Qigong, which is pronounced "chee kung," is one of the pillars of traditional Chinese medicine along with acupuncture, acupressure and herbal medicine. It includes various energy-based practices, including tai chi. Qigong "combines slow graceful movements with mental concentration and breathing to increase and balance a person's vital energy," according to the Qigong Institute, and it is sometimes called Chinese yoga.
Ancient History
Qigong's origins go back about 5,000 years, according to Shen Nong Ltd., a group promoting traditional Chinese medicine. It may have started as a type of "remedy dancing" invented for healing and health preservation. It began to take on religious overtones during the Han dynasty, which ran from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D., as religious practitioners, particularly Buddhists, incorporated qi control into their efforts to control their minds, bodies and spirits and transcend the reincarnation cycle.
Recent History
Qigong was popular in the 20th century in China, particularly during the so-called "qigong wave" of the 1980s. But it eventually attracted suspicion from authorities because of its association with the Falun Gong spiritual movement, and by the late 1990s the Chinese Communist Party had made most forms of it illegal, according to the "New York Times." Since that time, qigong has gained fans in the United States, and many of the top teachers of the techniques have immigrated from China to North America. Incidentally, the term "qigong" entered widespread usage only after 1993, when Liu Gui-zheng published a paper called "Practice on Qigong Therapy."
Benefits
Qigong can help to reduce stress and enhance immunity, and is sometimes employed to treat specific diseases such as arthritis and cancer, based on the idea that illnesses arise from energy imbalances. Practitioners say it also can alleviate joint and muscle aches, increase energy, deepen breathing and improve sleep, according to the "New York Times."
Types
The five major qigong traditions are Confucian, Buddhist, Taoist, medical and martial arts. Each involves its own training methods. Despite the practice's association with religion through the ages, you do not have to hold any religious belief to learn qigong, according to Shen Nong. Medical qigong is the only type that focuses on treating specific illnesses. Other types of qigong benefit health only in a general sense.
Expert Insight
Kimberly Ivy, founder of Embrace the Moon School for Taijiquan and Qigong in Seattle, doubts qigong will ever rival yoga in number of practitioners, despite its growing fan base. That is in part, she says, because "you can't really get a beautiful body -- it's such an internal practice." Ivy adds: "Qigong does not have the same cult of personality as yoga. How do you get celebrity status when you are standing still, breathing?"
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