Od, Qi and Prana

qi-chi

Od is a word that a gentleman named Karl von Reichenbach (1788-1869] chose to represent a force that pervaded life. He tried to prove this force’s existence and manifestation through research which unfortunately fizzled. Thus, today od is defined as a hypothetical force or a force formerly believed to have existed.

However notwithstanding von Reichenbach’s inability to prove od, the word qi (pronounced chi) and translated into English as breath or air, hypothetical or not, is a fundamental principle in practices like Chinese medicine and martial art.

In Hinduism the word prana which translates as life breath or life force is an essential philosophical and spiritual notion. Breath control is viewed as a form of worship and meditation or contemplation in both Hinduism and Buddhism.