To Qi, Or Not to Qi

The other day I was having a conversation with a potential student regarding the effectiveness of Tai Chi and Qigong to mitigate chronic pain. I explained that the goal of these disciplines is to balance mind, body and Qi, and in this process it can help to ease some causes of chronic pain. This person then asserted that they do not believe in Qi, so this probably would not help them. This brought up a discussion that I have had many times about the nature of Qi and why it seems so difficult for the western mind to grasp. As the noted author Alan Watts wrote in his book The Way Of Zen, a major stumbling block for the western student is that the basic premises of thought and methods of thinking are very different in Chinese culture. As a result, the way we seek to define concepts such as Qi cannot be discerned through the literal model that is central to western thinking.
Rather than regurgitating definitions pulled from any number of authoritative books, translated by authors far more capable than me, let us just agree that all things have energy and that that energy cannot be completely defined or understood, and we will call this energy, Qi. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qi circulated best through a relaxed, aligned and balanced body, and this is exactly the point I wish to make. The conditions necessary for proper Qi flow in the body also create an environment where the body is balanced and therefore directly affects conditions that can cause pain.
When we are born, the instinctive parts of the brain start to stimulate the muscles that we will need for basic function, core muscles, the glutes and the legs as evidence by a baby’s first actions move their heads around and start kicking their feet. As we watch children develop, and observe the order in which they perform locomotive functions, we see that the muscles of the posterior chain are dominant in these foundational stages. This process creates a model for how our posture should be, but the difference between the way toddlers and adults move is vastly different. As we read through the texts describing the best posture for Qi flow, see many similarities to the foundational posture of the child.
As we go about our lives, the variety of our movements slowly decreases and many muscles atrophy leaving only a select few to do the work that the entire body was designed to perform, resulting in pain. Pain often comes from impingement and the reason for that impingement can be that the skeleton is being pulled into an unnatural position by muscles and connective tissues that are overcompensating for the muscles that are no longer capable of offering support. We see these conditions occur when someone suffers an injury to an ankle or a knee and walks with a limp until the injury heals but often, elements of the limp remain. Over time, lack of movement, or more accurately lack of variety of correct movement leads to similar conditions.
The good news is that we can begin to correct the defects in posture, unfortunately, since it did not occur overnight it will take time and patience to adjust. One thing that we want to keep in mind as we search for the true source of our pain is that the locations of the aggravation may not be where the actual cause is. Much like a leaky roof that can present a drip far from where the actual hole is, so it is for the body. When we discuss balance, the source is actually the opposite side from where the issue manifests, for example back pain can be from a weak core or abdominal wall, knee pain can be caused by the opposite ankle. Exercises like Tai Chi and Qigong compel us to examine our movements in extreme detail so that we can truly discern where our bodies are weak, and then we can begin to slowly strengthen them.
As I tell my students, do not let your ego get in the way. You are interested in real data that your body can tell you rather than just accomplishing a goal. There is no such thing as too light of a weight, too slow or strict of a movement, so do not be discouraged if you are asked to perform an exercise with a 1lb dumbbell, an exercise band or even just the weight of a single limb of your body. Your posture is indicative of many issues, pain, breathing difficulties, anxiety, among many other things. As we seek to correct our posture we often see many of these issues correct themselves. Unfortunately, this takes dedicated, disciplined, routine practice, not just a medication that will mask symptoms. The potential for such relief exists for most people but each individual must choose to walk the path. A teacher can show the way, but the cannot carry you to the destination.