by Qinshan Liu

According to the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, anger damages the liver, too much joy and laughter damage the heart, too much thinking and reflection affect the spleen and stomach, too much sadness and weeping affect the lungs, and anxiety damages the kidneys. This theory corresponds to a psychosomatic explanation of the change in organs, and the origin of disease.

When the Qi is in harmony it is designated as Qi He. When the Qi is in disorder, you may be said to be suffering from negative influences, or a bad Qi condition. In earlier times it was called "demonic influences" or "evil Qi" (Xie Qi). A bad Qi condition leads first to feelings of discomfort, then to pain, and in further development, to functional disturbances or organic changes. This is how illnesses arise. Thus the advice: in order to heal the preliminary stage of an illness, you must learn the Qi and its nature, and bring a disturbed Qi condition back into harmony.

Chinese medicine does not purposely speak of the psychosomatic. Chinese medicine, which embraces the unity of body and psyche, is in itself already psycho-somatic medicine. Qi influences the body and mind, and in turn is influenced by them.

In order to make this point clear, compare your body to a radio. The radio produces a sound which you can hear reasonably well. This corresponds to your mind, or psyche. If the radio is functioning properly, then the sound is good.

Of course the radio needs energy, such as batteries, to make it work. This is comparable to Qi. When the radio is working correctly, it uses little energy, and yet produces a good sound. That corresponds to a properly-functioning body with a well-balanced psyche.

When mental or emotional burdens such as sadness, annoyance, stress, or anxiety appear, the Qi harmony is disturbed. This corresponds to a radio that is constantly too loud. Not only does it use more energy so that the batteries are prematurely depleted, but the sound also becomes poorer, and finally the radio stops functioning. In the human body, the Qi is disturbed by different mental burdens, and its flow is hindered. As a result, psychosomatic symptoms such as pain, tension, or ulcers appear in the body.

If your body is burdened by physical overwork, excessive sexual activity, poor nutrition and posture, or even injuries, the Qi is also harmed. Not only do tiredness and physical complaints come to the fore, but so do mental and spiritual impairments such as nervousness, feverish activity, irritability, and other psychic manifestations of illness.

Qi is like water in a basin. If the basin is full, you are healthy. The consumption of energy through physical and mental burdens is like water flowing out of the basin. When the Qi is no longer sufficiently present, health deteriorates, and you become susceptible to illness. In order to remain well, as much water must flow in as flows out. A balanced proportion must always remain. You can replenish the Qi with a healthy diet, physical activities, and Qigong exercises. But you can also lessen the demand on the Qi by keeping physical and mental demands to a minimum.

In my opinion, most chronic illnesses are of a psychosomatic Qigong nature, and can be cured by restoration of the Qi harmony. That is what both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Qigong do. Even very advanced cancer illnesses have been cured by Qigong therapy. No "miracle" needs occur in order to heal such illnesses because the illnesses did not occur by a "miracle."

You need to care for your own health. You cannot burden your body and mind at will in order to "enjoy" life. It is also not the fault of the doctors when a very advanced illness can no longer be cured. You are responsible for your own health. It is not the task of the doctor to say: "Live it up and don't be concerned about your health. If you get sick we'll be there." You do not get ill (in the passive sense) -- you create the conditions that allow illness to arise.