The concept of vital energy in Chinese medicine is called qi.
Pronounced roughly “chee” and written 氣 or 气 in simplified Chinese, qi has a broader history than its modern translation suggests. The word can mean air, breath, vapor, or a vital force, and it became an important concept in Chinese philosophy as well as traditional medicine. In traditional Chinese medical theory, health is associated with the balanced movement of qi through channels often translated as meridians.
Texts connected with the Huangdi Neijing, or Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, helped establish ideas about qi and the body’s functional systems. Practices such as acupuncture, moxibustion, tai chi, and qigong are traditionally described as influencing or cultivating qi. A common mix-up is confusing qi with yin and yang: yin and yang describe complementary, opposing aspects of change, while qi is the animating substance or force said to move and transform. Modern science does not recognize qi as a measurable form of physical energy.