Spirit Bound: Chi by plainwalk < Submission | Inkbunny, the Furry Art Community

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To Build and To Destroy

An Introductory Look At the Nature Of Chi, the Balance of Its Components, and Its Effects On the Body

Greetings, Readers of the Hidden World and its Allies. I will not bore You with lengthy introductions, as this Introduction will truly be that, an Introduction. I, Lowell O'Conall of the Cork Clan of Spirits, aim to merely provide a brief description of the Eastern Philosophy of Tao, its Components Yin and Yang, how the Taoist Philosophy was adapted by one Li Song -- a Healer and Shao Lin Monk of China -- to his Healing Practice and the changes that resulted in the Understanding of Yin and Yang as it relates to Chi, and the effects of Chi and its Balance on the Body of Mortals.

Part I

Chi: What, Where, How

First, Dear Readers, I must speak of the Body and the concepts of Soul.  We, in the West, speak of Soul as the entirety of the non-physical in Mortals -- primarily the Furs and Mages that share Our Earth.  The Spirit Clans also speak of Soul, but in a different manner, as Soul or Spirit (in a non-racial sense) means something more to the Clans and is far more visible, but Chi does not apply to Spirits, so I will confine Myself to the Fur's understanding herein.

The Soul.  As I said, Mortals see the Soul as everything Within that is Unseen -- if it is not exposed by the Surgeon's scalpel but is believed to Exist, it is Soul.  This is not so!  Chi is also Unseen, but tests done by our Eastern Allies have shown that it is separate from Soul.  Chi is Energy created by the Body Corporeal and Incorporeal (Soul) by various Organs and interactions with both Bodies that are not yet understood.  This Energy resides Within, flowing about the Body much like Blood.  A strong Body and Soul creates great amounts of Chi, which allows Great Feats to be performed.

Do not confuse Chi with Magic, despite the ease with which Many have done so!  Chi is Natural and is common to both the Unmagical Fur and Magical Mage.  Monks, of which most are Fur, have Chi and do Great Feats which defy Natural Explanation but cannot cast Spells and do not show any Magical Inclination.  These Great Feats are most certainly Supernatural, and can include Feats of great Physical Prowess (such as speeds impossible by the greatest runner or brief bursts of strength to rival Giants!) or Feats which mimic the abilities of those of Us who reside in the Hidden World (such as Walking in the Realm of Ghosts or crafting Potions of Healing unmatched by all but the Fey.)

Chi, as I have said, is the mixture of Body and Soul, it flows within Intangible Veins like Blood, and touches all the Great Organs in the Body.  Indeed, the Lines of Chi wrap most intimately around the Great Organs and damage to these Lines can kill the Organ.  The Great Organs also seem to produce Chi, with reduced function of the Organs changing the Balance of the Chi and reducing the amount of Chi.  Now, with this basic understanding of what Chi Is and Is Not, let us move on to the Philosophy of Tao.

Tao

Tao.  It is a Name Unfamiliar to Us in the West.  It is the Name of a Philosophy of the East, but for Us in the West, it is oft confused with Religion, for Philosophy as the Greeks taught Us is different than Philosophy as the Great Teachers of the East taught Them.  Perhaps that is unfair, for Plato and Socrates spoke of Philosophy as not just an Exercise for the Mind, but as a Way of Life and that is what Tao is.

I will not delve deeply into Tao (also called Dao) as I have not the Time or Inclination to do so, and there are Others who would do greater Justice to this Philosophy.  I will speak in very General terms as it Applies to my Topic.

Tao was Discovered, Invented, or First Understood (depending on your view) by Laozi in the Sixth Century B.C. and He wrote his Thoughts in the book Tao Te Ching.  Its Objective is to 'Become One With the Tao' or to 'Harmonize With Nature.'  It is a Way of Thinking and Living that We in the Clans, in the Seelie Court, or in any other Nation of the Hidden World that Honours and Protects Our World can appreciate.  It sees the Proper Way of Living to be more cyclical as Nature is, rather than goal oriented and linear like We in the West see things. Taoism has influenced much of the East and is part of Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism.  It also shaped the way the Art of Healing developed.

The Cycle of Tao is represented by the symbol of Yin and Yang: the Taijitu.  It is a Dark drop paired with a Light drop to form a circle, wherein each drop has a pool of the other colour in the thickest part.  The two colours are Named Yin (Dark) and Yang (Light) and represent the Duality of Nature.  Life and Death, the Turning of the Seasons, Male and Female.  It is Yin and Yang which greatly affect Our modern understanding of Chi.

Yin and Yang

As I have said, Yin is Represented by the Dark drop in the symbol of Tao and Yang is Represented by Light.  In Tao much of the World is divided into these two drops, and form a Duality that is meant to Bring Balance.  First I will break down the main Residents of Both concepts -- as understood by Tao.

Yin is named First and so that is where I will begin.  Yin is Below.  It is Dark.  It is given Attributes such as subtle, passive, cold, and wet.  It is the Surface of the Earth.  The Moon and the Night.  It is Feminine.  It is associated in Tao with the Classical Elements of Earth and Water, the two Elements that lay upon the Surface and that receive the Power of the Sun to bring forth Life.

Yang is its Partner and its Opposite.  It is Above and it is Light.  Where Yin is subtle, Yang is bold.  It is fast, aggressive, dry, and hot.  It is the Wind blowing across the Land and drying the fields.  It is the midday Sun that beats down Travellers.  It is Masculine.

Please, Dear Reader, do not believe that I Agree with Confucius when He said that this is the Order of Things and proves that Man must be above Woman.  All males have Yin within them, for No Man encompasses all that is Yang, nor does any man -- no matter how masculine -- remain the same at All Times.  A man may have traits called 'Feminine' along with traits called 'Masculine' as a woman may carry traits that are called 'Masculine', just as the Taijitu symbol of Tao places a pool of Yin in the drop of Yang and vice versa.  Likewise, I believe that True Order must come from the Balance of Yin and Yang, and not from One Ruling the Other.

Part II

Li Song

Li Song.  His name is unfamiliar to Us in the West, but his name is spoken with Pride by those who live in his region of China.  He is Honoured by the Shao Lin Monks (and other Monks, as well) who join Us in the Hidden World, rather than Oppose Us as the Knights Templar have done.  When hearing of him, you will most often hear him named Song Li, given that the East places the Family before the Self when naming.

Li Song was born in the latter part of the Ninth Century in Shanghai, China.  He did not Create the Healing Arts as some credit him with doing, but instead he Codified the Arts and brought Great Refinement to them.  He spent most of his life Collecting, Studying, and Practicing all aspects of Healing he could find as well as studying the Ascetic and Martial Arts of the Shao Lin Monks.  His great reputation brought many pilgrims Great Distances to see him, and those from farther away brought all Knowledge of the Body and Soul that they could.  It was, in my Humble Opinion, this reputation that allowed him to build his Legacy, for without those bringing him Knowledge, he could not have gained Great Knowledge to Codify.

It was as he Codified and Practiced the Healing Arts and Ascetic Arts that he found some Discrepancies between Chi and Tao.  He found that the Physical Manifestation of the Elements -- Spirits -- did not affect Chi, and its components Yin and Yang, the same way that Current Understanding would indicate.  He quickly found that the Elements of Tao and the Elementals of the Spirits did not Align and so he Changed the Order to match what he Observed.  He moved Water from its Place by Dark up to replace Fire beside Light; indeed, he Added Light and Dark as Official Elements.  Now, Light, Water, and Air were aligned with Yang; and Dark, Fire, and Earth were aligned with Yin.  He also modified the Understanding of Yin and Yang, as it related to Chi, to place Emphasis on its Effects on the Body.  Yang was the Creative Force in the Body, and Yin was the Destructive.  I hear Your Protestations, Dear Readers, but I will delve into this soon and Not Now.

Li Song met Resistance in his efforts to change the Alignments of the Elements, but with his change he made many breakthroughs in Creating Potions and Salves.  It was, perhaps, not just the change in Alignments, but his Emphasis on the Nature of Yin and Yang, in the Aspects of Creation and Destruction that allowed this.

Chi and Its Balance

I have spoken little on Chi in the last few chapters and much on Yin and Yang, but You must Not Forget that it is Chi that flows through the Body and Produced by Body and Soul.  Yin and Yang are but Names given to the Composition of Chi.  It is They, Together, that compose Chi.  This chapter applies mostly to Furs, Mages, and Others, but not Spirits or Non-Mortals.  Different rules apply for those with Great Magic.

Chi is produced by the Great Organs, but it Is Not produced in Pure Balance.  Each Organ produces Chi according to Its Nature: the Stomach produces Chi that is very Yin, the Heart produces Chi that is very Yang, and so on.  This is done through Means that Remain a Mystery, because We Know that the Body does not work alone to make Chi.  The Soul plays a Great Part in the Process; we know that those with Powerful Souls -- like Ancient Masters of Kung Fu -- can produce Chi unrivalled by the healthiest Young Man despite the perceived frailty of the Master's Body!  Experience, Study, Training, all seem to Strengthen the Soul and, thus, produce more Chi.  One can Theorize that a life lived Out of Balance -- such as a Soldier who Kills Many or a Healer who Saves Many -- would shift the Balance of the Soul and the Chi it helps make, but No Evidence of this has been found Thus Far for Both Bodies (Incorporeal and Corporeal) act to stay in Balance.

As all Great Organs and the Soul work together to produce Chi, they Adjust the Amount they produce to ensure Balance.  A Stressed Organ cannot function Properly, this is Known in Medicine and is Known in the Theory of Chi.  A Heart that is Stressed weakens and does Not Pump as well as it should; it also does not produce the Yang-aligned Chi that it should.  The Heart is a Great Organ that produces a lot of Chi, so a Heart that is Weak means the Body makes much less Chi and it is Chi that would be very Yin, making the Other Organs that produce Yang-aligned Chi work Much Harder.  This places those Organs under Great Stress and leads to them Weakening.

It is now, Dear Readers, that I will answer your Protestations on the idea that Yang and Yin are both needed and that Yin -- as a Destructive Force -- is something that Is Necessary for the Body to Function.  Li Song fought against Great Resistance to bring this Idea forth.  Yang is the Force for Growth in Our Chi; it is in the Blood that the Heart pumps, it is that which causes the Body to Heal its Wounds, it is what stores Energy in Fat and what makes the Muscles grow when we Exercise.  Where does the Body get this Energy to do all of this?  I Hear You, Dear Reader, saying that the Body gets it from the food We Eat, but how does it go from Food to Energy?  Why can we not just put Our paw on a potato and get Energy?  It is through Destruction.  Our Chi carries Yin -- Destruction -- in it and Our Stomach is a Great Organ that makes and uses much Chi.  The Yin in our Chi breaks down our food in a process we call Digestion and passes it to our Intestines to be Absorbed into the Blood.  It is the Yin in Our Chi that allows us to Digest to gain Energy from food, to break down Fat to recover Energy that was Stored, and to attack Germs (if One subscribes to the growing body of work called the Germ Theory of Disease).

This is why Chi must be both Yin and Yang, Together in Balance.  They are Opposites; They work against Each Other, even as They work with Each Other, and Together They are what We call Chi.  When Chi is out of Balance, it means that there is Too Little of One even as there is Too Much of the Other.  If there is Not Enough Yang in the Body, then the Body cannot store Energy for Later Use, the Body cannot repair damage, and so on.  If there is Not Enough Yin, then the Body cannot Naturally (for a Chi Adept can move Chi around the Body at Will) place enough Chi around the Stomach to allow the Destructive Yin to digest food.  I will not go into the full effects of Imbalance for Li Song went into Great Detail on this Matter -- as have many later Healers -- just remember that Yin is what allows Us to Destroy and is centred mostly in Digestion and Immunity, while Yang is what allows us to Build and is centred around Growth (including Our Waistlines!) and Healing.

Part III

PostScript

I was frequently asked by Interested Parties to expand on the brief mention of Li Song's Analysis of Spirits and Their Relations to Chi.  I have little to add, but I will Try.

In Part II, I mentioned that Li Song realigned the Elements based on his Analysis.  Under the Name of Yang, he placed at the apex Light, to Its right he placed Air, to the left Water.  He discovered that Light was Pure Yang and took almost all of the Creative aspects associated with the Sun from the Taoist Element of Fire.  Water and Air were greatly Yang, but still carried elements of Yin.  The Opposite was also True.  Dark was at the root of Yin, with Fire to Its right and Earth to the left.  Dark was Pure Yin.

He met few Elemental Spirits, but found that Spirits that fell under two Elements carried Aspects of Both.  Mud (Earth and Water) was Nearly Balanced, but the Spirit He met was still Yin as Earth was stronger in this Spirit than Water.  Even two Spirits of the Same Type were different, and a different Mud Spirit, he believed, could be Yang if the Water was dominant in that Spirit.  Furthermore, two Air Elementals, for example, could be more or less Yang, depending on the Strengths of the Spirit's abilities.

The greatest argument Li Song faced with re-aligning the Elements was the Nature of Yin and Yang and how they relate to Water and Fire (the moved Elements).  Taoist Yang is Dry, Water is Wet.  Taoist Yin is Cold, Fire is Hot.  Li Song could not answer this protest, but merely said that Yin is Destructive, all evidence he gathered (as it relates to Chi) points to this and Fire Destroys.  With the addition of Light to the Elements, there was little left in Fire that could be called Creative.  Dark is Cold and it is Pure Yin, so does Fire need to be Cold, too?  To this day, Debate Rages on what should be the Natures of Yin and Yang.  The Schism has separated Taoist Yin and Yang from Chi Yin and Yang completely.

TL;DR

Yin- Dark, Earth, Fire.  Destructive and powers all destructive aspects of the body, such as digestion and the immune system.

Chi excessively yin: 1) Rapid digestion of food, giving huge spike in energy after eating but crashes soon after.  Body starts to starve and begins breaking down fat deposits, then muscles, then organs.

2) Immune system ramps up quickly killing off any germs in the body, but can then start attacking harmless contaminants(allergens) triggering common allergic reactions, may also trigger fevers, sweats, and other symptoms of infections unnecessarily.  Very yin chi can also trick the immune system into attacking the body itself, damaging normal tissue.

3) Suppression of yang functions.  Body can't heal properly, preventing cuts from scabbing over, tissue from knitting together, and mitosis (cell division) is slowed down so the body can't replace cells that naturally die as quickly (or at all in extreme cases).

Yang- Light, Water, Air.  Creative and powers all creative aspects of the body, such as muscle/bone development, energy storage, mitosis, and healing.

Chi excessively yang: 1) Rapid storage of energy, preventing the body from utilizing the energy gained from digestion.  The energy is mostly stored as fat.  As chi becomes more yang this process speeds up until the body doesn't get sufficient energy to function and begins to shut down (passes out, then goes into a coma, then dies).

2) Rapid growth of tissue.  For those seeking to maximize the benefits of exercise, this may not seem to be a bad thing, and it isn't -- at first.  Any exercise causes the body to overreact prompting muscle development to spike, growth spurts in children/teens is amplified, and injuries (cuts, broken bones, etc.) heal together faster than normal.  As yang becomes more dominant, this process can go faster than the body can acclimatize to, making muscles grow faster than the bones can adjust to (larger muscles cause the bones to become denser, but there is a lag between the two) and may damage the bones (which may heal warped since that process is accelerated, too).  At highly yang times, cell mitosis may run rampant, causing tumours and cancers to flourish.

3) Parasites.  It isn't just the body that uses chi, but any parasites in the body are also affected by changes in that balance.  Cell mitosis is how viruses and bacteria multiply and a highly yang environment can cause them to multiply beyond the body's immune system ability to cope with.

4)Suppression of yin functions.  The digestive system doesn't have enough yin in the chi to break down food, preventing the body from digesting efficiently.  The more the balance of chi swings to yang the less food is digested before it passes out of the body (which can be rather painful at that end of things) and the less energy the body has to use.  It doubles down at this point and also makes it more difficult for the body to break down fat deposits to get at the energy stored there.  Damaged cells don't 'self-destruct' and get recycled, leaving them around to get in the way of the development of new cells which can cause malformed tissue and organs, as do imperfectly formed cells -- which can result in the creation of tumours and cancers.

Spirits- Spirit elements formed the basis of Li Song's categorization of chi elements.  Elementals match up that way, with Dark and Light being purely yin or yang, while the other four are often strongly one or the other, but not 'pure' and can vary in how yin or yang they are amongst any given element. So while three Elementals, say a Light and two Air, are all yang, if a Fur had sex with all three, the Light Elemental would shift his (or her) chi to be more yang than the other two, while the two Air Elementals would not necessarily shift the Fur's chi equally (one may make it more yang than the other despite all other things being equal).  If a Spirit falls under two or more elemental 'jurisdictions' the issue becomes more complicated and almost impossible to predict unless all elements are either yin or yang.  A Mud Spirit could be either yin or yang, depending on the Spirit, but a Magma (Fire and Earth) Spirit would always be yin.

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