If I had to explain what Qi is with one sentence, I would say that Qi is the energy which you can not see. To start out with, Qi is pronounced “chee”, and was originally a Chinese philosophic concept to make sense of invisible energy forces. It developed into that the meaning of Qi has a name for ‘life energy/force’. Life is a big word, therefore there is many different Qi energies doing their work in our world. For example, if we take a look at our body we have the kidney Qi, digestion Qi, heart & lung Qi, blodflow Qi and so on. For the bodies different Qi it seems like we follow the energy from the healthy food we eat and how it travels around in the body. Shaolin Monks and their temples are known to practice the mentality of Qi’s force & harmonic life.
If we step away from the body, and look at earths energy we will find heaven’s Qi, earth’s Qi & human Qi. Heaven Qi is the most important of the three, consisting of forces exerted by heavenly bodies, such as sunshine, moonlight, gravity and energy from the stars. Weather, climate and natural disasters are governed by Heaven Qi. Everything here is about balance. Every energy field strives to stay in harmony with each other. When Heaven Qi loses its balance, it will rebalance itself, through wind, rain and even tornadoes and hurricanes. Earth Qi is controlled by Heaven Qi. Too much rain forces a river to flood or change its path, but without rain, vegetation will die.
Qi is the most basic substance constituting the world. Everything in the universe results from the movements and changes of Qi. For us living-beings Qi is thought of as the vital life force that flows through the body and is the active principle forming part of any living thing. We depend on nature for production and growth. Everything in the world comes from the interaction of Heaven Qi and Earth Qi – we must breathe to absorb Heaven Qi and eat to absorb Earth Qi. You could say that it expressed the concept related to breathe, food and vitality. It is the most fundamental substance in the construction of the human body and in the maintenance of its life activities. Illness is Qi not flowing correctly in the body. In the human body, Qi flows through meridians, or energy pathways. It has been known to have a healing effect for at least for 1,500 years.
‘Qi exists throughout the universe. When it assembles, it appears as a human life. When it disassembles, the human will dies. Therefore, do not worry about life and death. Live naturally and freely as you are’. To promote healthier Qi, you should look at it as a moral energy, thriving to find human excellence. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that the human body is a microcosm of the Universal macrocosm. Therefore, humans must follow the laws of the Universe to achieve harmony and total health. Traditional Chinese Medicine is an ancient medical system that takes a deep understanding of the laws and patterns of nature and applies them to the human body. With Qi “harmony” is the ultimate goal. These major treatment to come in healthy balance & harmony would use practices of Qigong (movement meditation), herbal therapy, acupuncture, foods for healing and Chinese psychology.
https://ymaa.com/articles/basic-concepts-qi-and-qigong
https://www.amcollege.edu/blog/qi-in-traditional-chinese-medicine
http://qi-encyclopedia.com/?article=The%20History%20and%20Concept%20of%20Qi