Scientific Explanation of Chi Kung No. 4 - Chi Circulation

Chi is a gaseous substance in general. The martial artists always say: “Have-chi-have-strength.” The translation is: “If you have air inside the body, you will have body strength.” Chi Kung involves breathing, so, we breathe the air into our lungs. Chi can be used as a noun and verb. Therefore, Chi by itself means air; and Chi Kung means the breathing method.

Since Chi is a form of gas, let's investigate how chi circulate inside the human body. In space, we have air flowing which is called chi. By this definition, we can derive more chi definitions for easy explanation.

1. Chi is the air in space.
2. Chi-1 is oxygen.
3. Chi-2 is carbon dioxide.

So, based on these definitions, we can trace the chi flow inside the human body. When we breathe, we inhale chi into the lungs. Then, the heart pumps blood into the lungs to pick up chi-1 and the oxygenated blood return to the heart. Chi-1 leaves the heart by circulating through the arteries for delivering oxygen to each body cell. At the same time, the blood pick up Chi-2 from the cells as deoxygenated blood and return to the heart through the veins. Finally, the carbon dioxide reached the lungs for exhalation.

Summarization for chi flow:
1. The air went inside the lungs.
2. The oxygen circulated by the blood through the arteries to the body cells.
3. The carbon dioxide circulated by the blood through the veins and delivered to the lungs.
4. Finally, the carbon dioxide exhaled by the lungs.

Many people treated chi as a form of energy but actually it is chi-1(oxygen) that helps to generate the energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate(ATP). The ancients knew chi(air) existed by cultivating it will produce human strength. However, they did not know it was really chi-1 in the air that is causing the energetic effect.