What is Qigong?
Qigong is a low impact exercise that calms the mind, enhances emotions and improves flexibility in the body. ‘Qi’ means ‘Energy’ and ‘Gong’ is often translated as ‘Skill’ hence being more skilful with our energy.
You may well be familiar with Tai Chi – this ancient practice shares many similarities as Tai Chi developed from Qigong long ago.
Qigong is often seen as an easier practice than Tai Chi – there are many forms and sets in Tai Chi that flow from one to the other without pausing and this requires many years of practise to perfect.
Fortunately, to practise Qigong, you do not need any special equipment or clothing and anyone at any age can benefit. We usually stand during a session but can also perform seated and floor Qigong.
Qigong encompasses so much such as mindfulness, stretching, moving meditation and these all assist in many areas of day-to-day life: emotional stability, the ability to remain present in the moment, improved aerobic exercise, deeper and more beneficial breathing.
​Qigong dates back over 4000 years. No doubt the original Qigong is very different from the one that is practised today and this evolution over time is a big part of its appeal to many people.
The ancient Chinese developed Qigong through observation – watching the way people move, breathe and communicate. They also studied nature such as a running stream, the way a tree sways in the wind or how a snake coils on the ground. Nature, animals and people develop patterns and repeat them in ever increasing ways which led the early founders of Qigong and Taoism (Daoism) to begin movements to mimic these patterns and incorporate them into their practise.
You will find lots of spiralling movements, calm breathing, vigorous activation (such as knocking the body), blissful stretches and mindful warmups within a Qigong session. This is what is often called ‘waking up the energy’ or ‘moving the energy in the body’. Once the body’s energy has been activated, the moving meditation; or flow, part of the practice can commence.
