Nature of Chi.. Different Kinds

[thelerner]

Coming from a Shin Shin Toitsu Ki-Aikido background, chi was chi, or rather Ki.  My sensei would give long lectures on it, starting with 'The Japanese dictionary has 2 pages of definitions on the word Ki..'  Energy, life force, feeling, health ..  In it's most practical sense we usually worked with Ki as intention and strong Ki being a vibrant expanding force. 

 

Different arts look Chi in different ways.  I found it fascinating that Glenn Morris, an eclectic energy teacher and master in his own right, talked in terms of hot and cold chi.   Hot was easy, cold harder and sought after for it balance.  I believe he inferred woman had an advantage 'running' cold chi.   His goal was getting into the state of Kan & Li. 

 

Other aspects.. some practices want to 'store/fill' chi, others say it's always circulating and the goal is to expand that circulation.   So.. What do you think?  River.. Ocean, puddle?  Hot, Cold, Yin, Yan..

 

In your practice What is Chi and how is it worked with?   

 

 

[Mudfoot]

In my wuxing dynamic movements, the energetic field/movement expands, contracts, moves up, sinks and rest or activates. This, although poorly described, follows classical descriptions of the five elements. 

 

In zhan zhuan, I might pay attention to how the flow in the channels connected to the Organs feels, which all have different sensations. 

 

Or, I might connect to sensations that do not change, and open up to them. That is quite a different experience compared to the ones above. 

 

Yin, yang. Hot, cold. Expanding, contracting. All of them are there. Should you call it Qi or something else?

[KuroShiro]

4 hours ago, Mudfoot said:

 

In zhan zhuan, I might pay attention to how the flow in the channels connected to the Organs feels, which all have different sensations. 

 

 

Can you please elaborate on this?

[Mudfoot]

Damo Mitchells book Heavenly streams go into one version of this. 

 

It is not done the same way in my practice (as I do this in the extended palm stance,  with finger bendings), but it amount to the same thing. 

[taoguy]

The chinese language is heavy on the usage of 'particles' - where they join particles with independent meanings to form new meanings.

 

炁 = 无 + Fire

Above is the old word Taoists used for Qi in Chinese. What this means is "No" + "Fire" - in combination this means "no fire". Nan Huai Jin explained this as 'no desire'.

 

On the other hand, as culture evolved, the word Qi changed into 气. They then added more particles to include within Qi. For example:

 

氣 (Energy) = 气 + 米 (rice) 

 

氢 （Hydrogen） = 气 + 𢀖 (add, etc...)

Also, words began to be pieced together with other words to include them within Qi. For example, oxygen is 'nourishing qi', air is 'space qi', anger is 'rising qi', etc.

 

So yeah, I think the word Qi is a reverse label. It's more of an 'idea' in itself to describe an abstract understanding.

 

In the Chinese culture, Yin and Yang are not absolutes like North and South poles. For example, Yin can be a Yang to something else. For example, Warm is cooler than Hot, but Cold is cooler than Warm. In that case, we still say something is yin and the other is yang, as a form of relative comparison.

 

Things exist in dualities and cycles, so that's how the chinese language describes things.

Edited July 12, 2017 by taoguy

[Small Fur]

On 7/11/2017 at 9:32 PM, thelerner said:

Coming from a Shin Shin Toitsu Ki-Aikido background, chi was chi, or rather Ki.  My sensei would give long lectures on it, starting with 'The Japanese dictionary has 2 pages of definitions on the word Ki..'  Energy, life force, feeling, health ..  In it's most practical sense we usually worked with Ki as intention and strong Ki being a vibrant expanding force. 

 

Different arts look Chi in different ways.  I found it fascinating that Glenn Morris, an eclectic energy teacher and master in his own right, talked in terms of hot and cold chi.   Hot was easy, cold harder and sought after for it balance.  I believe he inferred woman had an advantage 'running' cold chi.   His goal was getting into the state of Kan & Li. 

 

Other aspects.. some practices want to 'store/fill' chi, others say it's always circulating and the goal is to expand that circulation.   So.. What do you think?  River.. Ocean, puddle?  Hot, Cold, Yin, Yan..

 

In your practice What is Chi and how is it worked with?   

 

 

Pure qi is the singular universal force of energy from the undifferentiated taiji that in its fundamental division exhibits two primary states: yin and yang; and that through the essences of physical elements takes on infinite varieties of expression and display.

 

The Yin expression of the One ki is often conceptualized as the feminine principle, cold, formed, dark, still and constricted.

The Yang expression of the One ki is often conceptualized as the masculine principle, hot, ethereal, light, moving and expansive.

 

Being that there are infinite formations of one essential qi, existence is capable of rendering its movement, expressions and states into a variety of forms for utility including storage and circulation in both creating illness and supporting health.

 

In my practice, qi is the experience of all concretely tangible and also aetherically subtle expressions of one fundamental force that has taken on a variety of states across different times, spaces and dimensions. On a personal level, I work with it primarily through internal alchemy practices or nei dan, which are guided by stillness, space and pure intention. When working with students, among other things, I observe their various manifestations of qi and provide them with personally specific tools unique for their self-understanding so that they might come into the unity of balance appropriate to their constitutional experience.

Edited October 22, 2017 by Small Fur

[Stosh]

IMO Chi,  is an 'economic model'  which assists in making decisions regarding how to allot ones intent and resources ( which are finite moment to moment)  to find balance. 

[vonkrankenhaus]

We define Qi as "the relative potentials of YinYang at any given point of any spectrum of matter or energy".

 

Any kind of Qi.

 

We could be talking about: "electric" Qi, "heat" Qi - any kind.

 

 

 

 

-VonKrankenhaus