Basic Qigong theories

What is Qigong?

With roots in ancient Chinese culture dating back more than 2,000 years, Qigong is a system of coordinated body-posture and movement, breathing, and meditation.

The term “Qigong” is a combination of two words: “Qi,” which means “subtle breath” or “vital energy,” and “Gong,” which translates to “skill cultivated through steady practice.” Together, the words describe an age-old practice that harnesses the power of breath, movement, and intention setting to create health and balance within the body.

People practice Qigong throughout China and worldwide for recreation, exercise, relaxation, preventive medicine, self-healing, alternative medicine, meditation, self-cultivation, and training for martial arts.

What is the difference between Qigong and other exercises?

As distinguished from other exercises, Qigong is part of traditional Chinese medicine and it focuses on the flow of Qi. In practicing Qigong, we learn to sense the Qi and direct the Qi flow with physical movements and intentions instead of forcing ourselves into certain movements and postures.

The 2013 English translation of the official Chinese Medical Qigong textbook used in China¹ defines Qigong as “the skill of body-mind exercise that integrates body, breath, and mind adjustments into one” and emphasizes that Qigong is based on “adjustment” of body, breath, and mind. As such, Qigong is viewed by practitioners as being more than common physical exercise, because Qigong combines postural, breathing, and mental training in one to produce a particular psychophysiological state of being.

Qigong is commonly classified into two foundational categories: 1) Active Qigong, with slow flowing movement; and 2) Passive Qigong, with still positions and inner movement of the breath.

Practitioners range from athletes to people with disabilities. Because it is low impact and can be done lying, sitting, or standing, Qigong is accessible for people with disabilities, seniors, and people recovering from injuries.

Qigong based on ancient Chinese Medicine theories

The origins of Qigong lie in traditional Chinese medicine and philosophy. There are three sets of basic concepts:

1) Qi and Meridians

Qi embraces all manifestations of energy, from the most material aspects of energy (such as the earth, mountain, river, and flesh and blood) to the most immaterial aspects (light, movement, heat, nerve impulses, thought, and emotion). Qi, often referred to as “energy flow”, “cosmic energy” or “life force”, is the intangible but very real spiritual energy or life force underlying all living beings. Qi regulates a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance and well-being.

Ancient acupuncture theory holds that there are over 2,000 acupuncture points in our body, which are joined together to form a network, called the meridian system. Qi is believed to travel through the body along twelve main meridians and eight extraordinary meridians. The main meridians, with numerous smaller branches and tributaries, correspond to different major organs of the body. The extraordinary meridians act as deep reservoirs of Qi and blood for the main meridians. A person is considered to become ill or die when Qi becomes diminished or unbalanced. Health is considered to be returned by rebuilding Qi, eliminating Qi blockages, and correcting Qi imbalances.

2) Yin and Yang

Yin and Yang are terms used to describe relative opposite qualities or manifestations of Qi. If Yin is form, then Yang is function. If Yin is material, then Yang is immaterial. The two complementary forces of Yin and Yang make up all aspects and phenomena of life.

Yin is a symbol of earth, femininity, darkness, passivity, and absorption. Yang is conceived of as heaven, masculinity, light, activity, and penetration. The two are both said to proceed from the Great Ultimate (Taiji), their interplay on one another (as one increases the other decreases) being a description of the actual process of the universe and all that is in it. In harmony, the two are depicted as the light and dark halves of a circle.

In human lives, when all of the Yin and Yang aspects of Qi are in harmony with one another, there may be health, wellbeing and contentment. When Yin and Yang are in disharmony, then there may be illness, pain, emotional turmoil, and suffering.

3) Five Phases of Transformation

The concept of Yin and Yang is associated in Chinese thought with the idea of the Five Phases—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—both of these ideas lending substance to the characteristically Chinese belief in a cyclical theory of becoming and dissolution and an interdependence between the world of nature and human events.

In the light of the basic properties of the Five Phases, analogy and induction can be used to categorize things in order to decide the properties of different things. The interactions among the Five Phases are either normal or abnormal. The former includes inter-promotion and inter-restraint and the latter includes over restraint (or subjugation) and reverses restraint which are actually the abnormal manifestations of inter-restraint.

The operation of the Five Phases can be seen within the human body. Each of the Yin organs is paired with a Yang organ, and these pairs share specific meridian pathways, tissues, muscles, and energetic functions.

Properties and Affiliated Organs of the Five Phases

Benefits of Qigong

Qigong follows the above traditional Chinese medicine principles to removes obstacles to promote a healthy flow of Qi through simple poses and patterned breathwork. In China, where it is considered a “standard medical technique”, Qigong is commonly prescribed to treat a wide variety of conditions in hospitals and rehab centers.

To be specific, the slow, gentle movements of Qigong warm up the tendons, ligaments, and muscles; mobilize the joints; and promote the circulation of body fluids (like blood, synovial, and lymph). The deep breathing of Qigong calms the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) nervous system and activates the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) side of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary processes like breathing, heartbeat, and digestion. By tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system, qigong can help reduce stress and anxiety, which has many implications for health.

Therefore, practicing Qigong routinely helps improve vitality, enhance circulation, strengthen the immune system and promote self-healing power. This contributes to more lively energy in daily activities, a focused, clear and sharp mind, more balanced emotions, and ultimately increased enjoyment of life.

[1] Liu, Tian Jun; Qiang, Xiao Mei, eds. (2013). Chinese Medical Qigong, Third Edition. Singing Dragon. ISBN 978-1-84819-096-2.