Notes from TCM book...

Chi in the body is referred to as Normal or Upright Chi (zheng-qi) or True Chi (zhen-qi).

Normal Chi
- Chi before it is differentiated into specific forms or is associated with specific functions.
- Once formed, it can be divided into many different specific types of Chi which have specific functions.

Normal Chi has three sources:
- Original Chi (yuan-qi) or Prenatal Chi, which is transmitted by the parents to their children at conception. This Chi is partly responsible for the person's inherited constitution and is stored in the kidneys.
- Grain Chi (gu-qi) which is delivered from the digestion of food.
- Natural Air Chi (kong-qi) which is extracted by the lungs from the air that we breathe.

Within the body, Normal Chi is responsible for five major functions:
- Chi is the source of all movement in the body and accompanies all movement.
- Chi protects the body.
- Chi is the source of harmonious transformation in the body.
- Chi governs retention of the body's Substances and Organs.
- Chi warms the body.

In the body, Chi is in constant motion and has 4 primary directions:
- Ascending
- Descending
- Entering
- Leaving

“Without entering and leaving, there is no development, without ascending and descending, no transformation, absorption, and storing.”

There are five major type of Chi in the body:
- Organ Chi (zang-fu-zhi-qi)
- Every organ is conceived of as having its own Chi, whose activity is characterized by the organ to which it is attached.
- Meridian Chi (jing-luo-zhi-qi)
- Meridians are the channels or pathways though which Chi flows among the organs and various body parts, adjusting and harmonizing their activity.
- Nutritive Chi (ying-qi)
- This Chi is most intimately associated with the blood.
- It manifests itself with the blood and moves with the blood though the blood vessels.
- It is crucial in transforming nutrients derived from food into blood.
- Protective Chi (wei-qi)
- Responsible for resisting and combating External Pernicious Influences when they invade the body.
- Considered the most Yang manifestation of Chi in the body.
- It moves within the chest and abdominal cavities and travels between the skin and the muscles.
- Regulates the sweat glands and pores, and moistens and protects the skin and hair.
- Ancestral Chi or Chi of the Chest (zong-qi)
- Gathers in the chest where it forms a “sea of qi”.
- Collects in the chest, goes out the throat, connects the heart and vessels, and moves respiration.
- It is mainly responsible for aiding and regulating the rhythmic motion of respiration and heartbeat, thus it is intimately connected with the heart and lungs.

Disharmonies of Chi
- Deficient Chi (qi-xu)
- Chi is insufficient to perform any of the five Chi functions.
- Deficient Chi can apply to the entire body or to a specific organ in which case, the organ will not be able to harmoniously do its job.
- Deficient Chi can also apply to any of the five types of Chi listed above.
- Collapsed Chi (qi-xian)
- Implies that the Chi is so insufficient that it can no longer hold organs in place.
- Stagnant Chi (qi-zhi)
- Normal movement of Chi is impaired. Chi does not flow in a smooth and orderly fashion.
- Rebellious Chi (qi-ni)
- A form of stagnant Chi which implies that Chi flows in the wrong direction.

Random things...

So last night, a friend here tells me that there will be a bunch of people from work going to this bar after work. I think, "cool... I'll make an attempt to be social", which means that I have to miss my class. So I go, and sit at the bar by myself for 20 minutes. After about 20, she shows up with her boyfriend and we go get a table... or something to eat... have a few drinks... they never show up. Finally she says "I think I got the wrong night...". Oh well... I was annoyed because I missed my class, but I got to hang out with 2 friends so it's not a total wash.

I woke up late this morning... 615, but still went to the gym anyway... I had an extrememly sharp eye pain while I was driving to the gym this morning... same eye, the right one. I felt like I wanted to pull my eye out and scratch behind it. After the pain, my eyes teared for about 5 mintues which made it difficult to keep my eyes open while driving.. not a good thing.

I slept pretty good last night. My body was very hot for most of the night. I could feel myself radiating... weird. I had a dream about her again last night. Why do we always want the things that we know we can't have?? Oh well...

I started studying the TCM (traditional chinese medicine) book that my uncle gave me last night. I actually felt compelled to take notes. I guess I actually want to learn this stuff.

Meditation:
1) Sit with your back straight.
2) Put your hands palm up, right hand in the left palm, touch your thumbs.
3) Touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
4) Imagine someone has attached a string to the top of your head and is pulling you up by it. Try to align the base of your skull with the top of your spine.
5) Breathe:
- Men: Breathe in for 6 counts, hold for 3 counts, breathe out for 6 counts.
- Women: Breathe in for 6 counts, breathe out for 6 counts, hold for 3 counts.
Notes:
1) A count is roughly a second.
2) You can breathe either through your nose or your mouth, whatever is comfortable for you.
3) You should however breathe into your stomach first down to Dan Tien (3 inches below your belly button about 2 inches inside your body), fill your stomach, then chest, then shoulders. Breath completely. When you breathe out, exhale from your shoulder, then your chest, then your stomach and pull your stomach in (try and touch your belly button to your spine).

Sleeeeeeepy....

Man, some horrible tiredness just hit me.

I was sitting here about to update my last case for the day until I start taking calls again at 3 and I just felt a wave of horrible tiredness come over me.

Anyway... Tai Chi class was good last night. I got paired up with the hottest friggen girl in the school. Our exercise was to practice a simple deflection but then to do any kind of attack that we could think of after that. She had some good ones, but I was king of manhandling her... it was kind of funny. She is actually very nice... too bad she's taken.

Oh well...

Why..

Ok... I love my cat.. I love him very much.. but he is not letting me sleep.

Since I got back here from NYC, he has been just sick for attention. He is all over me all the time escpecially when I am sleeping. He walks all over me and is constantly waking me up. Maybe that's why I have been so fucking tired lately.

Oh well.. that's what thye do I guess.

It was sooo busy this morning. I am pretty drained and I still have to be on the phone for another hour later in the day... oy... at least tomorrow's Friday.

Back in TX...

It has been a few days and I am back in Austin. My flight was pretty good. It left an hour late but still managed to get here 10 minutes early... go figure... I was able to watch the Family Guy movie on the plane... freakin hilarious.

So ... to pick up where my last post left off... last Saturday night... I started by going to Cargo (yes, I know... ) to meet up with Bill, Renee, Danielle, and Lenny. Gabi and Tommy happened to show up too, so I got to see a lot of people. On top of that, they don't charge me for anything there so as soon as my glass is empty... its full again and my money is still there...

Six drinks later, it's time to get the ferry to go chill with Alex. No one remotely even knows how excited I am to see this girl (she probably doesn't know either)... anyway... I am pretty toasted at this point. So I get on the ferry and down a bottle of water which helps get back to an decent level. When I get off of the ferry, I go down to the RW stop and no train... for like 10 min... I take a cab to 10th and A and go to Hi-Fi.

As I'm walkin outside to see where Alex is, she's walkin in. I buy her and myself a drink, meet her friends and we're cool. We hung out there for a little bit and then went to a few different places. At one point, we tried to get in to some club but they wouldn't let us in b/c there were 2 girls and 3 guys... not 3 girls and 2 guys... lame...

We finally went somewhere else and I had a few more drinks. After a little while we were all hungry so we went to some pizzaria at like 3am. When we were done there, we walked back to Alex's car to go home. Thank god she was cool to drive me home b/c I would have passed the fuck out on the train or in the ferry terminal. When I finally got home, layed down and fell asleep pretty much immediatly.

Sunday was rough. I got up at 9... had about 5 hours o' sleep... to help my dad set up the back yard for my sister's party. I was not capable of making any decisions... just moving things... finally people started showing up and it was a really nice day. I pretty much hung out with Morgan and her friends all day. I did get asked "how's texas" about 32087403274832 times... which was kind of annoying but I guess it's to be expected.

Later that night, I met Sara for coffee so I could see her before I left. It was really good to see her. For the first time, things feel like they are closed. When we were finally done, I walked her to her car and we were talking for a bit more there and then we hugged and said goodbye.

Monday, I kind of just hung around all day... didn't really do anything worth talkin about. On the plane ride home, something happened, that has not happened in a really long time.... I smiled. I smiled and I felt happy. The happiness came first, then the smile... which I think is the way that it should be.

Ok... I really need to finish up my work so I can get the fuck out of here...