Qigong literally means “life energy work”. It is a healing art, a way of cultivating physical, spiritual, emotional and psychical health, that originated in China about seven thousand years ago.
Qigong can be described as a mind-body-spirit practice that improves one’s mental and physical health by integrating posture, movement, breathing technique, self-massage, sound, and focused intent. There are thousands of qigong styles, schools, traditions, and lineages, each with practical applications and different theories about Qi ( “vital energy”) and Gong (“skill cultivated through steady practice”).
There are over 7,000 recorded exercises designed to increase qi energy and qi flow throughout the body. These exercises became qigong or chi kung. There are two types of qigong. Pure qigong is used for health, longevity and spiritual fulfillment. Martial arts qigong is used to increase fighting abilities. These exercises are supplemented with pure qigong and daoist meditation to maximize the fighter’s abilities.
The movements in Qigong are not as intricate as those in Tai Chi. Qigong movements are free in movement and can be merged with an individual’s moving manner. The same move may look slightly different depending on the person and it provides the same healing benefits. Qigong movements are practiced individually: each is repeated before progressing to the next. By repetition, Qi is generated to replenish the lost Qi.