Qì transformation

The movement, mutation, and conversion of qì. In ancient Chinese thought, qì is considered to be a material entity having yīn and yáng aspects which are interdependent and opposing. Yáng qì is formless and intangible, yet can evolve to assume tangible forms, which are yīn qì. Yīn qì and yáng qì form a unity of opposites and undergo constant mutation from which the material world springs. This constant mutation is called qì transformation. In the human body, qì in a wider sense denotes essence, qì (yáng qì), liquid, humor, and blood (see six qì). Qì transformation refers to the processes by which these qì produce each other and convert from one to another. Qì transformation is therefore life activity. The five viscera and six bowels, the limbs and bones, etc., are all involved in the process of qì transformation. The movement of blood and essential qì, the distribution of fluids, the digestion and assimilation of food, the discharge of waste, the moistening of the sinew and bones, the warming of the skin, the maintenance of the sheen of the hair of the head and body, and the regulation of the organs all rely upon qì transformation. For this reason, some writers have said that qì transformation is roughly equivalent to metabolism. Growth and development of the body, and defense against external evils, are similarly dependent upon qì transformation. Cessation of qì transformation is the cessation of life. This is the broadest meaning of qì transformation. In a narrower meaning, the term denotes the qì transformation of the triple burner, especially in the context of fluid metabolism. See qì; water failing to transform into qì.