Shen, Chi, and Jing are the basic building blocks of both the energy body and the physical body. The original understanding of these subtle energy concepts came from Taoist meditation and chi-kung practices and slowly evolved into a medical practice.

Shen is the Yang force associated with the sky, or heaven and the Supreme Unknown. In the body it is associated with higher reasoning, spirituality, the power of the mind and the autonomic nervous system.

Chi communicates between Shen and Jing and leaves a record. Chi is the fundamental substance constituting the universe and all phenomena are produced by changes and movement of chi.  Essential substances, such as yuanchi, are the foundation of functional activities.

Jing is the Yin essence associated with the earth and the body essence. The Jing is the raw energy from which the higher, subtler energies are refined. We live in the yin of the earth, the gravity of the planet. There is a tendency for energy to stagnate on this plane. Jing is the congenital essence inherited from the parents and found in the kidneys. The kidneys are the first organ formed in a fetus and are the root of the energy body. This is also called prenatal or congenital chi.

            Yuan chi, original chi, is the chi of the void from which yin and yang sprang. It is the glue that holds yin and yang in balance. You have force, counter force, and a third force that becomes evident when you balance the first two. This is the Yuan Chi and the Chinese study of Tao was a study of this "mysterious force." They sought the balance point, the empty spot, where the extremes were balanced and then sought to flow with it in meditation. They believed that life was a series of experiences, which streamed from their own consciousness and thus they accepted full responsibility for these experiences and learned to heal themselves from the inside. This was the beginning of Chinese medicine, done as a solo neigong practice.

            Everytime you go to bed early, and sleep enough, your body converts the extra nutrition taken in the day before into yuanchi. Conversely, when you don't eat adequate nutrition and you stay up late you are "robbing the bank" of the energy needed to heal your body on a daily basis. This leads to bad health problems down the road and it also makes the patient very stiff, tense, and anxiety prone.

Here are some definitions from TCM-

Yuan Chi-is derived from congenital essence and inherited from the parents.

Post natal or acquired chi- after birth zong chi pectoral chi, ying chi nutrition chi, and wei chi defensive chi are derived from food essence. Yuan chi needs to be supplemented and nourished by the post natal chi obtained from food essence.

Yuan Chi-is derived from congenital essence and inherited from the parents. It stimulates and promotes functional activities of the zang fu organs and the associated tissues of the body, which in turn produce acquired chi.

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