Chi Energy: 5 Methods to Recharge The Power Within

OdinaniListsRitualsChiSpiritual HygieneEzumezu (Spirit Guides)

Jul 10

Written By Oma

*Side-blown elephant tusk horn, okike, blown by Ezema Nwodo Eze, 1965. Photo: David Ames.*

Chi is your life force, that inner light, energy, part of God within each person that animates the (whole) human being. It is a personalized providence of source energy from Nnechukwu Okike (our Supreme Source of life), a spark of the divine essence given and assigned to each person.

Chi is a person's spirit, a personal life force, as well as a portioned out life principle (from source). One’s Chi is believed to be responsible for deciding or paving the course of a person’s life or destiny, at the very least it is the singular energetic force that enables one to lead a particular course of life, or walk a certain path with destiny.

Given that Chi is our life force (that pulse or influence that gives you life or vitality), i.e it is energetic. It’s important to know and understand ways you can revitalize that life force from time to time. In other words, it’s important to engage tools that can help add newness and strength, as well as restore vitality or animation to your Chi.

5 Ways You Can Revitalize Your Life Force (Chi) Energy

Breath Control, Deep Conscious Breathing: Deep conscious breathing involves taking slow, deep breaths and engaging the abdominal muscles and diaphragm to breathe, instead of shallow chest breathing. It is a mindful exercise that allows for better oxygen supply to the tissues and cells in our bodies, leading to increased energy and vitality in our lifeforce. You can practice deep conscious breathing anywhere, all it takes is becoming conscious of your breathing and taking mindful control of that process from time to time. It is better still to dedicate a separate amount of time, preferably some quiet time when you can focus solely on this exercise and mentally focus mainly on this idea of recharging Chi energy with life, while taking conscious deep breaths. This practice has one of the most direct energetic impacts on your life force, as breath (air) is literally what sustains life.
Early Morning Sun Baths: Anyanwu Ututu (early morning sunlight or the rising sun) in Igbo spirituality, is well understood to have a powerful spiritual energy that can help balance the energy centers within each human being. Anyanwu Ututu refers to sunshine that illuminates in the early hours of the morning up until midday (noon), it is a significant aspect of Igbo spirituality and culture, representing the (spiritual) power and potency of the sun, as well as its life-giving and sustaining force as a natural element. Early morning sunbathing has been present as an ancient indigenous wellness practice, especially when it comes to the idea of feeding or revitalizing one's chi with source energy. Within Odinani, an advanced approach entails the practitioner covering their skin with Nzu powder and sitting under the early morning sun for a couple of minutes in mindful meditation as a way to revive and recharge one’s spirit as well as higher self. In addition to its spiritual significance, early morning sunbathing has several physical health benefits, including getting a daily dose of vitamin D, improving skin health, boosting mood, and strengthening bones and the immune system. It is important to note that sunbathing should be done properly by avoiding prolonged exposure during peak hours to prevent skin damage and other health risks, this is why Anyanwu Ututu (early morning sun) is specifically recommended for the practice and not the sunshine available in the course of the whole day.
Chanting & Incantations: Chanting is a spiritual practice that involves rhythmic, repetitive singing or speaking of sounds and phrases either vocally or mentally. While incantations are a spiritual practice that involve the use of rhythmically organized encoded words that are chanted, spoken, or written to accomplish a desired goal, by invoking spiritual powers to act in a favorable way. They both involve the rhythmic use of words in a language to cause energy to move in your favor. The right combination of words in a ritualistic and rhythmic fashion channeled towards revitalizing ones Chi, by calling upon ones Ezumezu Mmuo (collective of spirit guides, including natural elements) to help achieve that goal can be used as an effective way to revitalize one's chi.
Ritual Way of Offerings: This method is largely based on cultural context. Every Igbo community has different centralized ways to ritually feed a person’s life force (their Chi). Cultural context refers to the social and cultural environment in which a person's life, including their values, beliefs, customs, and language that shape their experiences, as well as their behaviors and realities are formed. It is a framework that provides meaning and context to the communication and interaction of humans within a specific region with the abstract (unseen) forces that affect their environment directly, as a result of their collective agreements or covenants (or that of their progenitors) with those forces as it impacts their lives. It can (unconsciously) influence how people perceive or respond to different situations, including the tools or specific methods they engage to execute their spiritual practices. It is the reason why a tool might work for one person within a culture and not work for someone else. With that said, there are some general ritualistic ways within Odinani to feed ones Chi which involve the use of a part of a sacred plant e.g the Ogilishi Plant (either a branch or its leaf), using it as an external contact to call on or summon ones Chi, then serving whatever follows on its surface e.g presenting Nzu (sacred white chalk), Oji (Kolanut), Mmanya (Drinks), Nchuaja (sacrifice with an animal form of life or regular food or fruit offerings), to ones Chi as way to feed it with cosmic energy.
Taking Good Care of Mind & Body: Being intentional about nourishment, watching what you feed your mind and body, can be a good active way of revitalizing your life force. One of the best ways to feed your Chi is through yourself. The human body and soul is the highest channel that Chi occupies in this realm, it is the highest shrine, the highest form of technology for communication with your higher self and its revitalization. If you can take good care of yourself, your Chi can consequently thrive. There is a belief attached to this, also within the frame of cultural context, which is that the more a person keeps to their Nso the more their Chi will thrive. Nso is a dual concept where one meaning has a negative connotation, referring to "avoidance" or "prohibition," that is certain things a person should not engage in based on their cultural beliefs (context) or life path. While the other meaning has a positive connotation, referring to "holy" or "sacred," that is certain ways a person should preserve their essence, or ways of being they should maintain for themselves, again sometimes based on their cultural context or life path, or even personal choices. The concept of Nso is used in various contexts, including purification rites, and especially as a personal devotion to godliness. It can be used in this sense to recharge or preserve one’s Chi energy.

To Sum It Up

My suggestion is that a combination of some of these methods, by being consistent with Igo Chi, Igo Ofo and Igo Mmuo, personal meditation practices in Odinani, can help anyone keep their Chi (life force) “fed”, recharged and revitalized with divine cosmic energy which it needs to excel.

These practices yield practical results due to the law of energy contribution, which is a cosmic principle applied within indigenous realities to leverage on energy exchange to help each person excel.

I hope you found these tips useful. Leave a comment below if you have any questions or insights to share, and share this with someone.

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