Experiencing, balancing and circulating qi are the essence of qigong. When the mind is
clear and calm you can achieve ‘emptiness of mind”— where you and the
universe become one. Qi (pronounced chee), has many meanings: energy, vital energy, air.
Qi is also used to describe anything related to feeelings. When you cook rice you put it
in a pot with water and add heat. After a while you see steam rising out of the rice. When
the ancient Chinese saw this they called ir qi’. Qi is something you can see,
something you can smell and feel, but it has no shape or form. Gong (pronounced kung)
means skill, exercise or work. Gong is a principle which states that accomplishments are
the results of a long period of daily practice. One definition we can give to qigong is
‘exercise with your vital energy’. In the Dao De Jing, Lao Zi wrote that the
‘Dao’ (the Chinese philosophy meaning ‘the right way’) cannot be
defined-each time you want to explain it, it has a different meaning. In order to explain
it, you need to experience it. Qigong is the same.
Qigong has been known by many different names; tu gu na xin, ‘expelling the old energy, drawing in the new’; yang shen, ‘nourishing the forces of life’; dao-yin, ‘leading and guiding the energy’. Its origins are lost in the depths of time. It is possibly 5000 years old and is thought to have evolved during China’s Middle Kingdom. Practice in India and Tibet helped influence this technique for developing the body-mind connection. Qigong was developed by ancient people who lived as one with nature. Many different styles of qigong evolved over the centuries, guarded zealously by the family or religious sect who developed it. Knowledge was secretly passed on through family lineages and monasteries. Many qigong styles vanished because they were not written down and in some cases the sole descendant of a lineage felt that no one was worthy enough to receive the ‘precious teachings’.
Until quite recently, China has little use for qigong. It was considered feudal and counterrevolutionary. Still, millions continued to practice, teach and learn. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) qigong was officially prohibited. In spite of this, there were so many people practicing with or without the government’s consent that qigong continued to flourish. In the 1980’s, rising health costs and dwindling resources forced the Chinese government to examine low cost health care alternatives. Scientific studies and research on qigong were begun and continue to this day. The results have been astounding. Studies show that daily practice of qigong helps eliminate many illnesses, strengthens the body, proplongs life, promotes creativity, improves the intellect and improves the over-all quality of life.
Qigong exercises follow the precepts of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) which says that an exercise shouls consist of two parts, the ‘inner’ and ‘outer’, both equally important (yin-yang concept). The inner exercises influence the meridians (acupucture points and channels) and the outer influences th emuscles, joints, ligaments and limbs. The qigong exercises preserves and stores qi in the body and helps bring about an exchange of qi between you and nature. The exercises are done slowly and are easy to learn. Daily practice (15-60 minutes) is necessary to achieve maximum results.
The Jade Pendant Inscription written on twelve pieces of jade during the Zhou Dynasty (6th century) describes qigong:
In breathing and moving qi, it is stored. If qi is stored it expands. When qi expands it descends. When qi descends it becomes stable. When qi becomes stable it will solidify. When qi solidifies it will begin to sprout. After qi has sprouted it will grow. When qi grows it retreats.When qi grows retreats it will reach heaven. Heavenly qi functions from above (yang) and earthly qi functions below (yin). Conformity to this leads to life while adverseness to this leads to death.
Resources:
101 Miracles of Natural Healing by Luke Chan, 1996
Qigong for Health and Vitality by Michael Tse, 1995
Way of Qigong by Kenneth S. Cohen, 1997