Whether we’re awake or asleep, we don’t have to worry about how to breathe, keep our hearts beating, or how to grow cells and get nutrients into them. They are so important to life that these things happen automatically and unconsciously. There is also life-force energy that animates our physical body and flows through, within, and around it. This energy has various names and is known as Aka to the Egyptians, Prana to the Hindus, and Qi to the Chinese, or what most of us call Life Energy.
It is also known as the "Innate Vital
Substance" that promotes the formation and circulation of blood and
supports the metabolism of body fluid. If there is a deficiency, our growth and
development can be affected or delayed, the organs and meridians (channels in
which the energy flows) cannot function properly and blood formation is
hampered, leading to a series of health problems.
Our kidneys first send
the Innate Vital Substance upwards where it combines with food essence derived
from the spleen. It further mixes with the fresh air from the lungs where it
finally forms the energy of the body. They are the key organs for sustaining life and are responsible
for reproduction, growth, development, and maturation. Kidneys work very
closely with the lungs in water metabolism and respiration. They are connected
with bones, teeth, ears, and scalp hair. When kidneys are imbalanced we have
problems with urinary incontinence, night sweats, dry mouth, poor short-term
memory, low back pain, ear ringing, hearing loss, and other ear conditions. It
is also responsible for premature gray hair, hair loss, and
osteoporosis. Kidney issues often arise when we are dealing
with aloofness, fearfulness, and insecurity.
Our emotions and physical health are intimately connected.
For example, the spleen extracts energy from food and liquids to the
stomach and controls blood, muscles, and the four limbs. The spleen is the
central organ in the production of Vital Energy. It is connected with
muscles, mouth, and lips, and is involved in thinking, studying, and memory.
When our spleen is imbalanced we experience feeling tired, loss of appetite,
increased mucus, poor digestion and abdominal distension, loose stools or
diarrhea, and menstrual bleeding disorders. The spleen becomes imbalanced
because of negative emotions such as worry, which results in dwelling or
focusing too much on a particular matter and excessive mental activity.
The lung's function is respiration.
It forms energy from the air and helps to distribute it throughout the body. Lungs
very closely work with the kidneys to regulate water metabolism. They are very
important in the immune system and are resistant to viruses and bacteria.
The lungs regulate sweat glands and body hair and provide moisture to the skin.
Symptoms, when our lungs are imbalanced, include shortness of breath and
shallow breathing, sweating, fatigue, cough, frequent colds and flu, allergies,
asthma, other lung conditions, and dry skin. Lungs become imbalanced due
to our negative emotions such as grief, sadness, and detachment.
Liver function is involved in the smooth
flow of energy and blood throughout the body. The liver also regulates bile
secretion, stores blood, and is connected with the tendons, nails, and eyes.
Symptoms of liver imbalance are breast distension, menstrual pain, headache,
irritability, inappropriate anger, dizziness, dry, eye conditions, and
tendonitis. The liver becomes imbalanced because of our negative emotions such
as anger, resentment, frustration, irritability, bitterness, and
"flying off the handle".
Heart function regulates the heart and blood
vessels. It influences vitality and spirit. The heart is connected with the
tongue, complexion, and arteries. Symptoms of heart imbalance are
insomnia, heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat, excessive dreaming, poor
long-term memory, and psychological disorders. Our heart becomes imbalanced
because of our negative emotions that cause issues such as a lack
of enthusiasm and vitality, mental restlessness, depression, insomnia, and
despair.
There are five types of Vital Energy: Inborn Energy,
Pectoral Energy, Nutritive Energy, Defensive Energy, and Protective
Energy.
Inborn Energy is
the most original, essential, and vital type found in the human body. It
possesses prenatal and congenital properties and is stored in the kidneys,
where inborn energy originates. It is nourished by food essence derived
from the digestion of the spleen and stomach. After this process is complete,
inborn energy travels to the entire body to exert its effects. Starting
from the portion between the two kidneys, known as the "vital gate",
it moves through the Triple Burner and circulates through the organs, muscles,
skin, and meridians (energetic highways in the human body). providing the
power source for all of life's activities.
Pectoral Energy is
stored in the chest. It is formed by combining fresh air inhaled by the lungs
and food essence derived from the spleen and the stomach. Because Pectoral
Energy is concentrated in the chest, it can penetrate the blood vessels of the
heart and lungs and move outward during expiration and inward during
inspiration. By flowing through the respiratory tract, it supports the
breathing function of the lungs and affects how loud the voice can be. Its
ability to flow through the blood vessels and the heart is essential in
regulating the heartbeat and supporting the circulation of other types of
energy and blood. Pectoral Energy also plays a role in keeping the body warm
and influences the activities of the limbs.
Nutritious Energy is the
hardest working energy in the body, supplying
it with nourishment. It mainly circulates through the blood vessels with the
blood and mainly comes from food essence derived from the spleen and stomach's
transformation and transportation properties. Starting from the Middle Burner
nutritive energy goes to the lungs where it enters the main circulation.
Nutritious Energy has a passive material energy cycle, so it can form into
materials needed by other parts of the body.
Protective Energy guards
us against environmental factors that lead to illness. It functions like the
immune system, which helps prevent the disease from occurring or spreading.
Unlike Nutritious Energy, Protective Energy has an active material energy
cycle because it has more functional characteristics. It comes from
the food essence derived from the spleen and stomach. It moves outside the
blood vessels and circulates in different areas from nutritive energy.
Internally, it is distributed to the diaphragm and scattered around the chest
and abdominal cavities. Externally, it moves between the skin and muscles
providing protection. Protective Energy not only guards against illness and
disease but also regulates the sweat glands and pores and provides nourishment
for the skin, hair, and muscles.
Defensive Energy travels
from the lungs to the surface fasciae. It inhabits the cells of surface skin as
well as beneath the skin, to protect us from outside germs and viruses that
invade our body. The skin, also known as “the third lung”, helps the lungs
eliminate carbon dioxide. This energy fills us with courage, purity, rectitude,
solidity, sharing, generosity, and forgiveness. The negative qualities of this
energy include hypocrisy, grief, sadness, depression, dishonesty, addiction,
confusion, unreliability, irresponsibility, pettiness, stinginess, jealousy,
and resentment.
Because our Vital Energy is involved in all of
the body’s processes it is essential to regulate it and maintain
health. If we breathe well, eat well, sleep well, and have a positive
attitude toward life, our vital energy will be strong and
harmonic. If we don’t do these four things, our energy won’t be able to flow
effectively, and we start to struggle with medical problems. That is why it is
so important to avoid things that are toxic in our lives - environment and food,
negative thoughts, and toxic relationships. Otherwise, any sick energy we
send or receive from our thoughts will create the same sickness in us or the
other person. As we send energy into a person, his or her energy passes to us.
This means that this person’s problems become our problems. There is no such
thing as becoming involved with the other person’s life without becoming
involved with his/her problems or joy.
There are many different theories on how to get rid of unwanted toxic or negative energy. Some people advocate washing their hands with cold, running water. Others love to place their hands on the grass, sand, or dirt and then pray. The Earth can help neutralize negative energy fields. Using trees for cleansing (especially pines) is an excellent way to neutralize sick energy. But, with some negative energy, the grounding or cleansing methods may not be very effective. Below are some other ways to balance your Vital Energy if you think you’re deficient:
- Get enough sleep and take life more slowly.
- Also, try to avoid multitasking and remember to pause when necessary.
- Work on your breath. Use the concentration exercises with the Lung sound: Ssssssss.
- Balance your diet and don’t eat after 6PM. Nutritional therapies for
balancing your Life Energy involve avoiding fried and junk food. Not eating from six o’clock in the evening to eight
o’clock in the morning gives your body 14 hours to regulate many internal
processes. Intermittent fasting normalizes insulin and leptin
sensitivity, allowing your body to empty all the sugar reserves and use
fat to fuel your body.
- Try mind-body practices: meditation with movement and the circular pattern of
breathing. This kind of breathing (inhaling deeply, through the nose, and
exhaling longer, through the mouth), will release more carbon dioxide allowing
more room for oxygen to come in. Practicing it can help you
eliminate stress, and give your body the light motion it needs.
HAC
