The true nature of Qi is often shrouded in mystery, especially in the West. This is primarily the result of the considerable language and cultural barriers separating Western and Eastern thought. The word 'Qi' is used in literally hundreds of different ways in China, but for our purposes here we can simply think of it in two primary ways:
1.) Qi refers to the life energy within any given organism. Put in modern medical terms, it is the bio-electric energy of the blood and nervous system, closely coupled with the breath.
2.) It can refer to having good posture in movements which acts to facilitate the optimal flow of the blood, breath, and nervous systems. In this sense, we stress developing strong posture with proper skeletal alignment in our forms so that our Qi flows smoothly -- leading to better health and more effective technique.
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