Gathering Qi, True Qi, and Upright Qi
In my last blog post, I alluded to an explanation of the other types of “qi” we think about in Chinese medicine. Of course, if you’re reading this for the first time, qi is just the Chinese word for “energy” that circulates through our bodies at all times.
We already went over the “Yuan Qi”, or ancestral qi. If you missed that post, you can read about it here. Quick recap: ancestral qi is what we inherit from… (wait for it)... Our ancestors! This week, we’ll go over some of the other forms of qi that give rise to functions in the body you wouldn’t normally think about.
Gu Qi is the next form of energetic power to discuss. Behind the designer name, it's just referring to the food and drink that we consume to nourish our bodies. Surprise, surprise, this creates the foundation for a lot of the other qi in the body. To note though, if you binged a little too much over the holidays, that can cause the gu qi to turn into “gu syndrome” when all bets are off within the body. Imagine full-fledged inflammatory responses creating pain, digestive disorders, insomnia, weight gain/loss, etc. etc. BUT on a happier note, when eating and drinking fluids properly, the qi transforms beautifully in the body and allows all things to function in harmony. A great thing to keep in mind as the holidays come to a close and we set our intentions for the new year!
Zong Qi (Gathering Qi) – this is a really fun way to think about the way that energy is gathered in the body to help things come to fruition. What happens, according to Chinese medicine, is that the Gu qi rises up in the system and mixes with air (from the lungs) to form the Zong Qi. This facilitates things like:
Respiration and a healthy heart beat.
Circulation of the blood in the body. Mostly responsible for getting it all the way out to the extremities. (Think about whether you have cold hands and feet!)
Zong qi is responsible for the strength of the voice, believe it or not.
Zong qi is also affected by the emotional state. Because the lungs are such a prominent factor in the cultivation of this energy, the state of the gathering qi can be affected by sadness and grief.
Zhen Qi ( True Qi) is the culmination of both the Zong qi and the Yuan Qi together. This is where the “refinement” of the energy really takes place. Split into two different categories, the Zhen qi is responsible for a couple things:
The immune system regulation.
Circulation of the blood to ALL of the meridians, or pathways, of the body and their respective internal organs. This is what is activated when we use acupuncture! Fun fact for those of you who have heard me talk about the “Chinese clock:” this nourishing qi is what spends 2 hours a day in a specific meridian, nourishing it, and moving on to the next one. For example, if you’re always waking up at 2 AM, that’s because the “liver qi” is the most active during this time. (That’s our stress organ). Tell us if that happens! We have acupuncture points for that.
Zheng Qi (Upright Qi) is the type of qi that is most like the body’s immune system. Responsible for protecting the body from external pathogens, the Zheng qi is what we want to strengthen during the most susceptible periods of time like the fall and winter. Note, in each acupuncture treatment, I try to boost this form of qi! Especially with all of the bugs going around.
That’s all for now! I hope you enjoyed the explanation of some of these more obscure forms of qi. To learn more, please visit this website that does a more extensive walk through of the different kinds of energy in the body. If you’re interested in learning even more, there are a handful of books that I can recommend.
