There are two special words mentioned in ancient texts from different parts of the world – ‘Qi’ and ‘Prana’. Both of these are not only words but profound concepts that are connected to life and ultimately to our health. Qi and Prana are synonyms for life giving energy.
Ancient texts describe Prana as a life giving energy that pulses through the body along a multi dimensional network of subtle body channels. The channels of the subtle body, also called nadis, connect form and mind and act as a conduit for pranic energy. Adequate quantity and quality of pranic energy is necessary for optimal health.
Qi is described as universal energy and embraces all manifestations of energy, from the most material aspects of energy to the most immaterial aspects. Life is a gathering of Qi in a definite format. The concept of Qi matches the concept of energy of modern science. Qi is stated to be in a state of continuous flux, transforming endlessly from one aspect of Qi into another. It is neither created nor is it ever destroyed; it simply changes in its manifestation. It is Qi that is responsible for our life and its form and functions.
Our universe is essentially a manifestation of energy. Energy is the primal substance from which our visible cosmos is created. This means that everything, including humans, is simply energy stored in ‘physical-mass’ form. Both, Prana and Qi, are the life-energies which are the foundation of our existence. It connects us to the concept of a unique and intelligent ‘living energy’ as our core substance.
It is important to understand living energy. Our physical body is the manifestation of an energy field made of dynamic vibration. In an individual body, these vibrations create subtle, imperceptible forces described as a vital force or life force. It is this life force that flows through the body and is the basis of our daily life functions and experiences. Every human has an individual energy field. All of the human body and its psychological processes — thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and attitudes — are composed of energy derived from the human energy field.
When we perceive ourselves as energy beings, all our efforts are directed towards nurturing this energy and enhancing the individual energy potential. It is from this energy potential that we take our form & function. Our Energy potential is transformed into physical form and is influenced by our experiences, conditioning, expectations, thoughts, and beliefs. The body stores patterns of physical tension, stress and trauma. Additionally, the tissues store unresolved emotions, thoughts, beliefs, consciousness, fears and phobias. Thus toxic vibrational patterns are created. These have a bearing on our health and wellbeing.
Illness is created by such long-standing stress patterns throughout the body caused by our various experiences of stress, traumatic emotions and wrong conditioning. When physicians target the physical symptoms and not the underlying energy imbalances, The illness does not respond to such prevailing treatments. The true aim must be to balance these excess, deficient, or stagnant subtle energy fields to improve energy flow and promote health.
It is only when we accept and believe in our ‘energy’ based existence, that our concepts of health, illness and cure will radically change. To heal energy, we need energy! Our physical being is essentially nourished by three core energies – the energy of Food, the energy of air and the energy of thought. When these three are adequately available , together they constitute the ‘Energy of Health’.
Every health enthusiast must go beyond the materialistic nutrition in Food, Air and Thought and develop awareness of the subtle energies therein. This will open the doors of higher energetic existence and correspondingly higher levels of consciousness and potentials.