Alternative spellings

• qi gong
• chi kung (rarer)

Noun

Singular qigong

Plural uncountable

qigong (uncountable)

1. A Chinese system of breathing control, physical exercise and meditation.

Related terms

• Ba Duan Jin

Qigong (or ch'i kung) is an internal Chinese meditative practice which often uses slow graceful movements and controlled breathing techniques to promote the circulation of qi within the human body, and enhance a practitioner's overall health. There are also many forms of qigong that are done with little or no movement at all, in standing, sitting and supine positions; likewise, not all forms of qigong use breath control techniques. Although not a martial art, qigong is often confused with the Chinese martial art of tai chi. This misunderstanding can be attributed to the fact that most Chinese martial arts practitioners will usually also practice some form of qigong and to the uninitiated, these arts may seem to be alike. There are more than 10,000 styles of qigong and 200 million people practicing these methods. There are three main reasons why people do qigong: 1) To gain strength, improve health or reverse a disease 2) To gain skill working with qi, so as to become a healer 3) To become more connected with the "Tao, God, True Source, Great Spirit", for a more meaningful connection with nature and the universe.

In its simplest form, the Chinese character for qi, in qigong, can mean air, breath, or "life force". Gong means work, so qigong is therefore the practice of "working" with ones "life force". The term was not widely known until the 1970s during a period some call the "Qigong Wave" where groups of 10,000-40,000 people regularly gathered inside Chinese stadiums to practice qigong together. Some in the Chinese government became concerned that one quasi religious/political group (see Falun Dafa or Falun Gong)who practiced a qigong form of their own, might turn into a political weapon, and in 1999, banned all large qigong gatherings. Currently there is a movement underway in China, the United States, and Europe to preserve the valuable aspects of these traditional Chinese practices and to have them studied using Western scientific methods.

Attitudes toward a scientific basis for qigong vary markedly. Most Western medical practitioners and many practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as the Chinese government, view qigong as a set of breathing and movement exercises, with possible benefits to health through stress reduction and exercise. Other practitioners view qigong in more metaphysical terms, claiming that qi can be felt as a vibration or electrical current and physically circulated through channels called meridians. Many testify to a reduction or elimination of pain through the use of qigong.