The term “qi” (pronounced as chi) is quite popular when it comes to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
It is one of the two fundamental concepts of TCM with the other being ‘yin and yang’ that translates to “the harmony of all opposite elements and forces that make up existence.”
The Chinese believe that each one of us has qi. Some may have it more, some may have a deficiency of it.
But the main thing to understand is that you can regulate it. This vital energy is important in improving your physical and mental health. Sounds interesting?
To debunk all your concerns and answer all your queries, we tell you what is qi in Chinese medicine and how can it help your body benefit from it?
What Is Qi In Chinese Medicine?
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Vital energy acts as a guiding factor for someone’s physical and mental processes. It’s present across traditions.
While the Chinese call it “qi,” the Greeks have named it “pneuma” while the Indians call it “prana.”
The Chinese philosophy calls this the body’s innate intelligence. You cannot see it but it’s the body’s internal energy and ability to regulate itself towards good health.
As per Traditional Chinese Medicines, qi needs to be in control of every person. There can be blockages because of qi or even deficiencies. More importantly, too much can cause illnesses.
What Is Qi Deficiency?
A sign of qi deficiency could be a person being healthy and energetic on the surface.
However, people with balanced qi have strong immunity and can fight a virus, or recover faster from an injury.
People also have better endurance, stamina, digestion and immunity.
They are well-rested, have complete sleep and can complete their daily tasks.
In contrast, you can identify a qi deficiency in a person by looking out for digestion problems, loss of appetite, poor immunity and protection against allergies.
They are more likely to catch a cold or have anaemia and depression. People with a qi deficiency can be emotional.
Having Excess Qi
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People who have excess qi will be irritable, stressed or tense. It’s also likely that their qi is stuck when they experience pain.
This is why acupuncture becomes so important to release excess qi.
In acupuncture, the needles help move around the stuck qi and create the right balance to help rebuild your immunity.
Experts suggest that medical problems happen because their qi is likely out of balance.
How Can You Regulate Qi?
You can regulate qi in many ways. For starters, the simplest way to do it is to eat, sleep and breathe well.
When you don’t follow these three fundamental things, you will end up disrupting the qi’s flow.
Not just self-care but managing your qi also depends on the kind of relationships you share.
For instance, a toxic relationship can be a key contributor towards disrupting your qi. Such people essentially drain you of your energy.
These can be partners, friends, siblings, or even colleagues. What you need then are people who are supportive and can help rebuild that lost qi.
At the end of the day, traditional Chinese medicine believes in a healthy exchange of qi.
5 Ways You Can Regulate Qi
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1. Complete sleep
A tired body and mind can’t regulate qi, which causes deficiency.
That’s why getting complete sleep of at least seven to nine hours a day is important to balance this energy in your body.
2. Regular exercise
Running, jogging or playing a sport every day is necessary physical activity.
It keeps you sharp and alert, and your bodily functions active. It also regulates qi effectively to all parts of the body.
If gym exercises aren’t your thing, you can adapt to something that’s more creative and fulfilling but meets the same purpose. You can join tai chi or qi gong form of martial arts that are known to balance your qi.
The martial art exercises are designed to help with breathing, knee and back pain, relaxation and balance, keeping the concept of qi in mind.
3. Breathing exercises
While physical exercise is necessary, qi is about holistic wellbeing.
And for that, you need to practice mental wellbeing as well. Practice breathing exercises to ensure you keep your mind calm. Take deep breaths regularly to calm yourself down.
This is necessary when it comes to battling anxiety or high decimal situations where it’s easier to mentally shut off out of fear. This contributes to qi deficiency and will only aggravate the imbalance.
You can practice diaphragmatic breathing or abdominal breathing to improve your qi. Here’s how you can do it:
- Take slow and deep breaths through your nose
- Think of your belly expanding with each breath
- Relax your abdominal muscles as your stomach feels full
- Exhale air through your mouth
- Repeat again
4. Try acupuncture
Acupuncture is fundamentally designed around regulating your vital energy and balance the body overall.
The needles help release the stuck or deficient qi that can cause back pain, migraine, osteoarthritis, and more.
A 2013 study also says that can help improve your sex drive and there’s a high possibility that you will see an increase in your libido after a few sessions of acupuncture.
5. Have a balanced diet
One of the basic things you can do to regulate your key is to follow a balanced diet.
This includes having the right kind of foods that provide nutrition, maintaining digestive health, and eating food on time.
TCM believes most of the body’s qi comes from food, so the right nutrition is essential to improve your qi.
You should also make it a point to have warm food, especially by steaming, grilling or roasting, rather than having something cold, raw or fried.
Do remember that managing your qi is about feeling better and balanced in every way. It helps set a discipline and lets you achieve the most optimum results in your personal and professional capacity.
Your mental health also plays an important role in how you manage your qi. Pay attention to any warning signs that tell you if things are not okay, including high-stress levels, fatigue, loss of sleep, and more.
More importantly, regulating your qi does not replace problems or health issues completely.
So, if your body is showing signs of trouble or symptoms that need attention, please make sure to visit a doctor and discuss your problems with them.
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