Chi

This is an article that I read on a very good website, acupuncture.com. I am posting this because I think it is a good explanation of chi, and how everything affects our chi.

Weather and Emotions Affects the Flow of Chi
By Jaseng Center for Alternative Medicine

The word chi literally means "breath" and "air," as well as "energy." And all forms of life in the universe are animated by this essential life force. According to the tenets of Oriental medicine, humans and all other living things stand between "heaven," the source of chi, and the earth, which gives life to all things on the planet. And the energy of weather, which is called "celestial energy" as it also springs from heaven, passes through the human body system like electricity moves through a conductor. Chi circulates across the surface of the body, just below the skin, protecting the entire organism from invasion by extremes of environmental energy such as heat, cold, dryness and wind.
It follows, therefore, that the human energy system - the meridians through which chi flows - is strongly influenced by the various types of environmental energy and, in particular, weather conditions. When certain climatic conditions become extreme, specific internal organs are directly affected. The energy of cold, for example, attacks the meridian associated with the kidneys, so extreme cold can cause kidney malfunction.
In addition, the energy of strong wind or brutally cold weather has a negative influence on life force energy in the body, keeping chi from flowing smoothly in the meridian lines. This sometimes causes bodily aches and pains that seem to have no other apparent cause, and in many cases brings on the symptoms of a second-stage cold like headache, chills, and fever, with no evidence of viral invasion.
It goes without saying that working outside for a long period of time in the summer or winter, exposed to extreme temperatures, is harmful to one's health. Symptoms of this type of overexposure include fever, dry lips, constipation and heaviness in the chest. Some people who sit in damp grass or get caught in the rain experience headaches, arthritis, and bodily swelling, as extreme moisture can block the flow of chi in meridian lines.
Sudden shifts in emotions can also trigger a chain-reaction of energy imbalance throughout the body. And these reactions are just as strong as those caused by extreme climatic conditions. It is a well-known fact that a person suffering from extreme personal grief, such as the death of a spouse, becomes highly vulnerable to all sorts of disease. Fear is a symptom of temporary kidney dysfunction, but prolonged chronic fear can actually cause permanent kidney damage. Frequent fits of anger reflect liver problems, but a person who is almost constantly angry will damage an otherwise healthy liver. This then generates even more anger, creating a vicious psychosomatic circle. So, when you are angry, try to stop thinking about what is making you angry. You can do this by meditating, sitting in a quiet place, or simply listening to calming music. In the same sense, mental shock or psychological disorders - which can stem from anything from bad childhood experiences to watching too many horror movies - can also hinder the growth of the body. When the pathways and meridian lines of chi are disturbed by mental illness, they directly influence the condition of the bones, disrupting or even stopping normal growth.
Chi energy moves similar to how electricity moves through a computer, along a well-defined circuit, the meridians. And this energy can be manipulated to release blockages and increase health through meditation, acupuncture and moxibustion therapy. With moxibustion, moxa (artemisia) sticks are burned close to the skin over certain points on the meridians. Moxibustion and acupuncture are especially effective in treating breathing problems, pains in the chest and the back as well as disturbed chi circulation caused by an imbalance of energy in the meridian lines. These Traditional Chinese medicine modalities can be very helpful for many other health conditions that are caused by either weather or emotions.