There is an interesting question that our Hilot Binabaylan in Training asked me about that made me think of. This Question has never been asked to me before and never came into my mind.
But it was a good question though for those people that Hilot will be their second modality and it is much better we understand it more deeply in comparison to another modality such as in the concept of TCM. For me as my personal rule, a concept exist in our practices if it has a Filipino word in order to describe the concept. But in the case of the Merridian, I don't hear it more often in the words or vocabulary of Manghihilot, though given the fact that the practice of Hilot has an influence of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and even Traditional Arabic Islamic Medicine which was brought by pre-colonial trade of the Philippines to different countries. But what I often heard which our Authentic Filipino Traditional Manghihilot values most is the condition of our Ugat.
The word UGAT has many meaning for the Filipino. First it is a term for the english word root of a plant. And in Humans and Animals, it may pertain to the Blood Vessels, Nerve and even to the Spinal Cord. Thus we often heard of the condition of Pilay pertaining to Ipit Ugat or clipped nerve and Baradong Ugat petaining to clogged blood vessels. And this clogged blood vessels may come because of wind or nahanginan or nalamigan which means cold.
Since in Traditional Chinese Medicine defines Merridian as a pathway for the life force to flow, in the Philippine Traditiona Indigenous Medicine (PTIM) this merridians can be called as UGAT. As our Authentic Manghihilot believes it to be the pathways of Lifeforce within the Body of a Person.
Whereas the Concept of Ki, Chi, Qi or the lifeforce itself can either be described as Kisig or sigla. Kisig means elagance which can be seen in our posture, but it may be more appropriate to sigla or vigor which means good health and physical health. Though both Filipino words could describe Chi because the lifeforce that flows within us will result Kakisigan and Sigla as these word may describe a Healthy and Stong Person. Though we will do more research on this concept of Ki, Chi, Qi in the future.
And with these I want to thank everyone for Buying Us a Coffee here at Filipino Magick and I pray for your continues support that we may also continue conducting research and studies on the Beliefs and Practices of Philippine Indigenous Spirituality.
Until next time!