Ancestral qì

Also gathering qì (Obs.). The qì that converges or concentrates in the sea of qì, which is the chest, pervades the respiratory tract and controls breathing, and penetrates the heart and vessels. Ancestral qì drives the heart and regulates the pulses; its health is reflected in the strength of breathing and in the voice.

Etymology

Chinese: 宗 zōng, ancestor; clan; root, source; gather, collect, converge; a collection or set; sect, faction, school. Zōng qì may be so called because it gathers in the chest, or because it is the fundamental driving force of the heart and lung. Compare the meaning of zōng in the term sinew gathering.