Traditional Chinese medicine can trace its roots to Shanianism. The Internal Canon of the Yellow Emperor, which is more than 2000 years old, is the oldest written evidence of Chinese medicine. He takes material from many sources and combines them into one work, which sets out the principles of traditional Chinese medical practice. This book also discusses the relationship between people and their environment. People are not the only ones with qi. It is part of the natural world.
Part of what is stated in this book is information about chi. Qi is usually defined in the Western world as energy, but it is more correctly translated as life energy or life force. In traditional Chinese medicine, qi is a force that pumps blood and directs it where it is going. Because of this, Qi is known as the commander of the blood, and the blood is known as the mother of qi, because she carries qi. It is impossible to separate qi and blood. They are intertwined. They influence each other, and they can transfer properties back and forth from one to another. Qi passes through the body using channels or natural patterns. In traditional Chinese medicine, a disease happens when these channels are blocked, and qi cannot circulate or put in the wrong places and becomes unbalanced. To return the body to health, it is important to return the qi back. This can be done with herbal medicines or manipulating qi.
Traditional Chinese medicine recognizes and classifies several different types of qi. There are five “cardinal functions” characterizing qi. It is actuation, warming, protection, containment and transformation. Each of these functions performs a separate thing in the body and with qi.
In traditional Chinese medicine, qi is created partly by breathing and partly from food and beverages. Qi is also what comes to every child from their parents and is exhausted throughout their lives. Eating, drinking and breathing can help replace chi, because it is depleted, at least to some extent. There are several signs of a lack of qi in the human body. These include pale complexion, exhaustion or lack of spirit and shortness of breath. A person with no qi will also have a pale, enlarged tongue and start sweating spontaneously. A traditional Chinese practitioner is probably prescribing something that will help this person regain qi. This may include herbal medicines, specific products, and perhaps something like qigong or acupressure to make sure that there is no blocking of qi.
Qi is a big part of traditional Chinese medicine. The ability to manipulate body in such a way that there is the right amount of it in the right balances flowing through the meridians is the key to healing a person with traditional medicines.
