WHAT IS CH'I (QI)?
Ch'i (or the pin yin spelling of Qi) has been translated as breath for without breath there is no life. It has also been referred to as vital energy, but it is more than that. From the Chinese point of view there is no difference between matter and energy. The West came to this same viewpoint in the early 20th century with Einstein's theory of relativity. Ted Kaptchuk refers to Qi as "the cosmic breath that unites all forms." It is the universal energy that penetrates, binds and flows through all of existence.
Short breath, short life.
Long breath, long life.
No breath, no life.
- Chinese Proverb
For the Chinese, Qi (Ch’i) is the pulsation of the cosmos....Qi is the thread connecting all being....Qi is the universe’s underlying plastic texture that explains change....Qi does not “cause” change...Things change because Qi takes on different forms...
- The Web That Has No Weaver
Short breath, short life.
Long breath, long life.
No breath, no life.
- Chinese Proverb
For the Chinese, Qi (Ch’i) is the pulsation of the cosmos....Qi is the thread connecting all being....Qi is the universe’s underlying plastic texture that explains change....Qi does not “cause” change...Things change because Qi takes on different forms...
- The Web That Has No Weaver