What is Qigong?

Qigong is an ancient Chinese health care system integrating slow, simple, physical movements, breathing techniques, self-acupressure massage, nutrition, and meditation, to enhance one's personal wellness and good health. The word Qigong is made up of two Chinese words – "Qi", pronounced "chee" --meaning vital life energy. Qi is "prana" in India, "ki" in Japanese, "Great Spirit" in American Indian, and "ti" in Hawaiian. Qi is the animating universal, vibrational power that flows through all living things. Good health implies that the qi, or subtle energy, within our human bodies is flowing smoothly, like a calm stream, and is not blocked, or toxic, leading to illness, and dis-ease. A healthy person full of qi, is sometimes said to have "Big Qi". A person experiencing stress, or a resulting sickness, has depleted, or "Small Qi" – their vital life force, or energy is blocked and has weakened. "Gong", pronounced "gung", means work, or a skill that is cultivated through practice. Together, Qigong (Chi Gung) means working with essential, vital energy. Qigong has physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits, and can be practiced by anyone, regardless of age or physical fitness.

The Chinese have practiced Qigong for thousands of years, working with the healing energy found within our own bodies, and from the surrounding natural environment to help overcome the imbalances that weaken our strength, and give rise to disease. It is the mother of Traditional Chinese medicine, and the foundation for soft and hard martial arts such as T'ai Chi and Kung Fu, as well as Classical Yoga from India and Kiko from Japan. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of different Qigong forms that are practiced, such as Wuji/Swimming Dragon, Crane Style, Five Animal Frolics, Rooted Pine Qigong, and Primordial, to name a few.

Some Qigong Masters focus on teaching just one family "form", while others pass on the healing virtues of many forms and for different health or medical reasons. Qigong hospitals in China will often prescribe cancer patients with certain Qigong exercises to be done hours at a time, along with herbs, acupuncture, acupressure, and meditation as their healing therapies. Invasive surgery is most often the last resort. Many Eastern and Western doctors are currently being cross-trained in each others medical modalities to offer complementary strategies for the illnesses which bring suffering to so many patients.