Hi guys and gals, I was wondering if some of you—specifically the seasoned puehr-drinkers—could help me by explaining this concept of a tea's containing different levels of qi. I did a forum search on the matter and had a hard time locating anything specific.
I began wondering about this after trying a puerh the other day that left me with a very noticeable and pleasant mind and body feel. It wasn't the caffeine, which makes me jittery in large amounts, but was something else. It put me in a very good mood and gave me some energy. Could this be the qi everyone keeps talking about, a combination of caffeine and qi, or did I get high off some weirdness in the tea (a 2007 Yang Pin Hao sheng)?
Thanks for your thoughts!
Mar 27th, '13, 11:54
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Location: Harrisburg, PA
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everyman
Re: Qi?
Qi or Chi as a general term in acupuncture, chinese martial arts, etc means energy. Qigong = Energy work.
In my taijiquan studies, Qi generally refers to internal energy and Jing refers to kinetic/mechanical energy.
While I've study taijiquan for a decade, I'm new to tea so this is a little more conjecture.
What I get from the Qi discussions is that folks are referring to the energy the tea imparts.
Generally the Qi can be felt in body reaction (like what you described and mood - calming, retrospective, active, alert). Since tea is a multi-sensory experience, body feel is only one part of a tea's Qi but it is the biggest, easiest for us new tea folks to spot.
Martial Arts has an expression. Ten years = small accomplishment.
I encourage those with more accomplishment in energy studies to add to and complete my less seasoned explanation.
Andrew
In my taijiquan studies, Qi generally refers to internal energy and Jing refers to kinetic/mechanical energy.
While I've study taijiquan for a decade, I'm new to tea so this is a little more conjecture.
What I get from the Qi discussions is that folks are referring to the energy the tea imparts.
Generally the Qi can be felt in body reaction (like what you described and mood - calming, retrospective, active, alert). Since tea is a multi-sensory experience, body feel is only one part of a tea's Qi but it is the biggest, easiest for us new tea folks to spot.
Martial Arts has an expression. Ten years = small accomplishment.
I encourage those with more accomplishment in energy studies to add to and complete my less seasoned explanation.
Andrew
Re: Qi?
Thanks a lot. That answers my question regarding the relationship between the general meaning of the word "qi" and the specific energy tea provides. It also makes me wonder why it seems like puehr-drinkers talk about it more than others—at least that's what it seems like to me. I'm generally curious about all of this because I wasn't brought up to think about this type of thing while drinking and eating, and it's interesting. I suppose this doesn't apply to just tea.
Mar 30th, '13, 16:37
Posts: 14
Joined: Feb 23rd, '13, 10:38
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Contact:
everyman
Re: Qi?
One of the delights of Puerh's is the taste of time. You are literally drinking the tea, the time it spent and the flavors that surrounded it where it was stored.
The Qi is old and earthy.
I'm not a big Puerh fan. Tastes like drinking the woods to me. But that's the very strong connection to earth and time that makes for such a strong energy.
Many Puerh's impart a significant body feel. Which may play into why there's more discussion of Qi in that group.
It may just be that there are a bunch of folks interested in Qi that are posting in the Puerh forum at the moment. One of those random grouping in space and time deals.
Andrew
The Qi is old and earthy.
I'm not a big Puerh fan. Tastes like drinking the woods to me. But that's the very strong connection to earth and time that makes for such a strong energy.
Many Puerh's impart a significant body feel. Which may play into why there's more discussion of Qi in that group.
It may just be that there are a bunch of folks interested in Qi that are posting in the Puerh forum at the moment. One of those random grouping in space and time deals.
Andrew
Re: Qi?
That all makes since. I like a lot of the puerh I've tried and have only gotten that feeling from puerh. I drink a lot of oolong and have never noticed anything similar. That said, correlation does not imply causation, as they used to tell us in our college psychology classes 
Re: Qi?
The same feelings you describe I normally notice the strongest in pu'er, but I have also had it with oolongs, and even a similar, yet different feeling / sensation from some green teas. Whats interesting is that it has been good quality and expensive tea. I have never had any thing close to it with cheap supermarket tea.