Michael Tse on Qi

Many people think that Qi is something special and want to do all kinds of things with it: play, redirect or use it for healing. However, everyone has Qi. If they did not, they would not be alive. When we take one word from a whole sentence, we lose the meaning and purpose of the word. The same for the concept of Qi. If we only consider the idea of Qi and not its purpose in our body, then we miss the point.

Qi literally means air. It also means energy. Human beings need both air (oxygen and other elements in the air, plus the radiation from nature - like trees, mountains and water) and energy to survive. Qi is constantly flowing throughout and around our body along with our blood. When blood and Qi are balanced, then a state of harmony exists and we have good health. However, if we injure ourselves, there is a blockage which keeps the Qi from flowing. When this happens, it is like stagnant water. The toxins cannot release naturally from our body and will pile up in this area.

When we practise Qigong, we use relaxation, breathing and movement and meditation to release negative Qi from our body and gather fresh Qi. The movements direct the Qi, so we do not need to think about where the Qi will go.When you start your car in the morning, do you think about how the petrol will flow through the engine? Of course not. You know that by pressing on the accelerator that you will move forward. So you think about the end result, not the method of what has produced that result. Otherwise, in order to drive a car, we would not only need a license,we would also need a degree in mechanical engineering. So in Qigong, we do not need to think about or direct the the Qi with our minds. It will happen naturally.

Actually, the more you try to direct Qi, the more problems you will get. If you are not healthy, this already shows that you do not understand Qi, so how can you think of wanting to move it to different areas of your body. In thinking like this, you miss the point of Qigong. The best is to find a good instructor who is healthy and who is qualified to teach Qigong. Then practise the movements you are taught. Forget about directing or visualising Qi and let your body and mind relax. Eventually, as you become healthier, your Qi will become stronger. Of course, you will feel it in different parts of your body and at your Dantien, but this is natural and not unusual or special. It is just the beginning of a Qigong journey.