About Qi

Qi is the Eastern word for energy – life force, the stuff of life itself. It is frequently translated as "energy flow," and is what makes everything move and grow and happen. Without Qi, or energy, human beings are not alive. They can’t do anything at all. Qi is in a way indescribable – you can’t see it – but you can see the results of it… see how it makes things happen.

It’s like electricity. You can’t see it, but if you didn’t turn on the lights, if you didn’t let the electricity flow, the lights wouldn’t light up. If you didn't switch on the toaster and let it glow, it wouldn't make toast... If you didn’t switch in the kettle and let it heat up, you don’t get hot water. If the electrical system is damaged, the machine can’t function properly, or even at all. So, likewise, if the Qi in a human being is blocked, say their heart Qi is blocked and they have a weak heart, they can’t function well at all, and their circulation system will be affected and they can have low blood pressure and a huge amount of other problems.

So, if someone has no Qi at all, they are dead, they can’t move, or be hot, or make anything with their hands and think anything with their brains or laugh, or get old and die… or tell a clever joke… THEY ARE REALLY DEAD!
If someone has Qi, if they are full of energy, they can run and dance, jump and sing and make many things. They can type on a type writer, make mistakes and apologise, fall in love and have sex, make babies and new companies and write poems and books, make lots of money with new ideas for new services and products… and so on. THEY ARE REALLY ALIVE!

In another way QI can be seen as the breath of life… like in the Yogic notion of prana, or Kundalini energy in Indian traditions.