by Andrew Bauman

What is it exactly? Is KI the true essence of life? Many millions of people think so. Students and practitioners of KI believe that without KI there is no life.

"KI" (kee) in Japan and Korea. "CHI" (chee) in China. "PRANA" in India. Different cultures have different names and varying descriptions.

Some defer to examples in trying to explain KI, i.e. a martial artist breaking massive amounts of concrete blocks with a single strike or effortlessly knocking over 6, 8 or 10 people with a single touch.

More accurately KI can be described as an instinct. It is an instant sense of natural strength and/or energy accompanied by the feeling of well being that is focused to a specific point at any chosen time. A personal resource, if you will, to be called upon and directed by the user for enhancement of their intended objective.

By any definition, KI is nearly always misunderstood by most in their initial search for it's meaning. As confusing as it sounds, it is the very "searching" for KI that keeps it so elusive from those intent on "finding" it. The power of KI cannot be found by any external exercise or study. The secrets of KI are that it's strengths can only be found by searching from within oneself.

Most everyone has experienced the perfection of their KI, without realizing or understanding it, at some point in their lives. A baseball pitcher, for example, has experienced his KI when he's thrown a perfect strike. A tennis player hitting an "Ace." A singer hitting a crystalline note or, more commonly, a problem solved or project completed due to sharpness by someone perfectly in tune with a set of circumstances.

The "trick" is to control this ability, this art, and make it available on command. The harder one tries for this control, the more difficult it can be to harness. Disciplined methods are necessary to train oneself in accessibility.

What is it like to have KI?

KI is an internal feeling of completely letting go. A sense of total peace and relaxation which allows strength and energy to flow unobstructed toward whatever end the user desires.

This is easier said than done, of course. One must first understand the importance of recognizing being out of balance. This is the only way to recognize being in balance. One state cannot occur without the other. We all understand being out of balance - being "out of sync." It happens to most people daily (at least once). An important thing to remember is that to realize you are out of balance is the first step necessary to get back on track. Avoid empowering the negative forces of the situation. Focus only on switching back to a balanced state.

Accepting imbalance and not struggling against it is perhaps the most difficult adjustment most individuals have to make. This might best be described as an exercise in "go with the flow." Acknowledge the imbalance only for what it is - a miss-step, an opportunity to go from "off line" to "on line".

Reinforce the positive aspect of the situation so that there is less of a struggle against negativity and positive energy is more readily available each time you need it in future instances. Make it easier to "flip the switch", so to speak. Each realization should be accepted, indeed enjoyed, as it brings you closer to understanding and accessing your own inner strength. Even what appears to be a "dead end" is in reality the beginning of a new trial on the road to the realization of KI.

To begin developing KI, one must realize that this is not a casual endeavor with instant results. There are no short cuts toward achieving KI but it is not a complicated process. It could be described as so simple that it is difficult.

Sometimes a change of lifestyle is in order. This can mean altering habits that have formed over the years. Developing KI at any stage of life requires beginning again. Unlearning learned reaction. Beginning. Much like a baby begins,to learn the "art" of walking and gradually walks without thinking about how to do it, KI becomes to those who develop it an unconscious act.

So - how to start?

Begin by asking questions. First, what do you hope to achieve? And second, are you patient enough to wait or the results? Realize that in your course of study time has no relevance. Know that you are on a journey that will take you to many places. Some will be familiar, some will remind you that there is more to know about yourself than you ever considered.

Practicing relaxation techniques will become part of a daily exercise that when integrated into routine tasks will become a more productive mode of operation with much more positive results.

True KI study should be done only with a qualified instructor who is trained in helping you find and follow your individual path.

Eventually, developed KI will become as much a character resource as logic or reflex. What to do with well developed KI is another subject. One Master Teacher has been quoted as saying "It took me ten years to find KI and twenty years to know what to do with it."

Watch these pages for future articles addressing development of breathing techniques, relaxation and balance exercises.