I began practicing a form of karate earlier this year. After taking two months off, I began practice again on Sunday. During the philosophy portion of practice, we began to discuss the difference of spirit, soul and chi. I was relatively clear on the difference between spirit and soul.
To me, your soul is what you were born with. It’s relatively unchanging and it holds that which you value, that which you desire and that which you were made for. Spirit on the other hand develops as you experience life. Your spirit is formed as you gather better understanding of who you are, what you have to share and how you wish to share it.
Chi was the stopper for me. I wasn’t clear on how to differentiate this term from spirit and soul. My instructor brought up the point that perhaps it’s not different except that it simply encompasses everyone else’s spirit and soul as well. It’s an open flow of energy in all that you do and all that surrounds you. My chi feeds and nourishes your chi, just as yours feeds and nourishes mine. It’s natural energy that flows from within and surrounds us.
If that is so
- What kind of soul were you born with? What deep desires come forth when you sit quietly with yourself? What do you know you were made for?
- How has your spirit grown? What type of spirit would you like to grow into? How are you challenging yourself to embody that?
- When you enter a room, how does your chi affect others? Are you dark and gloomy, or bright and effervescent? Do you receive well? What can you do to be more open to the chi around you and also more generous with your own chi?
What a journey we are on. Mindfulness is a sacred practice. Keep your attention on how you feel with all your senses each moment. Life will unveil a whole new perspective in no time. If you’re already good at doing this, go deeper with it. Life will still unveil a whole new perspective in no time. Our work is never done. Our learning never completer and our joy completely unending. Sometimes we just need to open up to it.
With an open heart,
Coach Katie
Coach Katie Mattson • Momentum Coaching





