A Brief History of Qi: The Ancient Biofield Paradigm of Chinese Medicine and Its Relevance for Healthy Living Today – Distance

This presentation will explore the philosophical and cosmological concepts surrounding the topic of vital energy in China and their historical development through a systematic presentation of textual source materials. Before this cultural background, the practical applications of qi in the related domains of Chinese medicine, nourishing life practices and the martial arts will be discussed from a variety of angles. Most importantly, the presentation will highlight the problems of the current approach to public health that is predominantly grounded in the domain of materialist science, and reveal the promise that the integration of the concept of vital energy into mainstream thinking holds for the future of humankind and our planet as a whole.

Course Objectives:

• Understand Participants will be able to integrate the ancient concept of vital energy with modern research in biophysics, bioelectromagnetism and biophotonics.
• Participants will be able to convey the ancient concept of vital energy and its relationship to the material world to their patients (and other interested parties) in a knowledgeable manner. 
• Participants will be able to explain the concept of energy medicine from a source perspective, by incorporating original Chinese quotations into their narrative.
• By understanding the commonality of ancient definitions of vital energy and recent research in the domain of biophysics, participants will be able to approach the practice of Chinese medicine with a higher degree of understanding and confidence.