We recently had to euthanize our fifteen-year-old cat, Sophie. If any of you have had to do this, I’m sure it remains vivid in your memory. It was a sad experience for us, but I’m so grateful that we had this option to not prolong her suffering.
We could do this locally in Montpelier without her enduring a long car ride. Aside from the sadness of letting Sophie go, I was moved by the experience. What struck me most was the immediate stillness, the emptiness of her body once her heart stopped. My Chinese medical mind recognized this as the qi, or life force, suddenly being gone or at least no longer activating her body.
As an acupuncturist in central Vermont, people often ask me to explain what acupuncture does. I say there is an ancient Chinese medical understanding of the body and a more modern Western medical understanding of what is happening with needling specific points. To be alive, it’s understood that the body has a life force, energy, or qi, which circulates in specific channels. This influences the function of the internal organs, the mind, emotions, and all aspects of the body. The qi of the heart enables it to beat every second of one’s life.
An obvious quality of qi is that it moves. Without the movement of the body’s qi, it can’t survive. This is what was so evident watching Sophie’s heart gently and suddenly stop. What we can see most basically with qi movement is breathing.
When we are at rest, the visible activity of qi is our torso expanding and contracting every few seconds. We may take it for granted that this never stops until our body dies. Only paying attention to the fact that I’m breathing right now makes me feel grateful that my body keeps this up without me having to even think about it.
The Chinese character for qi can be seen as the character for air combined with the character for rice. It visually creates the image of steam rising from a pot of cooked rice. This shows energy coming from a process of transformation. We get our qi from the food we eat along with the air we breathe.
For example, when someone presents with fatigue after an extended illness, we may use acupuncture to help them regain strength. To strengthen the body’s qi, we typically needle a particular point on the stomach channel, as energy is created by the transformative process of digesting food. We want to make sure the digestive process is happening effectively so we can get the full nourishment from the food we eat.
What I’ve taken away from having to euthanize our beloved cat recently is a visual reminder of the life force, the qi of the body. Since then, I’ve been putting more of my attention on my breathing, even when at this computer or talking to others. I’m just recognizing the fact that I’m breathing, feeling a sense of gratitude that it’s working well.
I’m also reminded that what I choose to put in my body to digest is crucial to the life force that keeps everything working well. It’s additionally clear that balancing movement and rest throughout the day is vital. If you find yourself sitting more than usual during these winter months, I hope you’re encouraged to get up and move your qi a bit.
To your good health!