Qi

The Chinese term for vital energy or life force, found in all living things and formed from the interaction of the energies of Yin and Yang. It is pronounced “chee", with the "ch" being at the front of the mouth, near the teeth, creating a softer sound.

Chinese medical thinking does not distinguish between matter and energy. Qi is thought to be energy at the point of becoming matter. In the theories of traditional Chinese Medicine it is requently referred to as the energy that is present in the meridians and the bodily organs. Research is continuing into qi, although many in the west (and many in China, as well) consider qi to be a metaphor for various bodily processes, a common thing in early societies - compare, for instance, pneuma and prana, from ancient Greece and India respectively.