"Do not fight the river's current. Instead become the water that flows with it." - Chen Tian
What is
Qigong?
With its roots in ancient Chinese culture dating back more than 2,000 years, Qigong is a system of coordinated body-postures and movements that are combined with gentle deep breathing to achieve a calm and focused state of meditation.
It promotes and enhances health, spiritual development, and martial arts training. With its origins in Chinese medicine and philosophy, Qigong is a practice that aims to cultivate and balance energy in the form of Qi.
The term Qigong was first promoted in the late 1940s and 1950s to refer to a broad range of Chinese self-cultivation exercises that place their emphasis on promoting health. Qi can be translated as air, gas or breath but is more often translated as the metaphysical concept of a 'vital energy'. This is an energy that circulates through the body and the world around us.
Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts.
Gong is often translated as cultivation or work, and definitions can include practice, skill, and mastery.
A wide variety of Qigong forms have developed within different parts of Chinese society and culture:
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In traditional Chinese medicine for preventive and curative functions.
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In Confucianism to promote longevity and improve moral character.
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In Taoism and Buddhism as part of meditative practice.
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In Chinese martial arts to enhance physical and mental performance.
Traditional Chinese qigong incorporates a number of Taoist theories including:
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Yin and Yang and Five Elements Theory,
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the Three Treasures Theory,
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Zang-Xiang Theory,
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Meridians, and the Qi-Blood Theory.
These theories also form the foundations for what is often referred to as Traditional Chinese Medicine, central to which is the idea that illness and disease emerge when Qi becomes diminished, unbalanced, or stagnant. As a result treatment focuses on rebuilding Qi by eliminating Qi blockages and correcting Qi imbalances.
Qi is believed to be cultivated and stored in three main dantian energy centers and to travel through the body along twelve main meridians, with numerous smaller branches and tributaries. The main meridians also correspond to twelve main organs. Traditional Chinese Medicine aims to harmonise the flow of Yin and Yang energy through this system and in doing so restore health and balance the flow of Qi .
Qigong practice aims to promote mental and physical health by strengthening the body, mind and spirit.
“Body practice is the root of spiritual practice. When we calm the body, the mind can expand without limit.”
― Kenneth S. Cohen, The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing
