The Chinese concept of Qi Energy is not easily translated into western thought or language. It has been defined as ‘vital energy’, ‘air, breath or steam energy’, ‘life force’, and ‘living essence’. Qi is all of these and none of them. “It is that which differentiates life from death, inanimate from animate. To live is to have Qi in every part of your body. To die is to be a body without Qi. For health to be maintained, there must be a balance of Qi, neither too much nor too little” (Eisenberg, 1995, p.43). Most people are not aware of Qi energy, either within them or in the external environment, since it is considered the most fundamental element, it operates at the root of our experience (Fenton, 1996). People are also unaware of the existence of Qi because the energy is so perfectly balanced, likened to an isometric exercise where two equal forces opposing each other give the impression of nothing happening (Thurnell-Read, 1995). According to the experience of those who can feel and ‘manipulate’ Qi energy for healing or other purposes, “Qi can be best explained as a type of energy very much like electricity, which flows through the human or animal body” (Yang, 1998, p. 9). When this circulation of electricity-like energy becomes blocked or unbalanced, the individual or animal will become ill and if the flow is not restored, will die (Thurnell-Read, 1995; Yang, 1998). One of the roles Qi plays in the human body involves the communication and the provision of information to cells and between cells, beyond the information supplied through the nerves and the hormonal system (Thurnell-Read, 1995). Qi ‘flows’ through the body via channels or meridians that connect all parts of the body. These meridians have been outlined, described, and manipulated by Chinese health practitioners for thousands of years (Gao, 1997), and are not identified structures known to Western medicine (Eisenberg, 1995). These meridians contain ‘’gates’ or points along their paths where the manipulation of Qi flow within the meridian is especially effective. By manipulating these gates or points, one can control the flow of Qi energy along the meridian by opening a blocked meridian, blocking the flow of Qi, or introducing external Qi into the body. These points, referred to as acupuncture or pressure points, are used by acupuncturists who attempt to balance Qi flow in the body by inserting tiny needles into the meridians, enhancing Qi flow. These same points are also used by Shiatsu specialists, akin to massage therapists in the West, to manipulate Qi energy flow in certain meridians by moving and manipulating the deep tissues and muscles surrounding the meridians. The masters of Shiatsu, it is said, “do not merely sense and redirect the flow of Qi; they transmit it from their own bodies into their patient’s body by way of the appropriate meridian” (Eisenberg, 1995, p. 112). It is important to note that these same acupuncture, or pressure points, can be used to disrupt Qi energy flow along a meridian and cause harm to the body. As a result, traditionally, martial artists attacked these pressure points to defeat their opponents. As a result of these acupuncture meridians, there is no part of the body that does not contain Qi energy. A Blockage or disruption in any of these meridians results in the improper flow of Qi Energy throughout the body, and stagnation of Qi. If balance is not attained, then the normal physiological functioning of the body becomes impaired, allowing ever-present illness and disease (in the form of pathogens) to take hold over the weakened body (truncated abstract)
