Qi Gong is a gentle health promoting practice originating in China that anyone can do. It strengthens the body’s overall vitality, increases longevity, and relaxes the mind and emotions. Many qi gong and taiji masters in China are elderly, in their 80s and older, outwardly appearing old, but having the vitality of someone much younger.
What is Qi Gong? Many people are familiar with a Chinese practice called taiji or tai chi. Not as many have heard of qi gong (chee-gong), sometimes spelled chi gong. Taiji is comprised of a set of qi gong movements that are put together to create a taiji form. Qi gong’s primary focus is on preserving health, while taiji has two foci, the second focus being a type of martial arts practice used also for self-defense. The term, ‘qi’, refers to the animating life force energy that flows through all living things, including people, animals, and plants. “Gong” is most often translated as work or practice.
There are four main schools of qi gong. One school focuses on meditation practices, the second school emphasizes breathing work, the third focuses on stretching, and the fourth emphasizes movement of the body. Some qi gong forms also incorporate sound into the work. Practitioners practice for their own health, and when they have mastered a certain level of practice, can emit (send) qi for the purpose of healing of another person.
I am a master teacher, having completed a six-year training program through the Ling Gui International Healing Qi Gong School, as well as receiving training for additional teachers. I teach qi gong sets that are oriented to preserving health during each season of the year, practices to calm the emotions, and sets that support various functions of the body, including the lungs, heart, kidneys, spleen, and joints.