In traditional Chinese medicine, chi or qi was believed to be the life force that runs through each individual.

Chi is an energy current that passes through the inside and outside of the body, and also through physical objects too. When your chi is strong, it courses through you and fills you with life and health. When your chi is weak, it remains still and stagnant within your body making you feel low in energy and unwell.

Chi translates as energy”. In India is it referred to as “prana”,“ ki” in Japan, and is often referred to as life force or universal energy.

It is believed that having a strong chi energy helps to prevent the stresses of life have a negative impact on us, promoting a healthier, happier life.

If our chi is weak, we are more susceptible to negativity which can cause our health and happiness to deteriorate cause dis-ease in the body.

By cultivating chi through practices such as Chi Kung and healthy eating we can restore the mind and body to a healthy, natural state. We are full of vitality and resilience!

How to balance your Chi energy?

There are many practices that can help us cultivate and balance the chi within. Here are the practices that I work with and teach.

1. Infinite Chi Kung

Chi Kung or sometimes spelt as Qigong is a ancient Chinese movement system. Chi translates as energy and Kung as 'work' or 'practice' - so chi kung means 'working with the chi'. There are many, many different styles of chi kung.

Infinite Chi Kung is a system of coordinating slow flowing movement with the breath and posture. It was developed in China thousands of years ago as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It helps to cultivate and promote the flow and chi throughout the body benefiting the physical, mental and emotional bodies. Movements are slow and each movement is typically repeated 6 or 9 times.

2. Infinite Chi Yoga

Infinite Chi Yoga is a blend of Chi Kung and Yogic philosophies, techniques and practices. It strengthens and rejuvinates the body, trains the mind and transforms the personality. The ultimate aim of yoga is to merge with the “One.” The path of yoga is therefore a path of self-mastery. Infinite Chi Yoga has been created to embrace the essence of Yoga in its purest form. It is simple, direct and faithful to Patanjali’s Eight Limb Path.

3. Pranayama - Breath Exercises

Pranayama is the yogic practice of focusing on breath. In Sanskrit, prana means "vital life force", and yama means to gain control.

On a physical level by using pranayama techniques can strengthen our respiratory organs. A regular practice can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, thus calming the mind so that we tend to respont rather than react to situations.

4. Meditation

Meditation can increase the flow of chi by clearing blockages in our energy system.

5. Healthy Eating

Foods that are fresh and unprocessed have more chi and are therefore more beneficial to our overall wellbeing. Also when eating it is a good practice to eat mindfully and avoid eating when angry, upset, driving, or rushing as your sympathetic nervous system (responsible for the fight-or-flight response) is activated. In this state, your digestive tract is not the top priority for your body’s limited stores of energy as it is focused elsewhere.

6. Rest/Self Care

Taking time out for yourself throughout the day with regular gives our energy a rest and change to recuperate. Simple take a few minutes to rest or have nap helps. Also doing relaxing activities such as chi yoga or chi kung help to balance the chi in the body.