Can Qi be spiritual and physical

Author : - Dr. Edward Tsang (registered Chinese Herbalist & Acupuncturist )

Wu Zhu Metaphysician

QI (in Chinese character ) is composed of air, rice, heat and vapor.

The form of Qi represents energy, steam, gas, essence, the movement of
blood and fluids, and may be material or immaterial. When Qi exists,
living beings prosper in the universe. Qi manifests in both spiritual and
physical forms. Qi has different types of form during its functional
activities in human bodies, such as, Lung-Qi, Heart-Qi, Spleen-Qi,
Stomach-Qi, Kidney-Qi. During the transformation of these Qi, it
changes to the forms to Wei-Qi, Ying-Qi, Zhen-Qi, Da-Qi, Gu-Qi, Yuan-
Qi, etc. Beinfield & Korngold, Between Heaven and Earth. (1992), p.30
say : Matter is Qi taking shape. Mountains forming, forests growing,
rivers streaming, and creatures proliferating are all manifestations of
Qi

In the theory of Chinese Medicine, when Qi moves, blood moves, so we

feel warmth in our bodies. When Qi is deficient, blood is stagnant, and
we feel cold. When Qi condenses, energy transforms and accumulates
into physical shape.

Qi also houses our spirit and mind. When Qi is in disharmony, we cannot

think, plan or work properly and we lose our direction. Kaptchuk,
Chinese Medicine (2000). p.58 says : Spirit is the translation for the
Chinese word Shen, Spirit is the fundamental texture that is unique to
human life. In the same way that Essence (Jing) distinguishes organic life
from inorganic material, Spirit separates human life from animal life

Maciocia. (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. p.72 says

In particular, five functions are affected by the state of

the Heart :
Mental activity (including emotions)
Consciousness
Memory
Thinking
Sleep

1
Qi is therefore the spirit of human being.

Qi affects our physical body, Liver (wood) stores blood and Qi and
moves blood and supplies blood to the heart (fire). If Qi is deficient,
our Wei-Qi cannot flight against the external pathogens. Illnesses and
diseases will arise. If Qi is imbalanced, Blood cannot nourish our internal
organs.

If Heart-Qi is in good condition, it will govern blood and control blood

vessels, so the heart functions healthily. If Qi is deficient, blood cannot be
kept in the vessels, causing diseases of haemorrhages. Maciocia. (2000).
The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. p. 72. says : If the Heart is
strong and Blood abundant, there will be normal mental activity, a
balanced emotional life, a clear consciousness, a good memory, keen
thinking and good sleep.

Heart-Qi then nourishes the Spleen and Stomach (earth); if

Spleen- Qi is healthy, blood will circulate properly. Spleen controls the
muscles and our limbs and brings Qi upward to Lung (metal); if Stomach-
Qi functions well, it receives and digests food and brings Qi downward
to the small intestine for further separation. However if Spleen-Qi and
Stomach-Qi are deficient, our muscles and four limbs will be cold,
symptoms of diarrhoea arises, food in stomach cannot be digested
causing distention and diseases of belching, hiccup, nausea and vomiting.
Maciocia (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. p. 90 says: If
this function is normal, the digestion will be good, with good appetite,
normal absorption and regular bowel movements.

If Lung-Qi is in harmony, skin and hair will flourish and respiration is

normal, sense of smell is normal and the sound is clear, normal urination

if Lung-Qi moves in good condition and nourishes kidney /bladder

(water), the function of kidney and bladder is in harmony, ear hearing
is good ; hair is flourished and bright and kidney delivers good Qi to
Liver (wood). The circulations of these organs is therefore functioning
properly.

Vice versa, if Liver-Qi is impaired , women experience painful

menstruation, nails are dark, dry, crack , and dull and eyes are visionless.
If Heart-Qi is deficient, hands feel cold, pulse is irregular, poor memory.
Maciocia. (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. p.72 says : if
the Heart is week and blood deficient there may be mental problems

2
(such as depression), poor memory, dull thinking, insomnia or
somnolence and extreme cases, unconsciousness.

If Spleen and Stomach- Qi are deficient, Spleen cannot control blood in

the vessel and blood is haemorrhage, Maciocia. (2000). The Foundations
of Chinese Medicine. p .90 says : If Spleen-Qi is weak, the refined Qi
cannot be transported to the muscles and the person will feel weary, the
muscles will be weak and, in severe cased may atrophy

If Lung- Qi is deficient, we will feel tiredness, weak voice and

breathlessness, limbs and hands feeling cold, causing cough and urinary
retention. Maciocia. (2000).The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. p. 84
says : Weak Lung-Qi can therefore cause tiredness, weak voice and
breathlessness.

If Kidney- Qi is deficient, sexuality is weak, bones will be brittle and

loosen teeth, asthma happens, ears are tinnitus, hair become grey.
Maciocia. (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. p. 96 says: If
Essence is weak, the kidneys and there will be lack of vitality, infertility
or sexual weakness

Qi therefore reflects our spirit and physical body. When Qi is healthy,

lives are abundant; when Qi is weak, lives are lacking of meaningfulness.
If our Spleen-Qi is deficient, Spleen cannot control the transportation and
transformation inside of the organs, there will be poor digestion, appetite,
abdominal distention, loosen stools, blood will be spilled out of the vessel
and we shall not taste properly ; if stomach-Qi is impaired, Stomach
cannot transforms food and drink, Stomach-Qi cannot downward digested
food and fluids to small intestine, in result, we shall experience nausea,
vomiting, hiccups, belching. When Spleen and Stomach- Qi is weak,
Spleen-Qi and Stomach-Qi cannot nourish our lung, liver, kidney and
heart, we shall face a lot of illness in our daily lives.

Maciocia. (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. P. 59 says :

If Qi is flourishing there is health, if it is weak there is disease, if it is
balanced there is quiet, if it moves in the wrong direction there is
disease

Qi houses not only our minds, thoughts, and wills, but also relates to our
organs, spleen and stomach, lung, large intestine, heart, small intestine,
kidney, bladder, liver and gall bladder. In Chinese Medicine, without the

3
functions of Qi, there will be no life in human beings. Therefore Qi is a
part of the human beings spiritual and physical formation.

References :

Harriet Beinfield, L.Ac. & Efrem Korngold, L.Ac., O. M. D.(1991).

Between Heaven and Earth . New York :The Ballantime Publishing
Group.

Ted J. Kaptchuk. (2000). Chinese Medicine. London : The Random

House Group Limited. Edition of the Classic Bestseller.

Giovanni Maciocia. (2000). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine.

Churchill Livingstone. London : Harcourt Publishers Limited.