Qigong for a Healthy Life

Most people have heard of acupuncture or Chinese herbs but how many know much about qigong and especially medical qigong? Qigong is also written as “chi kung” or chi gung” and is pronounced “chee gung”. It is the oldest but least known aspect of Chinese Medicine – at least in the West. It is very well known in China where many people can be seen practising qigong or tai chi in the parks in the early hours of the morning.

Many people have heard of tai chi, the martial art where the slow form is the first thing learned by students. The slow form is very graceful and many people practise it purely for health and some may not even know that it is a very powerful martial art. It can also be regarded as a form of qigong.

Qi is the vital force or life energy which gives all living things life. It is the energy behind all functions of the human body. It keeps us healthy as long as it is flowing freely and smoothly and not being obstructed in any way. Looked at in one way, it is similar to the Western concept of the immune system. When we have enough qi we can resist illness and fight off infections. When our qi is reduced, we become more susceptible.

In acupuncture, the many meridians or channels (along which acupuncture points are located) are the main routes that qi flows along. However, the flow of qi it is not restricted to those routes and one kind of qi, called defensive or protective qi, extends some distance beyond the surface of the body. It’s this kind of qi that defends us from infections.

What is medical qigong? It’s the art of cultivating and circulating our qi for healing and health. It has its origins in ancient Chinese shamanic techniques. In the modern day there are forms with a long history such as Wild Goose Qigong which has been passed down for 28 generations from the original daoists who observed the grace and strength of the wild geese in the Kunlun mountains of China. There are also modern forms created by present-day doctors such as Dr. Xu Hongtao, the head of the Qigong and Tuina department at Xiyuan hospital in Beijing. He has created the effective Guigen Qigong which is practised in the hospital every afternoon in his department.

There are thousands of forms of qigong today and a form can be found to suit anyone. You may be very fit already or you may be in a wheelchair. It doesn’t matter! Everyone can benefit! The forms vary from very simple and easy to learn to very long and complex. It would be best to start with a simple and easy to learn form which would take only a few minutes a day to practise but would have many health-giving benefits.

Qigong is gradually becoming more popular in the West and so you can probably find someone teaching it close by. If not there are many DVDs available of various forms.