Around our bodies we have channels called meridians through which energy flows, something like the vessels through which the blood flows. All eastern philosophies of health talk of such a flow. The Indians talk of prana, the Japanese call it ki, the Chinese call it ch’i, we call it electricity or life-force. The fact that it exists is not the question for most western scientists now know of such a force. What is not known is how to keep a plentiful supply and how to keep the channels open.
What is needed is some way to train the mind not to allow tension to affect us. Whether the tension is psychological or physical it has the same effect on the body’s energy. If the body’s energy flow is interrupted or slowed down our natural healing systems are unable to cope with normal external attacks.
Tension, more than anything else, affects the flow of ch’i by closing the channels. Through the miracle of television cameras we can actually see the stomach contracting and unable to digest when the person is placed under stress or even thinks about being angry. The same things happen to the acupuncture meridians; they contract, allowing only a small amount of ch’i to flow to all
parts of body. This can be used to great advantage by a trained martial artist; it is possible to strike certain parts of the body when the most ch’i is flowing through that area, to cause immediate great tension, thus closing the meridian. After some time, perhaps days, the meridian slowly closes completely and the recipient of the blow dies. This is sometimes called the delayed
death touch or ‘dim-mak’. However, it is said that this practice takes around three lifetimes to learn so not many ever come to such a level.
There is a small gland at the base of the neck running to the sternum. It is called the thymus gland, and in Chinese medicine is said to control the flow of ch’i as well as its physical function of producing anti-bodies. The first gland to be affected by stress is the thymus. The energy system of the body is affected immediately and if left unchecked will lead to the destruction of the body’s energy system.
We do gain some relief from stress through sleep, but most of us counteract the benefit by sleeping on soft mattresses and watching television and eating before retiring. We need sleep to recharge our batteries; if we are using energy for digestion or for processing thoughts, we aren’t using it to recharge.
If we can find a way to stop stress from affecting us we are on the way to defeating the main cause of disease. We need to develop a calm mind, not always an easy thing to do. Meditation is completely foreign to most westerners, but Chinese exercises do not seem so strange because we are using the body to gain a mind effect.