What Is Chi?
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org,
please feel free to visit the school website)
To understand what the Taoist healing arts are and how they are transformative, it is imperative to first look at the concept and reality of chi. The Chinese have documented their studies of chi since around 3,000 B.C. when the I-Ching, a book about the patterns of the universe, was beginning to be formed. Five thousand years later in modern day China, chi is still being studied and plays a major role in people's understanding of the universe, from the formation of galaxies to the functioning of cells within the body. The depth of understanding that the Chinese have come to realize about chi has fascinated other cultures all over the world. Through their discoveries and explanations of their findings a beautiful gift has been given to the world to help people re-envision the world.
In Chinese the character for chi simply means air or breath. The deeper meaning, however, is the activating force of the universe. Chi has its origin in what is known to Taoists as Wu Chi, which is roughly translated as `The Great Void’ Wu Chi consists of chi which is unmoving and unchanging. From Wu Chi the cosmos was birthed. When this happened chi divided and started moving. Chi is the source of all movement within the universe. It is also the energy inherent within all things and its animating principle. Everything in the universe has become in a constant state of change and fluctuation. This is due to chi and its many possibilities for transformation. Chi is said to condense and disperse in alternating cycles of negative and positive energy, also known as yin and yang, which then materializes in different ways and forms. It can neither be created anew nor destroyed. Instead, the inherent chi transforms itself and reappears in new forms. Everything that people see and experience is therefore a temporary manifestation of chi.
Taoists described three main types of chi within the universe, which are heaven chi (heaven refers to the sky or universe), earth chi, and human chi. Heaven chi helped create the stars and planets, and the combination of heaven chi and earth chi helped create human chi. The human body is greatly influenced by heaven chi and earth chi, and for humans to live in harmony with the Tao (natural Way of the universe) they must work with these flows and understand their dynamics.
Once the human body is formed it then goes through many changes as chi moves within it and transforms. Mantak Chia, a modern Taoist teacher who brought Taoist healing practices to the West, describes the major types of chi within the body in his book Awaken Healing Light Of The Tao (1993). First there is the chi people receive from their parents, called prenatal chi. Also within the growing human body is meridian chi and pulsation chi, which are the energy channels chi and biorhythm chi respectively. Then the body begins to absorb breath and food chi. Present throughout this whole process are also the energies that enter the body from outside the body, which are earth chi, heaven chi, spirit chi, and Wu Chi.
Chi is therefore within us and around us. It is the life principle and activating force, which can be cultivated by the right methods. Taoists have formulated intricate practices that are designed to enhance chi and bring transformation to the body, mind, and spirit.