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