Qi, Ki or simply Life-force

Most of you watched Star Wars, where you heard the term "The Force". "May the force be with you", "The force is strong within the child". "I have a bad feeling about this", "Drawing power from the force", "Control the force", and "Use the force".

As a Reiki practitioner, these expressions from Star Wars feel quite familiar to me. Why? Because I'm a Jedi? Not at all, haha—far from it! But in my practice, I do use "The Force". I channel it and feel its flow. This energy that flows through me is known as Qi (also spelled Chi- Chinese or Ki- Japanese).

When I first heard of Reiki, I didn't know anything about it. With time, I learnt that the term what we today know as Reiki in the West comes from one Japanese person, who lived in Meiji Japan, and was called Mikao Usui. This person found a way to use what he called Reiki to restore the body and mind and ended up founding an institute, which he called "Shin Shin Kaizen Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai", meaning "The Institute of Usui's Reiki System to improve the body and mind." An interesting point to note is that the word "shin" in Japanese encompasses the concepts of body, mind, and spirit altogether. After Reiki grew in popularity in the early 20th century, thousands of people flocked to this Institute, just to learn his system. Among these students were scholars, admirals, and simple mundane people. There were men and women alike, there was no selection as to who should learn to use Reiki for their benefit, or the benefit of others. Yet due to the lack of written records detailing what exactly occurred during those sessions, there are no comprehensive notes on Usui's method—only word of mouth and an inscription on Usui's tombstone that summarises his life and work. So sadly despite the numerous schools today that claim to teach Usui's Reiki, their teachings differ from the original practice. Those, thanks to whom the Usui's Reiki system survived and made it accessible later on had inevitably reshaped his method their way - yet! All the methods work nonetheless. Why? Because of Reiki itself. Because Reiki flows naturally, so it doesn't matter how one chooses to channel it and what technique one applies or creates - it will still work.

Naturally, you would question but who can do that? Surely you need to be born with a gift, like Tarot readers and clairvoyants, mediums…, and interestingly this is what Usui said about it in his interview:

"Every existence has healing power. Plants, trees, animals, fish, insects and especially humans…" then he continues "Anyone can practise it, men, women, young, old, people with knowledge or without it, anyone with common sense can receive the power and heal themselves and others. I have taught more than a thousand people, and not one failed…"

So, anyone who is a little determined to learn self-healing can gain access to Reiki, but it does require effort and practice. This interview can be found all over the internet, yet, the translations might differ. Even the traditional kanji for the word Reiki will differ. Indeed, some contemporary schools choose to use a simplified character for Reiki, which may lose some of the depth and significance of the original symbol. Perhaps the reason for that is that the original character is an old Chinese character, and only a few people these days in Japan can understand its true meaning. After the Second World War, the writing system in Japan changed, so many people who were born after that terrible period wouldn't be able to read most Chinese characters, therefore it would be hard to grasp the origin and true significance of these characters.

It took me a while to trace the original meaning of the character Reiki. Firstly, I used the sources of those who researched it in Japan and even my Reiki teachers, but I intuitively felt that I had to look elsewhere. Eventually, the deeper I got into my research, the more my path led me to Taoism.

Nowadays, when individuals attempt to interpret the traditional characters for Reiki, 靈氣, they often break them down and analyse each part separately, much like assembling Lego pieces. Separately, the three components, starting from above can mean rain, something descending from the sky, then the middle part: mouth, gates, doors, even entering, and the bottom: people, a female shaman. Therefore, when people try to decipher the meaning of the first character by examining its parts, they can only logically infer what it might signify… Since this character is really old, its meaning could have changed or even been forgotten over time. But one thing is pretty clear: most interpretations boil down to something like,

"The power of the Universe" or "Universal Qi." This fits perfectly with what Usui once said:

"I am the Universe and the Universe is me." That is similar to what that blind Jedi master kept saying in the Star Wars film, Rogue One: "I am the force, and the force is strong within me." They're not quite the same, but the core idea is the same.

Yet, before we equate Usui's Healing System with a fantasy series, it's hard to ignore the parallels between the concept of "the Force" as taught by Yoda to Luke in Star Wars, and the idea of Qi throughout the Far East. While it may seem like science fiction to those new to Reiki or energy healing—eliciting smiles or even scepticism—others may find it resonates on a deeper level. It might feel peculiarly familiar, and simply repeating the phrase alone can evoke a sensation, a buzz, or even a sense of power within, the force.

But let's return to Taoism and explore what it has to say about Qi, the Universe, and how everything is interconnected. Now, what is Taoism? Is it a religion? Is it a philosophy? Who practises it? What are the origins… where it comes from?

Taoism originates from ancient China. There isn't a specific date marking its beginning, for those who might be curious about a precise timeline. Moreover, Taoism doesn't have a specific individual recognised as its founder. It's not a belief system either. Taoism is a thousands-of-years-old practice, grounded in observation and experimentation. A natural science conducted by those who were curious in studying and understanding life. They sought knowledge through observation, creating methods to sustain and support human life. They aimed to understand the connections between us, our environment, and the Universe. Later on of course (by that I mean thousands of years later), some but not all of those called themselves Taoists, combined it with Buddhist beliefs or other practices, eventually turning it into something else but if we stick to what it truly was intended to be - we can't go wrong.

Tao means "the Way." But what exactly is it the way of? That's the question. It is the way all things manifest in our existence. It is the way things come to exist in the first place and what keeps them going. It is the endless circle of life, and what moves it. It started with very simple observations, such as the exchange of the seasons, and the exchange of day turning into night. The environmental changes and how they affect our human body. How our body feels during night time contra day time. What mushrooms, berries, herbs, meats, fish, and so on have medicinal properties to us. As our ancestors, didn't have the power of the internet, social media, television, and other distracting means - they had time on their hands, therefore they also had the time to gather everything that was observed and create a system. This system operated by observing the exchange of opposite forces present in every phenomenon, which they called the interplay of yin and yang. They represent two equal but opposite forces of the Universe, similar to positive and negative charges in modern science. This concept was recognised in all aspects and expressions of life, and later on was used as the fundamental base on medical science, astrology (in ancient times astrology included astronomy, and agronomy as well), culinary, burial customs, architecture, sexual health and wellness, gardening, furniture placements and many more…

A simple example, the sunny side was determined as yang, and the covered, the darker, or let's call it shady (because it's covered from the sun) was called yin. These two concepts were then applied to all dual things that exist in nature. Furthermore, Taoists understood that these forces don't exist independently but in harmony, each one directly influencing the other. They believed that these opposing forces are always in motion, a process that is endless. If this movement were to stop for any reason, life on Earth and throughout the entire Universe would cease to be possible.

They realised that every living thing, natural element, or phenomenon has Qi, a force that flows in and out, and links us all together. With more time they developed a system that would help channel this life supporting force through the body to strengthen the body from within. They found a way to draw this Universal flow of life and lead it through their body into their limbs.

They further found a way to trace this life force inside the body, creating a whole network system, called meridians, that run through vital energy points in our body, which they called acupuncture/acupressure points. They believed everything in the body is connected, all our organs are governed according to the natural orderly flow of the Universe. They practised internal alchemy in order to stay healthy and coexist in a harmonious way within themselves, their surroundings, and the universe. They achieved long and healthy lives by simply respecting the natural flow of life, the laws of nature within their bodies and the one surrounding them. Living that way was easy; they ate just as much so that they felt replenished, yet not full, they slept just as much as their body required in those times, and when the natural intelligence (intuition) of their bodies called for it. And last but not least at all, they made love whenever their body called for it, yet without overuse, abuse and believe it or not, but they also created a system, supporting their vitality through lovemaking…, yet that is another interesting and extensive topic for another time....

Now, you might be rightfully thinking, okay but how on earth did those ancient people draw the life force from the Universe through their bodies?

You would never guess… Breathing, moving, eating, touching and visualising.

Most of you have heard about Tai Chi, Kung Fu, and Karate. Martial Arts. Well, these practices are new compared to those which existed before these came into existence. Martial arts evolved with time, strongly influenced by the way life was unfolding, calling the need for defence and attack. Yet before those practices were refined they came from more fundamental skills. Such practices were called Tao-In and Chi Kung. These practices solemnly rely on breathing in and out and combining it with movement, in an orderly flow. And of course here too, they created various different styles, mimicking the movements of their masters - animals. Therefore most movements or stances would be named after a certain animal and their activity and movement.

Let's return to the topic of the Universe and the concept of Qi.

Taoist concept says, that before the creation of the Universe, there was a state of total emptiness (Yin). This was a primordial state, a void. This might sound familiar to those who read Greek mythology, it would go like this: "In the beginning, there was Chaos, a yawning nothingness."

Chaos: the first of the primordial god, a void state preceding the creation of the universe. Out of Chaos emerged the Universe - Kosmos, meaning harmonious arrangement or constitution.

You might think, "Alright, this sounds like a fairytale or a myth. It's something we'd explore in literature, not real science." Fair point. However, let's sit back and see where this takes us. Perhaps we'll gain some valuable insights that our ancestors knew or were onto something. After all, our generation has evolved up to this point for a reason. We have an origin story, and without evolution or our remarkable survival skills, we wouldn't have made it this far. Our ancestors survived and evolved without modern technology, medicine, or means of communication. They built civilisations and left behind a wealth of knowledge about life, some of which we now find in mythologies. What if we've labelled these collections of ancient wisdom as legendary stories or fantastic tales when they were meant to be understood as something entirely different?

So where were we - ah yes, the Void. A state of total emptiness. Taoists gave it a name, Wu Chi "wu" meaning absence, nothingness, negation, and "chi" not to be confused with "qi", meaning highest, ultimate, therefore - Ultimate or highest state of Nothingness. Then, an impulse (Yang) stirred this state and started the process of creation. This impulse manifested in the interplay of yin and yang, which Taoists called Tai Chi, meaning Supreme Ultimate. This constant movement of the opposite forces is responsible for all phenomena found in the Universe, visible and invisible alike. All of it comes down to the interaction of yin and yang. I need to use these terms because I haven't found better translations for the opposing forces. Yin and Yang are very expressive concepts that work well when we're talking about polar opposites.

Qi can be defined as bioelectricity, life force, vitality, or simply energy. Qi is all of these but none of them exclusively. Therefore, when we are speaking about Reiki - Rei ki we can simply translate it as Universal energy - but it simply wouldn't do it justice. So let us dig a little deeper. Taoists say Qi is found everywhere. It is the air we breathe but it's not simply oxygen or any other substance found in the atmosphere. Qi is also in the food we eat, but it's not in its nutrition. Qi is the essence of the food we eat and the air we breathe, therefore taking these nourishments into our body is what supports our life.

Again in Taoism, the basic source of human energy comes from our parents. The yin energy of the mother in the egg and yang energy of the father in the sperm together create the spark that ignites the fire of life. This parental energy is called original Qi. The second source of Qi, believe it or not, is the radiation of the stars in the form of light, and the electromagnetic waves. Most prominent stars, are the Sun, North Star, and the constellation of Big Dipper. The air that we breathe in is charged with cosmic energy, that is found in the fine particles of cosmic dust. This dust consists of the residue of exploded stars, planets, and asteroids. As it rains a lot, this dust therefore becomes a constant and essential component of our soil. Plants take nourishment from the soil and light, animals take nourishment from plants, and we, humans, take nourishment from eating plants and animals that feed on plants. Here again, we came full circle to Usui's statement: "I am the Universe and the Universe is me"

Now where did Reiki come in here or how did Usui come to realise that he was able to work with this life force? After many days of rigorous starvation he passed out in a forest on a sacred Kurama mountain and once he regained consciousness he experienced an incredible rush of energy, fully invigorated in his own words:

"I accidentally realised that I have received healing power when I felt the air in a mysterious way…"

We can doubt his words or believe him - that's entirely up to you. But it's worth noting that people have been practising Reiki for over a century, and since then, numerous studies (available on PubMed) have shown its positive effects on the body and mind. Although Usui's Reiki method is just over a hundred years old, energy healing has been around ever since human beings placed their hands on their body and experienced relief. And is present in many cultures all across the world if we are willing to dig around a little. Stay tuned for more interesting articles that are on the way.