Nourishing Qi

Many of us have low energy (Qi) so we get tired easily; whereas some have an abundance of energy so we keep on working for a longer time, without getting tired. Even though one may have an abundance of energy (Qi) at a certain point, he must recharge or rebuild the Qi. An abundance of energy means, when, you get up from bed, in the morning, feeling refreshed and ready for the day and there is a spring in your steps. If this does not sound like you and you are exhausted, weak, low immunity and energy, you are likely a Qi-deficient person.

Qi is translated as energy, material force, life force, etc. But none of these terms completely encompass the meaning of Qi. The nature of Qi is ever-changing, shifting from one thing to another, sometimes rapidly, sometimes slowly. In practice, we identify or label Qi according to the job (function) it is doing now. It sounds complicated…let us make it simple.

If you heat the water it turns to steam and if you cool the steam it again turns to water. Here the water which is material, dense turning to steam which is rarefied, immaterial or illusive. Here, we can see the matter turning into energy and back to the matter. We label it as water, steam, or ice depending on its current form.

Similarly, Qi in the body is no different. We label it depending on what it is doing. For example, Wei Qi (Defensive Qi) is one of the finest forms of Qi in our body. It protects our body from the attack of external pathogens (viz. viruses, bacteria, heat, cold, wind, etc.). Conventionally, this is known as immunity. Nutritive Qi is another form of Qi in our body. It nourishes our body parts viz. organs, tissues, cells, etc.

Qi is consumable and it depletes depending upon its usage. It can be replenished also. In order to live a life that is healthy and full of enthusiasm, we should ensure an abundance of Qi in our body, in terms of quality and quantity.

How do we nourish Qi?

Eat regular meals

Ideally, the energy that we use during the day should come from the food that we consume the night before and during the day. It is like fueling up your car. If you do not adequately and regularly nourish, you will become weak and run down. Be cautious if you are caught up in the latest food trends like intermittent fasting. Though some of these diets may have great truth in them and be helpful, irregular eating habits or excessive fasting and skipping meals may lead down the path of depletion of Qi in the long run. Moderation and appropriate meals for your condition and health are ideal.

In the diet, if we are health conscious, we typically assess our food for their calories, fat, carbohydrates, proteins, and other nutritional content. However, there is an additional property that foods are classified is “energy”.

The foods are just like healing herbs that can and should be selected appropriately for your body whether you need to cleanse, tonify, or regulate your system. There are five total “energies” of food: cold, hot, warm, cool, and neutral. Energy, of course, refers not to the actual temperature of the food but the effects they generate in the human body.

Let us take rose petals as an example. Rose petals have cold energy, which means that when we consume Rose petals whether it be a hot tea beverage after the temporary heat fades away, cold energy will begin internally. This is why rose petals are known to have cold energy.

Different energies act upon the human body in different ways and affect our state of health, so it is important to know about the five energies of food and do an appropriate selection.

Seek guidance for more details. As regards what to eat, please refer to the article on Nutrition

Control the stimulant foods

Coffee, caffeine, tea, chocolate, and sugar are examples of foods that give us a temporary, rapid burst of Qi. In a healthy body, a little is okay. Be careful, if you are dependent on these foods for energy. They juice out the depleted systems by draining your adrenals and essence (Jing). Try to avoid this habit.

Rest Appropriately

If you are always on the go, you will deplete your Qi. If the behavior is repetitive after time Qi will not be the only thing in your body that becomes deficient. The other vital substances of the body viz. Blood, Fluids, Essences will follow. So, rest, take time to replenish. How much rest, a person needs depends on their overall health, age, work, and stress level.

Exercise

Exercise is essential for nourishing Qi. Do it based on factors like your age, state of health and physique, work, etc. However, too much of the wrong kind of exercise will destroy the Qi. Regularity and consistency are more important. Again, talk to professionals to find out what is best for you.

Meditate

Meditation improves willpower skills such as attention, focus, stress management, impulse control, and self-awareness. It changes both the function and structure of the brain to support self-control. It balances the Body's Systems. This, in turn, can help to reduce the depletion of Qi.

Shripad Chodankar

June 29, 2020