Ka-CHI-ing, Ka-CHI-ing…

What Does your CHI Bank Account Look Like?

Many of us are familiar with the concept of CHI, or life force energy. I certainly am; after all I have been working with it for more than twenty-five years as an energy healer. But I was surprised to learn recently that there are several different kinds of Chi, and that each provides a different function within the body.

I was attending a Tai Chi class led by Grand Master Dennis Kelly (five time world champion in martial arts), and he was giving his students a brief introduction to Chi as we took a break from the practice of the exercise moves.

According to Master Kelly, most traditional Chinese medical doctors and Chi Kung practitioners describe five different types of Chi—Personal Chi, Prenatal Chi, Nutritional Chi, Pectoral Chi and Chi Defensive Chi. Master Kelly adds a sixth—Universal Chi–because all other forms of Chi are derived from this all-encompassing universal source of life force energy.

Our Personal Chi, in a similar manner, encompasses and is a sum-total of the other four types of bodily Chi, each of which serve a different function within the body.

Our Prenatal Chi is the Chi that is transmitted to us from our parents during conception. It expresses via our genes and determines our overall “constitution” or tendency toward health and vitality. (Hmmm. thanks, Mom and Dad…I think…While I am pretty healthy now, I was a rather sickly child and have never been very “robust” physically.) Little did I know (till now) that I could remediate my less-than-ideal Prenatal Chi quality. Kelly says that the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe all affect the quality of our Prenatal and other forms of Chi. So even if one’s Chi starts out weaker, we can improve its quality and improve our health.

Fortunately, I have improved my health, going from a sickly child to a not-so energetic but pretty healthy young adult, to a “senior” (let’s revise that—early stage senior) who actually has more vitality and energy today than she did thirty years ago (how’s that for anti-aging?!)

My Nutritional Chi has probably been improved by the fact that I have been a supplement-taker since my early adulthood. I recognized the need for some additional help for my rather unhealthy diet (think Paula Dean’s Southern country cookin’). Although I never could and never will be able to get on the “health food” bandwagon, I have steadily over the years tweaked my supplement regime toward better and better options. Currently, I feel I have it at its peak level of efficiency, and it seems to be balancing out my current diet deficiencies pretty well.

Pectoral Chi is related to our breath, as the air we breathe in is automatically transformed into Chi inside the body, to facilitate our respiration and blood circulatory functions. Pectoral Chi is also important to assist in the generation of the electrical energy that runs our cells, our brain function and our heart function. This Chi is also called “prana” or “the breath of life.”

Finally, we have Defensive Chi, which is focused in our skin, providing an outer layer of defense against infection and disease.

So, now when I think of my own Chi and when I am working within the Chi energy fields of my clients, I pause and reflect on the wonders of this amazing force that has so many forms yet one Universal source...and I am thankful that I have many options for keeping my Chi bank account filled. 

Rita Milios. LCSW, The Mind Mentor, is a transformational psychotherapist, author and speaker from Hudson, FL. She can be reached for information regarding workshops or coaching sessions at: ritamilios@gmail.com. Or call Rita at 863-496-7223.