Qi: gain more control over your life as you breathe
Increase your longevity and boost your energy just by practising this 5-minute trick, anywhere, anytime.
We may not see breathing as a big deal. It feels automatic, but what if I told you that breathing correctly and deliberately managing it can elongate your life and slow down your ageing rate?
It is the spirit of the ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, yet a concept that confuses a lot of people who aren’t familiar with Chinese culture; good ol’ Qi. If you understand it well enough, you will get the key to a well-balanced life and longevity (which was the desire of Chinese ancestors). If not that, at least you can effectively prevent diseases and infections (COVID-19 as well) plus have younger-looking skin.
So, what is Qi?
Qi (pronounced ‘chee’), also known as chi, means the vital life force and energy inside our bodies. It is also a philosophic concept developed by the thinkers during the Warring States period; the force that makes up and binds together everything in the universe. If you look it up in a Chinese dictionary, Qi means air — literally the air we breathe in and out to sustain our lives. Makes pretty much sense for the ‘vital life force’ explanation right?
As Qi runs through the body along meridians, it regulates the movement of blood and the smoothness of it. It makes sure that all of our bodies’ systems are running in their optimal state. The condition of Qi is based on how we treat our bodies — what we eat, what we do, how do we do it etc. Each activity moves our Qi to a more balanced state or towards unbalance. Simply put, if you have done things to achieve a good balance and flow of Qi, you will be in good health.
On the opposite side, if you have done things that made your Qi run out or if it is out of balance, it might cause you to have a tired body type (Qi Deficiency) that needs extra care. Another issue related to Qi is excess Qi (Qi stagnation), which we will talk about in the coming articles. This explains why maintaining a good balance of what we eat, what we do and how we do it is so important for us.
The Science of Qi
Meanwhile, the TCM theory takes a different approach in viewing life. Instead of emphasizing discrete body components, the body is explained as a whole entity with interconnecting parts that work together to sustain life.
Conventional medicine theory places a strong emphasis on the physical components of the body, which it sees as independent parts with entirely different functions. Meanwhile, the TCM theory takes a different approach in viewing life. Instead of emphasizing discrete body components, the body is explained as a whole entity with interconnecting parts that work together to sustain life. Derived from field and clinical research for over 2,000 years, the theory has identified some fundamental substances of life, which Qi, blood and body fluids are among them.
An interesting story is the concept of Qi may have originated from the Chinese ancients’ observation of human life. By looking at the in and out of air while breathing, and the steaming air with sweat during heavy movements, they produced a preliminary understanding of Qi. The ongoing investigation then gradually led to the evolution of the concept that Qi is a fine substance that can flow through the human body.
Nourishing your Qi prevents illnesses & COVID-19
As Qi determines our health, it is the first line of defence of the human body to prevent the invasion of diseases. If your diet and lifestyle lead to a tired body type (Qi Deficiency) without enough energy and immunity to fight viruses, the possibility of being infected will increase. Therefore, keep reading for the top tips below derived from TCM wisdom for you modern people:
Best Things to do to enhance your Qi
- Breathing practice with longer exhalation
- Choose and eat the right foods
- Take enough rest
1. Breathing practice (only takes you 5 minutes each day!)
Being mindful with your breathing is a super effective and fun way to start feeling the flow of life.
Whenever you concentrate, it is easier to observe what’s going on within you. What is the rhythm of your breathing? What is the temperature difference between inhaled and exhaled air? How do your abdomen and nostrils feel? These questions will help if you are a first-timer of this.
After you are more comfortable with this, you can try abdominal breathing (also known as diaphragmatic breathing) with your exhalation longer than the inhalation. Try to make each cycle slow and even. Practising to achieve consistency is proven to boost mental focus, improve chronic conditions and lower body temperature, which is significant for a healthy body.
The methods above can nourish your Qi by giving intermittent rest periods for your body systems to repair themselves, which may also help you to lower the adherence to medicine and reduce stress.
2. Choose and eat the right foods
Choose natural and whole foods, eat regularly and avoid uncooked, deep-fried or fast food. You can pick more foods with a warm property such as chicken, ginger, whole wheat and mushrooms. ‘Warm’ foods are less irritating to the body and provide a mellow yang power to fuel the Qi engine, thus it is especially great for people who catch colds often. Click here to read more about TCM food properties.
More Foods to enhance and replenish your Qi:
Japanese rice, peanuts (avoid roasted ones), beef, grapes, red dates, Chinese yam
3. Take enough rest
If you often stay up late, your body can’t replenish enough Qi, especially since sleep basically accounts for 1/3 of our lives. It is recommended that you sleep for at least 7 hours a day to reserve enough energy for your activities during the day, so you have extra Qi to run the body healing processes at night. If you work in an office, a 15 to 30-minute power nap at lunch break works wonders!
Sign-off ✌️
Now you know that nourishing your Qi is easy, so try putting them into practice while you’re at home, in commute, or even at work! If done right, you’ll see the results shortly by noticing enhanced body energy and a more relaxed state of mind. If you are not sure about what foods to eat or avoid for your body type or during quarantine, contact a professional or email me alfiechungdesign@gmail.com for a modernised TCM Food Therapy chat! See you next time!
