Anyone who's ever watched the Star Wars movies will be more than familiar with the concept of the Force - the mysterious metaphysical power deployed by the Jedi Knights, and their opponents the Sith, which makes possible remarkable feats of telekinesis, psychokinesis, healing and mind control. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi explains the Force to Luke Skywalker as "an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together."
It might sound like the fantastic stuff of science-fiction but Star Wars creator George Lucas actually based the concept of the Force on a very real form of subtle energy which is a key component of many Eastern faiths, particularly Hinduism, Taoism and Zoroastrianism, as well as being the force harnessed in the many and various systems of yoga and martial arts. The harnessing of subtle energy plays an important part in the system of coaching and therapy we use at Phoenix, in which we aim to help clients to unleash their inner Jedi.
Science has been aware for some time now that matter makes up only about 5% of the universe. The other 95% is filled with some form of energy that science refers to by many different names, including Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Zero-Point Energy. These modern scientific discoveries are merely confirming what ancient wisdom teachings have always stated - that the whole of creation is permeated with a subtle life essence which can be harnessed on a personal level through activities such as meditation, visualisation, rhythmic movement, breathing exercises and chanting.
This energy is what the Chinese refer to as chi or qi, the Japanese call ki and the Indian yogis prana. In Persian mysticism it goes by the name of glama and in Austronesia as mana. It is the quintessence of the alchemists, its Hebrew name is ruach, occultists Louis Claude de St Martin and Eliphas Levi called it the Astral Light and it is most commonly known in the west by the names Vril, Orgone or Odic Force and in physics as aether.
It is the energy harnessed in all forms of Oriental healing, such as acupuncture, reflexology and reiki, as well as being the force deployed by martial artists when they perform eye-catching feats such as splitting bricks with their bare hands. Such feats are not achieved through mere brute force but rather by the harnessing and focusing of subtle energy, enabling it to be deployed with the lethal efficiency of a laser.
Chi flows through the body via a complex network of meridian lines but these meridians can become clogged by factors such as tension, stress and muscular tightness, rather like blocked arteries, leading to a breakdown in the body's natural rejuvenation systems and consequent physical and mental ill-health. Yoga, martial arts and forms of ancient Chinese medicine are designed to unblock these meridians, allowing the chi to flow smoothly throughout the whole system as nature intended. The more you practice, the more strongly you will be able to perceive the energy as the pathways are gradually cleared, enabling the chi to circulate unimpeded.
This eBook, part of the Phoenix Personal Development Series, will introduce you to this concept of this subtle energy under the many different names by which it is known worldwide and explain how it can be harnessed for our own mental and physical health and wellbeing.