CHAPTER 3 The science of Qi
We have seen above how the practice of Shiatsu has been influenced both by its Chinese roots and its Japanese development up to the present day. The unbroken tradition of Chinese medicine enshrined in the ancient texts from 220 BCE onward reveals an understanding of the forces which move our universe. Although they are often described allusively, in their essence they correspond to the laws of modern physics. The science of Qi, unlike Western science, cannot be proved by repeated experiments under controlled conditions. The nature of Qi itself and the principles that create it are by definition continually changing and cannot be artificially controlled.* This Eastern science is derived from contemplation and observation of the processes of change within the universe rather than minute investigation of the material world; it sees the bigger picture, without contradicting the principles of physics, or, in the case of Shiatsu, biology, (whose principles are, in any case, those of physics).
Yin, Yang and Qi (Ki in Japanese)
Yin and Yang in their play together create Qi, and as they are inseparable from each other they continually play and are thus continually indistinguishable from the play of Qi.
This same idea is expressed in Western terms thus by James Oschman, PhD: