What it means to “Keep Your Chi Up”

What is Chi?

Every spiritual and cultural tradition in the ancient world has had a description of the primordial flow of energy that sustains and permeates all life on Earth and in the cosmos. The ancient Egyptians referred to it as Ka, in Japan it is referred to as Ki, the Greeks referred to it as Pneuma, in the Indian tradition it is called Prana and in the Chinese tradition this force is called Qi or Chi. The cultivation and connection to this internal energy that flows through all living beings is deeply tied to our ability to thrive as an individual, not only physically but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually. If you can think of your body as being a bioelectric battery with a particular charge, then the amount of chi or life force that we have flowing through us on a daily basis can be correlated to the level of charge our battery is at. Today unfortunately, most individual’s body batteries in our society are operating at a critically low level. Worse though, they will utilize a wide variety of stimulants such as caffeine and pharmaceutical drugs in an attempt to compensate for a lack of internal energy that instead can be cultivated through simple daily practices such as tai chi or qi gong. 

Qi Gong vs Tai Chi

While I am a relative novice still to the practices of tai chi and qi gong, I have done some research into the origins of each of these practices and feel it is important to give some context around them both. Hopefully this will provide clarity to those who are brand new to the concept of chi, or life force, and the practices that are available for one to be able to cultivate this most potent force within us. The term “qi gong” that is derived from the Chinese tradition can be translated as “energy/life force cultivation or work.” Tai chi, while it might seem like a different practice, (I was pretty confused myself first starting out trying to differentiate the two of these) is actually a form of qi gong. Tai chi was developed originally as a martial art that embraces the body, mind and spirit. The term “tai chi” is derived from the Chinese term “taijiquan” which can be translated to “supreme/great ultimate fist” and was used to cultivate a form of power that has no boundary. 

There are many different styles of tai chi movements but the common thread that they all share is the utilization of slow, controlled movements throughout the practice. Tai chi is based on the Taoist philosophy of the natural balance between all things, yin and yang, and the ultimate goal of a tai chi practice is to achieve harmony between the inner and outer self. What this means for me is that when we achieve balance between our physical being and our internal being, this allows the unlimited energy that permeates all of reality to flow effortlessly through us. When we are in harmony, there are no blockages stopping this open channel from pouring in and we are filled with boundless life force in every moment. These blockages could be physical in the form of poor posture or muscular imbalances, eating a poor diet that isn’t nourishing for our bodies or even injuries, whether they be present or past. From an internal perspective, the blockages could be trauma that we have previously experienced or belief systems/programs that do not serve us and hold us back from living the most happy and healthy life that is possible for each individual. 

With seemingly endless options of variations for any individuals given practice, qi gong offers something for every single person who is willing and open to step into a new life of connection with the flow of energy inside themselves. Personally, I feel extremely lucky to have fallen in love with the practice that I got started on my journey with. This might not be the case for every individual though, so it is important to not get discouraged when a particular practice you have found doesn’t “feel” right. This is where its important to utilize discernment and trust your intuition to lead you away from what doesn’t best serve you and to what draws you in, lighting you up where the practice flows beautifully into your daily life. 

Keeping your chi(n) up

I now want to discuss my personal philosophy behind the brand (if you will) I have created that is “Keep Your Chi Up.” Since the start of my tai chi practice, the confidence that has been instilled in myself through consistently showing up for 150 days in a row, at the time of writing this article, has truly been life changing. As mentioned in my previous article, prior to starting this practice I had been a serial “fall off the wagoner.” I had always talked about wanting to do so many things with my life and many times started the process of acting on those intentions. Sooner or later though, I would find myself back in the same position of lacking motivation and then looking for something else that could give me enough dopamine to be interested for another week or so. This led to a fundamental mistrust in myself that I wouldn’t be able to actually follow through on anything at all, which led to quite a bit of fear and anxiety that I would never make something of myself and wouldn’t be able to make my dreams a reality. 

Now there is another layer to this where one could argue that we really don’t have to achieve anything at all in order to be fulfilled in this life and that we are enough as we are in this very moment. While I do agree with this sentiment in a lot of ways, we live in a culture where we are required to make money for our survival and at some level we have to be a contributing member of society. I think that the anxiety that was stemming from this constant ebb and flow of finding excitement and passion to feeling lost and without a path forward comes down to some of the most important values in my life, freedom and meaningful work. Having the freedom to create a living for myself and my family through the creation of meaningful work in the world, without the need of relying on some outside entity for compensation has always been the underlying driving force behind this constant search for the answer of what my purpose is in my life and what I have to contribute to the new world our hearts know is possible. 

I say all of this to emphasize the point that, through this disciplined practice of showing up every single day no matter how I am feeling or what I have going on, I am now able to hold my head high (keeping my chin up if you will) and continue down the path that I see in front of me. This, I think, is the cornerstone message that I hope to convey through my content; the practice of simply showing up for yourself each and every day will provide you with the faith, trust and confidence in yourself that will make you an unshakable force in the world. Through the practice of daily presence with ones self and cultivating our own internal energy, we can tap into the boundless energy that is all around us in every moment and we can harness it to create the life of our dreams. 

I have made more strides towards creating my dream life in the last 4 months since the start of my tai chi practice than I had previously made in the prior 4 years of having “woken up” and I do not think it is any coincidence. This is the first time in my life I have really dedicated myself fully to any specific task, and the fruits that I have been able to bear from the practice have changed my life for the better more than I ever could have imagined. Aside from my overall energy levels increasing, leading me to feel inspired and craving to work more, my creative output has exponentially skyrocketed. If you would have told me even 6 months ago that I would have my own website, consistently posting and creating content or recording podcasts, I probably wouldn’t think that I would be capable to doing that. That is the transformation that I have been able to glean just in the very, very early stages of this practice. With such great benefits having already been received from honestly such little time committed to this daily ritual, in comparison to what I know is possible, the drive to continue on and explore even deeper gains more momentum each and every single day that I continue to show up. I hope that one day you are able to share this felt experience as well!