~Guest Post~
by RT from realwomensfitness.com

What is chi exactly?

If you are into reiki you should probably be into chi. Although I do not know much about reiki I have many years experience in Chinese martial arts and have a particular affinity for all things chi kung.

Chi has been explained in many different ways to many different people throughout history but this is no reason for argument. It is simply a technique used by the lineage holders so that each students gets some understanding. If they only had one way of explaining it only one type of person would get it!

Basically, chi is the energy that flows through your body on subtle channels. Each channel is connected to a major or minor organ. For example, your lung channel runs from your chest down your left arm and into your hand. If you have a problem with your chest or lungs a Chinese doctor will probably put acupuncture needles in some pressure points along this channel. The pressure points are places along the channel where chi gathers or does not gather and needles and pressure can manipulate that chi flow.

Uses for chi - health and harm

Chinese medicine is over 3000 years old and is now being widely used in hospitals to treat illnesses where western medicine is still somewhat in the dark. The two systems are an excellent team when used to compliment each other - both having advantages and disadvantages.

If you have a minor health problem chances are your chi flow is blocked on one of these particular channels. A few years ago I had amazing headaches everyday and after my kung fu teacher jabbed me with his fingers on the back of my shoulder and said “there you go” the headaches never came back.

However, these pressure points can also be used to harm or kill a person. Many of the kung fu techniques taught to the senior disciples were strikes aimed at an opponents vital organs which would temporarily cause the chi flow to be harmed. These strikes can induce enormous pain, sickness and even death. Those strikes that can kill a person are known in Chinese as Dim Mak.

All of this shows us that chi has a powerful effect on the body and can be used for both good and bad activities.

Does exercise and diet impact on the strength and health of our chi?

The next thing we need to look at after establishing the power of chi is whether or not what we do to our external body has an impact on this internal energy. This is a very important question to address early on in your reiki or chi kung career as it will determine how fast you make progress. Here is why.

If you have a packet of sleep tablets on your way to work chances are you will be asleep before you get there. If you stay out in the sun too long you might end up with skin cancer. If you are too stressed at work you might get a headache or a stomach ache. If you eat hot chips for lunch and dinner everyday you are going to get fat.

What I am trying to get at is the FACT that what we do to our external body has a profound and very interrelated effect on our internal body. We know this because science and common logic has shown us the effects in our everyday lives.

We also need to realize that science is now providing us with evidence for the relationship between the mind and the physical body. What we think and do with our mind has an effect on the body. So, it works both ways. What we do with our external body impacts on our internal system and visa versa.

How does this relate to chi and reiki?

This relates to reiki and chi kung in a very important way and this is what I meant when I said your understanding of this vital point may speed your progress along the chi development path.

If it was not for the physical body we would not be able to give reiki. If it was not for the mind we would not be able to move the body (or the chi for those advanced readers out there). And if our aim is to help people with our knowledge and practice of reiki then we need to improve every aspect of that art - and that includes what you do in your down time.

Whether it has been said by your teacher or not, your chi will become stronger, more powerful and more easily manipulated if you look after your body. And there are two main ways to look after your body: exercise and diet. What you eat and how fit and healthy you are will have a large impact on how well you can heal with your energy.

And for all those who aren’t convinced I will give one last example:

You direct your reiki healing by using your mind in the same way that you use your mind to memorize a law book for an exam. If you are up until 2 am studying, drinking your 5th coffee after a big meal of take away I can almost guarantee you aren’t going to remember that law book. But if you do it after a healthy meal with a good night sleep and some positive thoughts you will not struggle at all (or as much!). The same goes for reiki. Those people who doubt the relationship between the mind, the body and reiki healing need only look to other activities that are impacted upon by the diet. Why would reiki be any different?

What exercise and diet practices are good for chi?

There are some things you can add to your daily life that will make your chi and reiki healing more powerful within a matter of days. They are simple:

• • practice kung fu, chi kung, tai chi or some other internal energy orientated art;
• • sleep only as much as your body needs, not more, not less;
• • do a form of exercise that makes you sweat your guts out and breathe deeply at least three times a week.
• • eat more fruit - think of it as a whole meal;
• • avoid heavy foods like meat, eggs, etc.
• • breathe deeply all day so that your breath goes down to a point below your navel called your Tan Tien. This is the “heart” of chi production in your body. Breathing is what sends chi through your body so learn to control it.
• • get some sun

What things harm your chi strength?

There are some big points that you should avoid if you want to boost your chi:

• • never smoke, drink or do drugs;
• • try not to have sex too often as it disrupts the energy flow (especially for men);
• • avoid eating foods that are too hot or too cold;
• • get rid of coffee;
• • forget about anger

Conclusion

Helping people is a full time job. If you heal people with reiki it would be excellent if you could start improving your energy and health by adopting some of these suggestions. It has worked for many people in the past.