Qi (pronounced “chee”) is a Chinese concept that loosely translates to “life force” or “energy”. It is what powers our movements, thoughts, and emotions. Qi is responsible for conception, digestion, circulation, and the immune system. Qi moves through our bodies in channels called meridians, and Chinese medicine uses these meridians in treatment. The goal is to balance the flow of Qi, so that the body can function properly. When Qi flows smoothly, we are healthy and strong.
Qi is everywhere – in our bodies, in the plants and animals around us, in the earth, and in the air. Our Qi interacts with the Qi in our environment all the time, and we are influenced by what surrounds us. The Qi in our bodies comes from three sources: our parents at the time of conception, food, and air.
We cannot change what Qi we inherited from Mom and Dad, so to maintain and improve our health we must look to the other two sources. The quality of what we eat, what we drink, and the air that we breathe (the environment that we live in) has great impact on our health throughout life. If we eat well and have clean air to breathe, we will live longer and healthier.
For more information, a great book that explains Chinese medicine in Western terms is The Web That Has No Weaver by Ted J. Kaptchuk, O.M.D.