Qi - The Practice of a Life Force

by Solihin Thom

Contemporary philosophers give us novel interpretations of old truths to explain the origin of our being in elements we contain within us. We carry matter from the mineral, plant, and animal kingdoms as well as some that is human – but only when we also embody an integral Self do we become a truly human being, ordered and majestic. Prana is our foundation life force -- it is the breath within all breath, sustaining life of the individual and the cosmos. Prana brings life to our heart and body but by itself allows us to be only barely alive -- it is chi that enables us to rise up and be fully animated.

Chi/Qi is the second life force that brings us into being. Its cyclical ebb-and-flow provides an energetic interaction with the body different from prana’s: it brings us into harmony, balance and rhythm. Qi comes from many sources: the air we breathe, the food we eat, the earth we walk on, our ancestral legacy and the heavens.

This epigenesis of qi creates vitality and provides for the dynamic wellbeing of our organs and physiology. It brings us off our sick bed and animates us into a more active life. It sustains us in time, in rhythm and cycles, and places us squarely into a growth-supported state. We appear to be actually capable of manufacturing and co-creating qi – suggesting that we can sustain and enhance our qi with exercises somewhat similar to those in pranayoga.

In Western tradition the Caduceus illustrates a way to cultivate qi as a life force within us. It relates to Eastern tradition by its three elements: the staff, the snake, and the wings -- think of them as essential bridges towards health, an inner life, and transcendence. In Chinese thought the straight-line staff could designate our mai, the channels through which qi flows -- also the hardware and interconnectedness of all our systems. This is our jing - our essence or primal energy - and is closely associated with both ancestral and heaven’s qi. The wiggly-line snake suggests the flow of Xue qi - the ‘mother of qi’ - and all its components. The dotted-line wings represent our shen – our light or spirit – the intangible, transfiguring essence of heaven.
Health flourishes when we cultivate both the stem [staff] and the branches [snake] and allow light and illumination [wings] into our inner and outer life.

Exercises for Qi

To support the staff (Tao, Way): Ground yourself in your ancestry, loving your parents and forgiving them their faults. Stand tall, tell the truth, stand up for others and be counted on, stay on the straight path and move toward the goal – the interconnectedness of all with the One. Men: allow the archetypal masculine (yang) to be present in form and shape. Women: allow this principle to enter and embrace (yin) and embody it within.

To animate the snake (joie de vivre): Become open and wide, expansive and inclusive, willing to transform just as the snake sheds its skin. Be flexible, find the rhythm, dance, play, move, exercise, articulate your feelings and emotions, express yourself through action. Men: embrace the archetypal feminine (yin) within. Women: own and honor this feminine as Self.

To open the wings (reflectiveness): Be seen and allow yourself to see others. Step aside and see yourself in times of discomfort or disquiet, observe how you react. Be willing to change your actions and the models that guide you. Shed light on the parts of you that are in shadow. Allow Grace or Spirit to circulate through and around you to guide you and light your way home.

Doing these exercises will allow you to start to live the Caduceus -- the staff, snake, and wings will act as bridges by which your prana and qi can move through all parts of you so that you can be supported by all the life forces that constitute a human being.

Solihin Thom DO [UK] DAc is an author, speaker, educator, consultant and international teacher of an ontological approach to health and well being, cranial osteopathy, Chi and TCM, allergies, inner and outer peace, personal sustainability and new approaches to education. He will be presenting a seminar on the ontological approach to the therapy and management of qi in Portland entitled ‘Qi – in a rhythm’, May 11-14. www.adhumanitas.com / solihin@adhumanitas.com