Basic Levels of the Self

Level one is basic muscular force- Li. This is the weakest because muscles are single direction in nature and fatigue.

Level two is Jing- skeleton force. This is better as bones don't fatigue, but they do need to be lined up correctly to work. Somebody with jing power should be able to relax their muscles completely.

Level three is chi- this is a direct reference to using the muscle groups within the abdomen and chest to move the body. The arms and legs suck into the body, and the body moves- therefore making the limbs move.

Level four is Yi- the mind and intention. The stronger your ability focus, the better everything else will be.

Level five is Shen- often defined as spirit. This is when you can use focus your intuitive and emotional mind.

Somebody with all five power can defeat somebody with only one. These are, by the way, limited definitions. The principles go much, much deeper.

With this background knowledge, in the physical body we can look at chi as a phenomenon that takes place when the muscles are relaxed, and the skeleton is holding up the body. "Chi goes through" means that your correct posture (skeletal alignment) and muscular relaxation allows your body's systems to flow unhindered. It also means that if somebody pushes on your body they should only feel the skeleton- no muscles should activate.

Next, you begin to use what is called predator movement (think of how a cat or a tiger runs) in the torso. This motion uses the internal musculature to massage and otherwise move the body.

When you get all of these mechanics right a warm, fluid like sensation of volume exists within your entire body. This takes place when you no longer have to think about each individual mechanic and can let them flow together. So on a base physical level, chi is what happens when your bodily processes are working together at the same tempo. Therefore, to begin with, chi can be described as a sensation that takes place when things in your body are working together.

Is chi more than this? Yes. But to get up to the higher levels of self with chi and shen (spirit) you must build the entire vessel. Body, chi, mind, and spirit. If you try to go straight to playing with chi or straight to spirit without developing the rest of the self then you will only further disconnect yourself from yourself.