What is Qi?
Rest & Relaxation Coaching, Reiki Practitioner
What is qi?
Have you heard of qi? If you have received acupuncture or other Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments (e.g. tuina, cupping, or herbs) you may have discussed qi with your practitioner. Or maybe you’ve practiced qigong, or know about the concepts of yin and yang that relate to qi.
If you are familiar with Reiki, you may know that Japanese ki is considered virtually synonymous with Chinese qi. Or you may recognize ki in aikido, or other expressions and words in the Japanese language.
But…what is qi? Ki? And what do these concepts have to do with medicine, healing, and with living the best life possible? Can understanding qi, ki, help us to better flourish in relationships–and even as a society?
MIHS community acupuncture room
Experiencing qi
In 2017, I started graduate school in integrative health and wellbeing coaching. I learned about coaching, as well of range of holistic modalities and systems of medicine, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). I also trained as a Reiki practitioner. During this time, I started working at a local wellness clinic where for the first time I was surrounded by TCM practitioners.
Receiving acupuncture and TCM treatments for years, developing deep friendships with TCM practitioners, and trading Reiki treatments with TCM practitioners has been an extraordinary gift. I’ve learned about the theories of these subtle energy systems, but more importantly, I’ve developed a direct relationship with feeling and experiencing the energy of qi, of ki, firsthand.
I have also learned something important about what makes a skilled TCM practitioner: they not only understand qi, they experience it directly through practice.
Who better to ask than a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, then, about what qi is?
Sophia Catanoso Lac selects needle placements during a community acupuncture treatment
Qi is…well, literally everything
What is qi?
Sophia Catanoso LAc says “‘what is qi? This is probably the toughest question people ask me.” Sophia believes “there really isn't a correct or incorrect way to answer this,” but as she sees it, “qi is everything around us and within us. It is nature, energy, breath...qi is life itself. It's the feeling that tells you that you know you're alive.”
Qi describes both the seen and unseen, the material and the ethereal. Larissa Vados PhD LAc and Said Isayed, co-founders of Minnesota Integrative Health Studio, met while studying Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tian Jin, China. Explaining qi, Larissa says:
Qi can be described as defining the entire energy encompassing the universe and how all matter interacts, the interconnectedness of all life, and also it is used in very specific ways to define the energy we absorb from food (gu qi 谷气), or the energy we get from air we breathe (kong qi 空气), for example. There are many other specific forms of Qi in TCM.
Starting with the character, it is made up of two parts, 气，which can be translated as air or vapor, and 米, which is rice. Together they can be seen as the steam rising off freshly cooked rice. Qi is used in a very intangible, philosophical sense, and also a more specific and practical sense.
Qi is more than “energy” or “life force.” More specifically, qi is function. In TCM qi is a specific bodily “substance” (although not necessarily a physical substance you can see or touch), with specific, defined functions. It is how our organs in our body interact and perform their functions. It is how our blood flows and stays in our veins. It protects our body from external pathogens. It is the process of turning the food we eat and the air we breathe into something our body can use.
the character for qi is made up of two parts: 气 which can be translated as air /vapor, and 米, which is rice
Qi is foundational to Traditional Chinese Medicine
Foundational to all of life, including human physiological function, qi is the underlying unifying principle of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The concept of qi dates back at least 22 centuries in China to the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, which laid the foundation for concepts still informing TCM today. Again, Larissa:
Qi 氣 is a vital component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory. However, in Western culture and language it is not easily understood or defined. It is often defined as a “vital energy” or “life force,” but this sounds like a nebulous, mystical concept and misses so much about the true meaning of Qi in TCM. Qi, however, not only belongs to TCM, but is an inherent and important part of Chinese history, culture, and philosophy.”
TCM practitioners choose treatment based on qi. Needles, stimulation, herbs–all TCM practices are directed to work with and influence the flow of qi. Larissa explains:
When there is dysfunction in Qi, this can manifest in different organs and systems in the body. For example, if there is weak or deficient lung qi, this can manifest as shortness of breath. When there is weak or deficient Wei Qi (which can be broadly related to our immune system), we are more susceptible to colds and flus. TCM works to improve the function of Qi in our bodies, (improve organ and body systems function), and bring about balance or homeostasis.
Qi is energy: physical and ethereal
Although it is essential to Traditional Chinese Medicine, qi is not limited to TCM. After all, qi is everything. Qi simply is–regardless of whether we are consciously aware of it, or even “believe” in it. As Derrick Lundberg CMT says, “qi exists everywhere in nature as the potential energy, or the bond that tethers the ethereal to the physical: think atoms and electrons.”
If qi is where ethereal meets physical, what does this have to do with healing? In a Western worldview where mind, body, and spirit have long been dissociated and fractured from one another, qi invites us to return to wholeness. Qi is the gateway to truly holistic healing.
Derrick is a Myofascial Release Therapy and Visceral and Neural Manipulation practitioner who also has a master’s degree in Acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Derrick works at the intersection of modalities, bringing insights from his rich and varied training and educational backgrounds. Asked his thoughts about qi, Derrick shared:
In the healing of the human, we can see the dissociation of consciousness to the physical form. When we have an experience in our life where we are not able to fully express ourselves, neither in the moment nor in a safe space later, our qi is not able to return to that position in space that was our form at the time. It dissociates waiting for the opportunity to reinhabit the body as consciousness.
As we help people heal from these traumatic experiences, the solidification of the traumas that we carry forward are able to thaw. In a reptile, this freeze response is very short-lived. In a mammal, it will maintain until we can return to the herd. In human beings, we can rationalize the adaptations and changes for decades maintaining a state of rigidity and inadaptability -- simply waiting for an opportunity of safety for our consciousness to return to our solid body; allowing ourselves to return again as the child: soft, supple, open-minded, and curious as a kitten-- without expectation, truly experiencing every moment as the present it truly is.
Derrick Lundberg CMT says it is the power of qi that allows our consciousness to return to our body “as the child: soft, supple, open-minded, and curious as a kitten”
Qi is flow
What about flow? Much has been made in recent years of “flow state.” This concept, describing complete absorption in the present moment, or being “in the zone,” has been the focus of a large body of psychological and performance optimization research. Indeed, flow state can be seen as a “hack” to achieve greater efficiency and outcomes in say, the corporate setting. But it is a profound misunderstanding to limit the concept of flow to the service of capitalism. In a world where so many of us are hungry for connection, flow can bring us home to ourselves and the world around us.
In my work as a coach and Reiki practitioner, I hear in people a common longing to tap into “the flow of life.” Even where the language and life situations vary, the desire is uncannily similar: to reconnect with the sense of our innate interconnectedness. Could this desire be described as a longing to come into awareness of our relationship with qi?
Again, Derrick:
…qi is the flow of all things, the breeze is as it blows from cold to warm. The water as it falls from high to low. Our transformation and growth from birth to death, and when we can learn to trust the flow of the world around us we too can tap into the qi of nature, and detach from expectations truly enjoying the moment in the flow.
This relationship between qi and flow state is supported by research. A 2021 study of qigong practitioners showed “a high level of consistency between the flow experience and the Qi experience.”
Qi is also Ki
Reiki is a form of energy work with origins in Japan. When I was reading a Reiki book at the Studio recently, Said saw the Japanese “ki” character on the cover. His eyes lit up with recognition of the likeness to the Chinese character: “that means qi,” he told me. Indeed, qi was introduced from China to Japan in the seventh century. The “ki” in Reiki is understood to be the Japanese translation of qi. Compounded, rei + ki = Reiki, which is often translated as something akin to “universal life force energy.” (Note: I do not speak Japanese and cannot speak to the linguistic and cultural complexities and nuances of this translation.)
Like qi in TCM, Reiki is entirely oriented around the flow of ki. The difference with Reiki is that it is “non-directive”: the practitioner does not direct the flow of ki, but rather acts as a conduit for the Reiki energy as it is transmitted to the recipient. In Reiki philosophy, the Reiki energy itself is believed to be inherently balancing, going exactly where, how, and as much as is needed in the recipient’s mind-body-spirit. This allows Reiki practice to be both gentle (one cannot receive too much Reiki) and effective (the practitioner has no agenda other than to let the Reiki itself “do the work”).
Betsy Ranum MA, RN, NBC-HWC shares a Reiki session
Qi/Ki is relational
In the Kyoto Journal, W. David Kubiak discusses the role of ki in society. He points out that historically, “the Chinese…traced the workings of [qi] across the narrow divide between complex biological systems, like humans, and the complex social systems — nation-states, corporations, churches, etc. — that they spend their lives in.”
Kubiak says that after entering the Japanese language in the 7th century, the concept of ki assumed an even wider significance than in qi Chinese language, coming to permeate Japanese colloquial speech. In contemporary Japanese, ki is used in hundreds of compound words and expressions. In this view, the concept of ki then invites a cultural association with the way life energy flows not only within humans and our environment but also between and among people: in relationships, in institutions, or the “body-politic.”
Kubiak describes ki not only as our personal energy stores, but as intimately related to how we pay attention to one another. Giving energy to those who do not reciprocate? A legitimate ki drain. Good listeners? “Ki donors.” Being the center of attention, socially or on stage? A mega-dose of ki!
He explains further:
Though constantly generated by healthy body tissue [ki] can be dangerously exhausted by disease, physical exertion, stress, or, most interestingly, its unreciprocated discharge into the social environment….Conversely, its reserves can be enhanced by factors like contact with nature, meditation or sensual arousal, as well as the ki or attention “paid” to you by other individuals…Social relations are occasions of vital trade, and far more is at stake than mere ego massage.
It seems that far from an individual endeavor, our needs for harmonious and thriving “life force energy” are interdependent in nature. Likewise, attending to our own qi/ki vitality is essential to showing up as our best selves in our relationships, communities, and society at large. Derrick says it beautifully:
When we are in tune with our consciousness, we can feel the movement of qi as our internal compass of emotions that gives us guidance as how to create the reality around us that we know is possible, and in resonance with that frequency that goes beyond our body, giving us our unique perspective and paradigm on the world around us. It is from that world around us that we see the opportunity to fill a unique niche in the ecosystem of our community.
Qi/ki can be seen as the way life energy flows not only within humans and our environment but also between and among people
Qi/Ki is culture-shifting
Kubiak describes the subduing of individual ki levels as “an ancient hierarchical concern.” Throughout history, he suggests, maintaining a thriving vital life force is a challenge to institutions and powers-that-be. Through the lens of qi and ki, powerful questions emerge at the intersection of the personal and political. Can we think of disrupting systemic harm and violence in terms of how we pay attention, who we attend to with our ki? Can we play a humble but meaningful role in nurturing the life force energy of the marginalized, of the most vulnerable, by directing our ki? Where we are marginalized and vulnerable ourselves, how can we allow ourselves to receive–to build up the life force we need to survive and thrive?
As 2024 marches on, the social and political landscape offers ever-increasing opportunities for fear and fracturing, within us and among us. Unrelenting violence and demagoguery stoke overwhelm, despair, and nihilism. In these exhausting times, what is the role of attending to qi/ki? Is it possible that resistance, and even profound culture shifting–creating the world we want to live in–can be found in nurturing, fortifying, and harmonizing our vital life force–our qi, our ki?
Resources
Colorado Natural Medicine, Qi Vampires https://www.coloradonaturalmed.com/qi-energy/
Hamano, K. (1987). A study of the word “ki” used in personality trait names. Shinrigaku kenkyū, 58(5), 295–301. https://doi.org/10.4992/jjpsy.58.295
Howard, L. (2006). Where Is the Qi in the Clinic? https://acupuncturetoday.com/article/30315-wheres-the-qi-in-the-clinic
Hung SH, Hwang CY, Chang CY. Is the Qi experience related to the flow experience? Practicing qigong in urban green spaces. PLoS One. 2021 Jan 4;16(1):e0240180.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7781670/
Kubiak, W. D. (2011) Ki: The Vital Life Force https://www.kyotojournal.org/society/ki-the-vital-force/
Lubeck W, Petter, F.A., Rand, W.L. (2001) The Spirit of Reiki
Ohnishi ST, Ohnishi T. Philosophy, psychology, physics and practice of ki. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009 Jun;6(2):175-83. doi: 10.1093/ecam/nen005. Epub 2008 Jan 28. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2686635/
Steine, B. and F. (2005) The Japanese Art of Reiki
Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation About Qi https://www.tcmworld.org/what-is-tcm/about-qi/
University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality and Healing What is Qi (and Other Concepts)? https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/what-qi-and-other-concepts
A note on audacity:
The concept of qi in Traditional Chinese Medicine, history, culture, and cosmology is vast. And that is still an understatement! As a writer, I am not versed in the language, culture, and traditions from which qi originates—nor am I a TCM practitioner. Likewise, although I am a Reiki practitioner and have studied Reiki practice and philosophy in the context of its Japanese origins, Japanese ki represents a worldview that I will remain a most humble student of for the rest of my life. Please accept the above as a humble, inevitably flawed, attempt to scratch the very surface of a topic that people have been attempting to understand for millenia.
