chinese qi gong

in ancient times, qigong was called tu na( exhaling and inhaling), lian qi (training of vital energy), dao yin( guiding and inducing), nei gong( internal self-exertion training), sitting quietly, meditation, or breathing exercises. it is one of the legacies in the treasure house of traditional chinese medicine. it has been shown to have particularly outstanding effects in treating choronic and difficult diseases.

according to traditional chinese medical theory, the qi in qigong is not only the air people breathe, but also the vital energy in the body, which is also called “genuine qi” or “internal qi”. in terms of modern medicine, “vital energy” is equal to disease resistance, adaptability to the environment and the healing ability of the body.

the practice of qigong causes one to exhale waste qi, inhale fresh qi, preserve the anti-pathogenic vital energy in the body, strengthen the health, resist senility, and prolong life. when practiced for a long period of time, one can become aware of a stream of heat( vital energy) or qi being transmitted through the body. sometimes this can be released from the body, and then it is known as external qi. internal qi, on the other hand, follows the channels(or meridians, as they are sometimes called) and collaterals within the body. according to traditional chinese medicine, it is the channels and collaterals that link the five viscera and six entrails, limbs and bones, five senses and nine orifices with the various tissues and organs of the superficial portion of the body, giving the body organic integrity. the channel system consists of the regular channels and extra channels, whereas the collateral system is composed of the bie collaterals, sun collaterals, and fu collaterals. however, the main trunks are the 12 regular channels and the du and ren channels.

when the internal qi is transmitted along these channels and collaterals, the blocks withinthem will be removed, the qi and blood will synergize, and the vital energy will be preserved within the body.

generally speaking, in qigong training the practitioner regulates the mind, the breathing can the physical body by way of exercises called daoyin, or guiding and inducing. mental daoyin has to concentrate thoughts on one object so as to put the cerebral cortex in a special inhibitory state. breathing daoyin includes exhaling, inhaling, breahing out deeply, blowing aspirating and holding the breath. daoyin of the physical body requires such as walking, standing, siting, kneeling, and massaging.

qigong has a long history of more than 3,000 years. in huang di nei jing (the yellow emperor’s chassic of internal medicine), the oldest medical classic china, there is a chapter called “natural truth in ancient times”, which reads:” when one is completely free of wishes or ambitions, he will reallyget the genuine vital energy. when one concentrates his consciousness internally, how can disease attack him? one must breathe the essence of life, defend oneself independently by regulating one’s respiration to preserve one’s spirit and make the muscles remain unchanged.”

historically, there were numerous kinds of qigong exercises, including those of the taoists, buddhists and confucians. up to now, 396 kinds of qigong exercises have appeared in book form in china. there are different classifications of qigong. it can be classified into health-protecting qigong, therapeutic qigong and martial-art qigong, or hard (or tough) qigong and soft qigong. hard qigong is also called kungfu qigong. soft qigong includes health-protecting qigong and therapeutic qigong.

qigong can also be classified into static qigong, dynamic qigong, hard qigong and emitting qigong. the first two refer to the qigong practices with or without “ external movements” which means the involuntary movements occurring spontaneously when one has reached the state of tranquility. emitting qigong refers to the skill by which a qigong master emits external qi for treating patients or attacking the opponent at a certain distance in martial arts.

qigong is becoming part of the daily life of millions of chinese people as a way to keep fit in both mind and body. in its more developed form it is effective in adjusting the functions of the nervous, respiratory, digestive, blood circulation and endocrine system. in short, qigong proves to be able to prevent and treat diseases, protect and strengthen health, and prolong life.