Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72093
THE QI PATH WHAT IS QI? Qi is pronounced "chi" in English, and is sometimes spelled chi or ch'i. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the human body has two components: the qi body (inner energy body, or yin body) and the physical body (manifestation body, or yang body). Finding balance between the two is important for prolonged health. "Chinese medicine considers the qi body to be the foundation of the yang body, and the root of health and longevity," says Yang Jwing- Ming, founder of Yang's Martial Arts Association (YMAA) in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, and author of Chinese Qigong Massage (YMAA, 1994). "This means that yin energy is the origin of life, and it makes the growth of yang possible," Yang says. "When yin energy weakens or suddenly increases, the change is manifested in the yang (physical) body. If the imbalance persists, physical damage, or even failure to function, will occur in the body." The Chinese tradition finds that the human body has 12 major channels and eight vessels through which qi circulates. The channels, says Yang, "are like rivers which distribute qi throughout the body and also connect the extremities (fingers and toes) to the internal organs." The eight vessels function like reservoirs and regulate the distribution and circulation of qi. "When there is stagnation in any of these 12 channels or rivers, the qi which flows to the body's extremities and to the internal organs will be abnormal, and illness may develop," Yang says. "You should understand that every channel has its particular qi flow strength, and every channel is different. All of these different levels of qi strength are affected by your mind, the weather, the time of day, the food you have eaten, and even your mood." FROM QI TO QIGONG Yang says that the "fully formed and comprehensive science and theory of qi" from China and Taiwan can provide a model for Westerners seeking orientation in qigong massage, which 90 massage & bodywork may/june 2012