Medicine Health

Chi surrounds us everywhere we look and it affects all aspects of our health. It is the foundation for acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. It is what gives power to internal martial arts. It is the basis of feng shui. It is the energy of the universe yet it is completely invisible to us.

Once you learn about chi and how it affects your life you can begin to work in harmony with it. Vitality, health and happiness become possible. First, there are a few fundamentals to understand about the concept.

Chi is Real
Chi is not some theoretical concept. It is very real. Consider a fresh corpse. Apart from chi, it's practically identical to you! It requires no belief or faith to see that something truly fundamental is missing from the corpse. It contains all of necessary ingredients for life, except for energy/function. Or in other words, it lacks the chi it needs for life.

Our Food Contains Chi
We require we require food to live because it contains chi. We won't last long without this nourishment. In Chinese Medicine this type of chi is called "gu chi". You can translate this term as "cereal energy". It goes into our stomach and gets processed into the kind of chi on which our bodies run.

We can't just eat any old thing and expect to create the same quality of chi. Why does organic food taste better than conventional food? Have you ever noticed an energetic buzz after eating raw sushi? Notice how awful you feel an hour or two after eating fast food? Hey, you are what you eat! Eating a variety of quality, fresh, whole foods is key to creating vibrant chi, and therefore vibrant health.

The Air Contains Chi
We can go days without food, but how long can you hold your breath? Obviously there's another kind of chi that is missing from our food It is a kind of chi that we require a constant, steady supply of.

This kind of chi comes from the air. In Chinese the name for it is "da chi" or "heavenly chi". That is to say, chi from the air above. As with food, the quality of our breathing can vary greatly! The trick is learning how to breathe better.

For vibrant health, take up an activity that has you focus on breathing and creating quality breath. Tai chi is an excellent choice, as is yoga (especially pranayama practice), chi gong (qigong), and other any tradition of breathwork. A few minutes a day of quality breathing can have a huge effect on your life and vitality.

Nourish Your Chi Through Lifestyle
The changes talked about in this article, quality diet and quality breathing, require some modification to your lifestyle. While I am not suggesting you become a monk, people are often resistant to change.

With that said allow me to offer a perspective that may help you stay motivated. Think about what would be possible in your life with more energy, better sleep, less pain, and fewer days sick. Close your eyes and just spend thirty or sixty seconds really creating a vivid picture in your mind of what that would look and feel like. If your resolve to keep up your healthy lifestyle should ever falter, go back and recreate this image to stay grounded on why you bother to create vibrant health.