Infinite Way

The concept of qi (chi) is central to all aspects of Chinese culture. It is the core of Chinese medical thinking, the power and grace in Chinese martial arts and the essence of Chinese religion. It is expressed through the brush of the calligrapher and heard in the music of the player, it can be said to have no form but manifests itself in the "ten thousand things", all of which rely on it for their existence and transformation.

In Chinese philosophy qi is said to originate from the Tao, as Lau Tzu states poetically:

This first manifestation is known as Yuan qi, or pre-natal qi, which is regarded as coming from, but at the same time being inseparable from the Tao. It is Yuan qi that is considered to be the foundation of all life, the primordial energy that is the essence of all existence. Yuan qi is also known as the "One" or "Taiji" (Tai Chi), which divides into yin and yang forces, promotes the five phases (Wu Xing), and in turn creates the qi of Heaven and Earth through their motion. Through the qi of Heaven and Earth the transformation and production of the "Ten thousand things" naturally occurs.

Qi then, can be described as an energy or Universal force that forms the Cosmos, the basic building block of all matter, the immaterial energy that constitutes all material form. Following this, everything in the Universe can be said to be made up of and defined by its qi, as the Nei Jing (Yellow Emporors classic of internal medicine) states, qi is "the source where from the Sun, Moon and stars derive their light, the thunder, rain, wind and cloud their being, the four seasons and the myriad things their birth, growth, gathering and storing."

This concept of qi means that in Chinese philosophy there is no strict separation between matter and energy. One constantly transforms into the other in a never ending process of change, as Ted Kaptchuk pointed out in his book, The Web that has no Weaver; "We can perhaps think of qi as matter on the verge of becoming energy, or energy at the point of materialising." All is in a constant state of flux. Forms changes, there is birth and growth as well as decay and death, but it is all qi and brought about by the movement or stasis of qi. This idea of continuous change is represented by the Taiji symbol shown above. Human beings are part of this Cosmic process because they too are made of, and energised by qi. The qi of the Cosmos and the qi of the human life are from the same source, only differing in function and density and as such are completely interrelated and interdependent, the microcosm reflects the macrocosm and the macrocosm the microcosm. So in Chinese philosophy, human beings are seen as an inseparable part of the workings of Heaven and Earth which is all dependent on qi.

So what is Qigong? And why is there a need to practise it?

As a way of answering these questions firstly we have to understand the word Qigong, which can be broken down into two parts. The first part "qi" has already been looked at but the second part "gong", or "gung" as it is pronounced, maybe needs some clarification. "Gong" means to practise or work at something, time and effort taken to develop a skill, in this context it is centred around developing the qi. The aim of the practise of Qigong is to sensitise and harmonise oneself with the flow of qi through the body, so letting things find their natural order. By circulating the qi, sick qi is cleared, health and well-being are improved and harmony returns to the body, mind and spirit.


In order to try to understand the process of Qigong, it's important to have some knowledge of the body's subtle energy system through which the qi runs. As I mentioned earlier the qi of Heaven and Earth is seen as being inseparable from the qi of human beings. In the Chinese way of thinking, energy(qi) from the cosmos flows through and brings life to the body via a series of Channels and Meridians. According to Traditional Chinese medicine there are considered to be eight major channels in the body, which are known as "Mai", twelve minor meridians called "Jing", and a fine network of interconnecting capillaries called "Luo". These Channels, Meridians and Capillaries are all interconnected and go to form the body's subtle energy system, that feeds and maintains the processes of life.


As well as the subtle pathways of the body, there are considered to be three main energy centres called "Dantien" that are used in Qigong practise. These are said to relate to the "three treasures", Jing, Qi and Shen. Jing relates to the Primordial essence or Yuan qi, of which we have talked earlier, and is stored in the kidneys and transformed in the lower Dantien, which is found inside the lower abdomen. In Qigong practise Yuan qi is also considered to be closely connected to semen in men and ovum in women and is especially valued as a potent substance that can be transformed into qi. Once the Primordial essence is transformed into "vital energy" or qi in the lower Dantien, it then transforms into Shen. Shen is considered to be the spiritual force that comes from the refined qi during it's upward movement along the Central Channel or Zhong Mai. Shen then rises to the upper Dantien, situated in the centre of the head, where it is transformed into Emptiness. All these centres, or "Elixir fields", act as reservoirs and are connected via the eight Mai, which in turn are connected to the Meridians and Capillaries that make up the network of the subtle energy system.



This transformation from Jing to Qi to Shen and then into Emptiness, is called Nei-Gong or internal work, and is the focus of Taoist internal alchemy. Through this process the practitioner seeks to transform the base energy (Jing) through the practise of Qigong into Emptiness, so becoming one with the Tao. This process can be likened to the transformation of water into steam, as the water is heated it changes into vapour which rises of it's own accord. The Lower Dantien, when activated, provides this heat to transform and circulate the Yuan Qi through the body's subtle system and up through the Central Channel. The lower Dantien is quite often represented as a cauldron in Taoist pictures of the internal workings of the body.


Another way of looking at the refinement of energy is to see it as a changing vibratory pitch, from a low vibration to a higher one. The Yuan Qi of the lower Dantien is awakened or activated which increases the vibratory level in that part of the body, this in turn produces heat. This heat and vibration can often be felt quite strongly when practising Qigong. This increased vibration then creates an internal force which moves through the internal pathways, rather like water pushing through a hosepipe. As the blockages and knots in the the internal system are gradually cleared, the body returns to a state of balance and health.
The faster the internal energy vibrates, the higher the frequency, the more heat and light are produced. This vibration and heat literally transforms and translates the body into light, or "Emptiness". This has been very clearly illustrated and documented in the cases of "Rainbow Body" in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, where there the advanced practitioners body literally dissolves into light, leaving only head hair and nails behind. Though from a western perspective this maybe hard to believe, it is taken as part of the process for the Yogi, just as our bodies dissolve into their natural elements at death, so the yogi's transforms into light.


Qigong then, is a way to harmonise and transform the body, mind and spirit. It can be used to improve health and develop many healing skills.  It can be also be used as a way to develop the body for martial arts, either by compacting the qi as in iron shirt qigong, or for developing greater internal power. Though the practises for martial arts and health may vary a great deal, they all depend on the natural circulation of qi, without this we could not exist. By using Qigong to balance the forces of the body, mind and spirit within the greater workings of the Cosmos, one can also develop a greater spiritual sense of connection with the Infinite and many latent functions may be awakened.


So whether it is by practising the flowing movements of Tai Chi Chuan or static standing meditation, qi is circulated and all the systems of the body are regulated. To circulate the qi is to avoid stagnation and by doing this one can keep the body soft, supple and free from illness. This was recognised by Confucius in his Spring and Autumn Annals when he stated;

"Flowing water never stagnates, the hinges of an active door never rust. This is due to movement. The same principle applies to essence and energy. If the body does not move, essence does not flow. When essence does not flow, energy stagnates."


Because the Cosmos is continually moving, changing and evolving, we need to move, change and evolve if we are to stay in harmonious relationship with it. The practise of Qigong is a way to achieve this.