, and as spacious; as well as being
filled with apparently-solid forms. As we become more adept in this way, we become aware,
directly, of the vibratory nature of all-that-is. Not only do we experience our bodies as being
comprised of patterns and flows of qi, but also come to understand that “emotions” and
“thoughts” are also forms of energy. These insights give rise then to the potential for newly-
powerful and deliciously-creative action within this tremoring world.

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According to the ancient philosophy of Taoism, also known as The Way, chi is the energy that flows through
the universe.In Taoism, everything is composed of two opposite, yet complimentary energies, called yin and
yang. Together these two energies form chi. Chi is a part of everything in the world, both living and non-
organic. It flows throughout the universe, and because it is a living, moving force, we can influence how it
moves, and thus, how we are affected by it.Feng shui is the ancient art of influencing the movement of chi.
There are a number of different things you can do to use chi to your advantage, depending
upon what you want the outcome to be.Most people who use feng shui use it in their homes to
positively affect their lives there, as well as in their offices to increase worker productivity and
business.
Every space, whether it is used for home or business, is divided into nine areas. Imagine a grid of nine equal
squares. The top left square is wealth, middle top is fame and reputation, and right top is love
relationships.The middle left square is family, the middle is the earth, and right is creativity and children. The

bottom left square represents knowledge, the middle square is career, and the bottom right is friends and
travel.Now superimpose this grid on your house, turned so that if it was a giant map, you could read it
standing at your front door.You will see which section of your house corresponds to which section on the
grid.
When you know where each section of your house is, you can use different techniques for
influencing the chi there to your advantage.Here is each section with the colors and elements
associated with it and tips on using chi to your advantage:
Wealth: The color associated with this area is purple, so you will want accents of this color in
this room. Wood is the element associated with wealth, so place wooden items here. Place
items in this room that symbolize anything you would like to own. For example, if you want a
new car, place a model car in this room.An amethyst is also a symbol of wealth, so place one
somewhere in this room.A water fountain or a picture of water will help the chi flow through
that room, and bring more wealth with it.Have something expensive in this room, such as a
pricey piece of art.
Fame and reputation: The color for fame is red and the associated element is fire. You'll want
to use red accents here, and since the element is fire, redcandles would be particularly
appropriate. To use chi in this area for your advantage, put something here that reminds you
of what you want to be famous for. A writer could put a book; an artist could use a painting.

Love relationships: The color for this area is pink and the corresponding element is earth. To
increase your chi for love, you should place pictures here of your loved one, or pictures of the
two of you together. Pink quartz helps you attract and keep love, and pairs of anything can
also help your love chi: pictures of two animals that mate for life, two candles, or two of hearts
of some kind.
Family: The color you need to use in this area to enhance your chi is green and the element is
metal.If you want to improve family relations, put up family pictures in metal frames. Plants
work well in any area to increase chi, but particularly in the family area.

Health: The color used in this area is yellow and the element is earth. If you want good health,
use lots of yellow here. Flowers are nice, or pictures of yellow flowers, and use plenty of
pottery vases or display pieces.

Creativity and children: The color for this area is white, and the element is metal. If you want
to give birth""either to kids or to new ideas""work on enhancing chi in this area.Use white
flowers and candles, favorite childhood memorabilia, or something you have created.

Knowledge: The color for this area is blue and the element is wood. You can change your chi in
this area by using primarily wooden objects here""furniture and picture frames,
perhaps.Placing books here on subjects you wish to know more about will also help your chi.

Career and travel:Colors for this area are black and indigo, and the element is water. If you
want a new career or get ahead in your current one, you can use the chi here to your
advantage by placing in this area water items, such as fountains and pictures of water. Glass
items are good, too, and any items related to water, such as fish, seashells, and tropical
pictures.

Friends, influential people, and travel: The colors here are gray, silver, and white, and the
element is metal. If you desire helpful people in your life, or wish to travel, you can use chi in
this area to your advantage by displaying photos of friends, people who have characteristics
that you admire, and places to which you would like to travel.

Doing some or all of these things will help you use chi to your advantage, but perhaps the
most important thing to remember is your intention. Every action you do in order to
manipulate chi should be done mindfully, with your whole mind on the activity and with every
intention that what you are doing will bring about the results you want. That, far and away, is
the best possible way to influence chi to your advantage.