Qi is understood as the fundamental vital force that permeates all existence, the basic constituent of both material and immaterial reality. Rather than being a static substance, it is a dynamic process, continually flowing, transforming, condensing, and dispersing. This energy connects body, mind, and spirit, so that physical states, emotions, and mental activity are viewed as different expressions of the same underlying current. Everything in the cosmos, from living beings to natural phenomena, can be regarded as particular configurations and movements of this life force, interrelated and interdependent within a unified whole.

A central principle is that Qi is always in motion and that harmony depends on the quality, quantity, and circulation of this flow. Within the human being, Qi is said to move through specific pathways or channels and to concentrate in certain organs and centers. When this movement is smooth and balanced, there is health and vitality; when it becomes blocked, deficient, excessive, or stagnant, there is illness and disharmony. Because human Qi resonates with environmental and cosmic influences, factors such as climate, diet, emotional life, and social surroundings are all seen as shaping its condition.

Qi also manifests through complementary polarities known as yin and yang, such as cool and warm, inward and outward, receptive and active. These are not opposing forces locked in conflict but mutually transforming aspects of a single process. Health and spiritual well-being arise when yin and yang remain in dynamic balance, neither side overwhelming the other. Imbalance in these polarities is associated with disorder, both within the body and in the wider field of relationships and environment.

Another important theme is that Qi can be cultivated, regulated, and refined through conscious practice. Disciplines such as breathing exercises, meditative stillness, and mindful movement are used to conserve, strengthen, and guide this energy. Ethical living, appropriate diet, and alignment with natural cycles are likewise regarded as ways of nurturing a more harmonious flow. Over time, such cultivation is said to support greater vitality, clarity of mind, and the deepening of spiritual insight, as coarse forms of Qi are gradually transformed into more subtle expressions of life.