Qi in TCM (A)

1. Concept:

Qi is the most essential substance that makes up the body and maintains life activities; it can be manifested via the functions of Zangfu organs

2. Production:

Congenital qi (Yuan- qi) + food nutrients + fresh air inhaled into the body

                                              Acquired qi (pectoral qi)

                       Qi throughout the body

⑴ Congenital qi: Yuan- qi, genuine qi, is the most essential qi in the body, and the vital foundation of life.

⑵ food nutrients.

⑶ fresh air inhaled into the body, via lung and kidney to metabolism.

3. Relative Zang-fu organs

⑴. Lung: dominating qi.

① The place where air in and out of the body exchanges.

② The production of the pectoral qi: fresh air (inhaled into the body by lung) + food nutrients (by spleen) = pectoral qi (produced in the lung).

⑵  Spleen: the source of qi.

Food ---taken into stomach and spleen---food nutrients + spleen transportation and transformation---transporting food nutrients into lung---dispersing and descending functions of lung-qi---transforming into blood and distributing the whole body.

⑶    Kidney: root of qi

Kidney stores innate essence which can transform congenital qi, so kidney is the root of qi.

4. The moving styles of qi (qi movement ): ascending, descending, coming in and going out.

⑴ Respiring movement: Breathing in fresh air is coming in; breathing out turbid qi is going out.

⑵ The metabolism of body fluid: Clear fluid ascending + turbid fluid descending = the balance of body fluid metabolism.

⑶ The digestion and absorption of food: spleen governs elevating the lucid + stomach governs descent.

5. Disturbance of qi movement:

Stagnation of qi movement; reversed of qi; sinking of qi; qi blockage; qi prostration, etc.

6. The physiological functions of qi.

⑴ Propelling function

① Promoting the development of the body and reproduction.

② Stimulating and maintain the physiological functions of the viscera and other organs, promoting qi, blood and body fluid production. For example, heart-qi promoting blood circulation, spleen-qi promoting digestion and absorption of food and commands blood, etc.

Pathological state: blood, fluid deficiency or stagnation.

⑵ Warming function

① Normal body temperature.

② Ensuring the physiological functions: for example, stomach digesting food.

③ The circulation of blood and body fluid:

Pathological state: asthenia cold syndrome (Yang-qi deficiency), the stagnation of internal cold, unsmooth circulation of qi and blood, etc.

⑶ Protecting function

Resisting the invasion of various pathogenic factors and preventing disease.

① Protects the body against the invasion of pathogenic factors.

② Struggling between healthy and pathogenic qi.

Pathological state: Cold caused by exterior deficiency.

⑷ Fixing function

① Controlling blood, body fluid and sperm, to prevent them from losing.

③ Controlling the location of the viscera.

④  Kidney dominates reception of qi.

Pathological state: losing of blood, body fluid and sperm; diarrhea; proctoptosis, etc.

⑸ Qi-transforming function

Changes caused by the movement of qi, Equaling to metabolism.

① Transforming of essence, qi , blood and body fluid.

② Inter-promotion among essence, qi , blood and body fluid.

③ waste substance and turbid qi are excreted out of the body.

Written by Hu Xiaohua
Medboo TCM training center.