Is Qi (Chee) or Human's Energy for Real?

Because Qi (chee) or human body energy is not something that is tangible or measurable many skeptics question it being real. I believe there are a few unexplained instances in life that are proof of Qi.  There are some great studies being done to show our Qi or body’s energy.  Some research using MRI or CT Scans shows that when acupuncture is done the brain changes. 

For example, when someone is in pain and then they have needles inserted, those pain areas in the brain change.  Also, there is research using thermal cameras.  It is very interesting to see thermal pictures of the body such as the sinuses or low back. When something is not in balance they will show abnormal hot or cold areas. The pictures are taken again after acupuncture and the temperature of the area has been regulated.  Science is trying to come up with more tangible or measurable proof of the body’s Qi and they are getting closer all the time.

Chinese medicine explains qi as "energy on the verge of being matter;  It is the body’s life force, it is what moves our blood through our body, it is what regulates our temperature".  When acupuncture or even acupressure is done the needles or pressure on certain areas of the body stimulate the body’s energy to move the qi in a certain way.  One comparison or explanation I've heard is comparing the flow of energy in our body to the electricity flowing through the wires in a building. Acupuncture points are like the switches on the wall that do certain things like turn lights on, off, or dim them.  

Not only do we each have our own qi or life force but everyone's qi is also connected and influenced by each other’s energy. It has been known for thousands of years that when women spend a lot of time together their menstrual cycles get synchronized. This phenomenon is still unexplained by Western medicine and today's technology, and I believe this is one obvious sign that our energy between each other is connected.  Have you ever noticed when you meet someone you just feel their energy and sometimes "align with it or feel repelled by it"? 

I believe we feel qi all the time but in our Western culture we do not explain it as qi, but instead describe it as pain or tingling or numbness or a weird feeling...  

One of the first times I really felt my own qi was when I had ridden my bike in the cold and I got a terrible neck ache the night after my ride, it was awful for 3 days.  Then I went and had an acupuncture treatment and during the treatment, my whole right arm and hand began to ache and feel cold.  When the acupuncturist came in to ask how I was doing during the treatment, I told him how I felt and he said "Good! That stuck qi is moving".  When I got up and my neck was so much better I was blown away by the difference.  I believe as we tune in to our bodies and get connected with how we feel we can notice our own qi regularly.  One easy thing I do when I first wake and am still in bed or when I go to bed at night before going to sleep I close my eyes and just do a scan of my body. I do a quick "check-in" for what I am really feeling both physically and mentally from head to toe.  Then I get up and stretch and visualize breathing good energy into those specific areas that need better qi movement.

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Written by Alexia Bennetts, a founder & acupuncturist.