Glossary
Qi
life-force or vital energy
there is no perfect translation in English…Qi is the force that binds and enlivens all things, nothing and everything at the same time
there is liver qi, inherited(genetics) qi, nutritional qi, kidney qi and on…
meridians
pathways that Qi flows through, they are not palpable masses, but energetic in nature
each connects to an organ and together they form a road map of the body, weaving all atoms, cells, tendons, bones, organs and skin together in dynamic relationship
homeostasis
the tendency toward relative stability between interdependent elements, in nature and in physiological processes
Yin-Yang
a Taoist philosophy that recognizes the duality of all things in Nature, it is first mentioned in the I Ching (over 3000 years ago)
the Tai Qi symbol represents seemingly opposite forces in continuous complimentary, interconnected, and interdependent relationship always transmutable from one to the other
hot/cold, female/male, sun/moon, winter/summer, up/down, sad/happy, hungry/full and on we go…
moxabustion
heat therapy used whereby artemisia mugwart, in its dried form, is burned on or near points in order to stimulate the movement of qi and the effectiveness of acupuncture points
there are many different moxa techniques and tools
qi gong and tai chi
Ancient Chinese movement practices designed to balance qi and maximize health. qi gong is known to be more internal while tai qi is a marital art of many styles/lineages and forms
there are distinct differences between the two forms
acupuncture points
anatomically defined points along meridians that access energy in the body, acupuncture or moxabustion is applied at these points
varying in size and depth, points on the feet can treat the head and vice versa, one end can treat the other because points are connected by meridians
points have been reliably identified by electrodermal measurement in the biomedical world