What’s in your (Qi) wallet?

Renee Lehman

(5/2019) In many previous articles it has been discussed how Natural Laws are followed in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The Five Elements, as observed by the ancient Chinese, are felt to be the prime energetic building blocks from which everything in the material world is composed. The Five Elements reflect a deep understanding of natural law, the Universal order underlying all things in our world. It provides a master blueprint that diagrams how nature interacts with the body and how the different dimensions of our being impact each other.

The Five Elements organize all natural phenomena into five patterns: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. So, every living thing and every person are a unique embodiment and combination of these Five Elements. Together, the Five Elements help us to understand the process of dynamic harmony and balance in the whole system of energy. Therefore, when it comes to our health, if all Five Elements are in balance within us, then we are at a state of optimal health/wellness.

Going back to the December 2018 article it was noted that we should follow Natural Law and conserve our energy during the winter? If we don’t follow Natural Law, and we deplete our energetic reserves, then we are more likely to feel worn out and get sick. As Grand Master Nan Lu states, "If you break a human law, you go to jail. If you break a Natural Law, you go to the hospital." So, did you get sick this January through March? Have you been enjoying springtime, but not feeling that your energy level is where you would like?

Your energy, or Qi (pronounced chee), is the Universal life force that gives all things life. Qi runs through everything in nature. It powers and enlivens us and makes each one of us unique.

Your Qi is unique and exclusively your own. Your Qi is distinct from anyone else in the entire Universe. Your individual Qi developed at the time of your creation in the womb and will continue with you throughout your entire life. Each one of us have two types of Qi.

The first kind is Inborn Qi, or what you inherited from your parents. This type of Qi cannot be increased throughout your life. Once it is gone your life has reached its end. Some individuals are born with a huge allocation of Inborn Qi while others were born with a small allocation of Inborn Qi. (Another way of saying this is that some people are born with a large candle and other with a small candle.) Still, even if you do not have much Inherited Qi, you can create a healthy, joyful, and peaceful life. How, you ask? Through the second type of Qi, called Acquired Qi.

Acquired Qi is the Qi that you develop and build upon on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis through the quality of your lifestyle habits (i.e., eating for healing, sleeping, stress management, and practices that help to create a balanced mind-body-spirit) and energetic practices (like Qigong). You can increase your Acquired Qi throughout your entire lifespan!

By building up your Acquired Qi, even if you were born with less Inherited Qi (smaller candle), you will protect that smaller candle. It can potentially stay lit for a very long time! Seems simple, right? It is all about using the Acquired Qi and saving the Inherited Qi. Balanced use of your accounts is required. However, mind-body-spirit symptoms, illnesses, and disease occur when we get out of balance. Here’s a banking example to demonstrate the need for developing a strong amount of Acquired Qi.

Imagine that your Savings Account is your Inherited Qi and your Checking Account is your Acquired Qi. You pay your bills from you the money in your Checking Account. You want to keep money in your Savings Account, right? This is for long term security. How do you maintain a positive balance in your Checking Account? Two different ways. You deposit more money into it and write fewer checks (have fewer bills to pay).

Think about this springtime when you have been really tired (less reserves in your Checking Account) but had a list of chores that needed to be completed. Instead of resting, you pushed through to accomplish the chores on your list. You asked your body to "run on fumes." Since you had no reserves in your Checking Account (Acquired Qi), you went to your Savings Account (Inherited Qi) to accomplish your chores. Remember that your Inherited Qi cannot be increased during your lifetime! When you push yourself to exhaustion, you are using up your savings!

A Chinese doctor once said: "Your life is like a candle – you can be born with a small candle or a tall candle. You have no choice in this. How you protect its flame is now up to you. If you’ve been given a long candle and you burn it carelessly, you will not last as long as a shorter candle that protects its flame. The better you protect your light, the longer it remains lit."

Remember the ways to build your Acquired Qi (your Checking Account Qi). Remove some of your "bills" that you have to pay by engaging in healthy lifestyle practices, such as eating for healing, quality sleep patterns, and stress management. Then make more deposits into your account by participating in Qigong (pronounced chee gung). Qigong means Qi and effort/discipline/practice. It is an energy practice.

Qigong incorporates gentle movements that stretch your body’s ligaments and muscles and help your Qi to move more smoothly throughout your body. When your Qi flows freely and smoothly, you become healthier and more balanced. You reap many benefits, one being larger deposits into your Checking Account.

Consider a Qigong class like Dragon’s Way Qigong®. To learn more about Dragon’s Way Qigong® go to https://www.tcmworld.org/dragonsway-qigong/. To watch a short video of an interview with me, go to https://vimeo.com/323279692. A class will be starting soon in Gettysburg. Contact me at the information below.

What’s in Your Qi Wallet? Contact me about Dragon’s Way Qigong.

Renee Lehman is a licensed acupuncturist and physical therapist with over 30 years of health care experience. Her office is located at 249B York Street in Gettysburg, PA. She can be reached at 717-752-5728.