What Is Chi?

It is notoriously difficult to explain what chi is. The idea of a universal life force, an ineluctable energy that bathes the universe and flows through all living things, is alien to Western science.

Chi is literally indefinable in English. All one can say is that chi seems to be akin to the well-understood force of electricity in that it flows, it is invisible, and it is present in the body.

Chi is the central idea of Chinese medicine—and of the Eastern understanding of the world. It is seen as the vital, animating force that gives life to all things and upon which our mental, physical, and spiritual health depends.

The therapeutic practices of acupuncture are based on directing the flow of chi (or qi, as the word is sometimes transcribed) to wherever it is needed.

In Japan, chi is called ki, and here too it is manipulated as a way of maintaining good health. Practitioners of Indian yoga also know this energy, which they call prana.

Tai chi, like yoga, is a means of gathering and managing life energy. This control is possible because chi, which we draw in with our breath, runs down fixed channels or meridians in the body.

The subtle movements, of the tai chi form are designed to regulate the flow of chi—speeding it here, slowing it there, and removing blockages in its path.

Tai chi also aims to store chi in the body. The main storehouse is the lower tan tien, which is just below the navel.

Tai chi practitioners say that all the movements of the form proceed from this tan tien: they draw on its strength and at the same time they build its power.

Tai chi philosophy states that there are three main centers of energy in the body. These are known as tan tiens, and the most important one lies just below the navel.

As you learn tai chi, you will become increasingly aware of these processes. You will be able to feel the chi flowing and growing within you. This is one of the aims and the pleasures of tai chi practice.

A World of Energy

Tai chi is traditionally done outdoors, where you can garner fresh chi from the clean air. If you go to China, you will see groups of people doing their daily practice in parks.

But you do not have to subscribe to the notion of chi to benefit from taking your exercise outdoors, and, of course, you do not have to do your tai chi outdoors at all if you do not want to.

Nevertheless, there are real benefits to be had from doing your tai chi under an open sky. Practicing outside can strengthen your connection with the natural environment.

As you develop the meditative state of mind that tai chi requires, you will automatically imbibe a deeper understanding of your place in the universe.

Yin and Yang

According to Chinese philosophy, yin and yang are the two forces that generate chi. They are seen as opposites: yin is feminine and yang is masculine. But neither can exist without the other.

And together they represent the perfect harmony that underpins all creation.

The balance between yin and yang is never static. The two forces are in constant flux, as yin first gains supremacy over yang, and then gives way to it. This ebb and flow of energies is a kind of cyclical dance that never ends.

It is a bit like the progression of the seasons: the dark, cold days of fall and winter (yin) lead inevitably into the spring and summer (yang). One season asserts itself as the previous one wanes—it is all part of the same universal process.

This natural see-saw effect is present in every life and in each person’s body. Anequilibrium between yin and yang is essential to happiness and good health.

Problems arise if one force dominates for too long. So, for example, if we continue to be busy (activity is seen as yang) when really we need to pause (rest is yin), then we are likely to become overtired and stressed. Illness will eventually be the result.

Tai chi aims to create a balance between yin and yang in the body, thus generating a healthy flow of chi. The practice can be seen as a physical manifestation of the interplay between the two forces.

For example, your weight is constantly shifting so that one leg becomes heavy (yin) and the other becomes light (yang); your posture is constantly changing from being expansive (yang) to more protective (yin).

Tai chi can be seen as a way of embracing the natural to-and-fro of yin and yang, and letting a sense of equilibrium permeate the body and mind.