Today sees the start of the Beijing games and the coming together of the world’s greatest athletes. Over the coming weeks we all hope to be thrilled by great performances these sports men and women will produce after all years of training. No doubt much of that training has been guided by the best sport scientists, nutritionists and medical physicians. Regrettably of course, some performances will have been enhanced by the best pharmaceutical products too.
Despite all this science there is a lesson in these games for those of us interested in that concept developed over many years by the Game’s hosts. The Chinese model of Qi.
For me reconciling the obvious anatomical and physiological fact that there is no trace of a susbtance with the properties of Qi or even a meridian system apparent in disection has never been an issue. For me Qi has always stood above the seperate mechanical aspects of the body and includes nerves, hormones, and circulation. To me Qi is a whole body concept and talks about wholeness and communication.
This is what we see in an Olympian. A body acting with such grace and unity to achieve a purpose. A body acting with speed and reacting faster than can be explained if we were to time physiological messages passing from hand to eye to brain. To see a great sporting performance is to see the Chinese model of the bodymind in action.
Few make the olympics but we can all take steps to ensure our own bodymind flows freely. This is how I define my shiatsu. Helping people to develop their own Qi circulation so that they can be achieve their own personal best.
Tony Brown @ August 8, 2008