In the Chinese energy system, Qi is found in all facets of what are known as the Three Powers (San Cai), which are comprised of Heaven (Tian), Earth (Di) and Man (Ren).  While all of these fields are constantly seeking balance, the most important one for us, and the most impactful in day to day life, is our own Qi, (Ren Qi).  Efforts to influence the health, longevity and power of this "human Qi" have been going on for nearly four thousand years.  

 

While an accurate use of the term Qi covers not only all things, but even the state of things, this four thousand years of focus on the human Qi system has brought our use of the term Qigong to be synonymous with the Qi circulating in the human body.  This energy system was often dismissed or confused in the West until the modern age when the true nature of Qi was defined through scientific study and has been clarified as electromagnetic energy or bioelectric current within the body.

 

With a better understanding of the term Qi and its use relative to the human body, we can further clarify Qigong.  In Chinese "Gong" is used instead of the term "Gongfu" or "Kung Fu" as it is used in the West, which means energy and time (any form of learning, study or training in life that requires a lot of time, effort and energy to acquire is called "Gongfu").  With this explanation you can see the definition of Qigong is any training or even study of Qi circulation in the human body that takes a long time and a lot of effort.  

 

The training of Qigong in total encompasses many different fields, several of which are mutually related and necessary to reach high levels.  These are herbal treatment, acupuncture, Qigong healing, Qigong exercises, martial Qigong, Qigong massage and religious enlightenment Qigong.  For this reason it is important to understand your approach to Qigong training, what you wish to accomplish and how best to impact your energetic system through systematic training with a qualified teacher.   

 

The simplest goal of training is to rebalance the intrinsic energy in the body through specific exercises, breathing practices and meditative techniques.  It is a unique mind and body discipline that the Chinese people have used effectively to cure disease and improve general vitality and health over the centuries.

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There are thousands of different Qigong exercises and many very popular sets of movements that have been passed down for generations.  The two main branches can be divided by their theory and methods as Nei Dan (Internal Elixir) and Wai Dan (External Elixir).  Nei Dan is generally associated with the Taoist method which focuses on soft, internal relaxation and steady, gentle movements with postures moving from soft to hard.  Wai Dan is associated with Buddhist Qigong which has strong, dynamic and external movements with postures moving from hard to soft (the Shaolin way). Different approaches with the same basic goal of achieving an equal balance of yin and yang within the body.

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Qigong has been known to calm the nervous system, adjust blood pressure, promote better digestion, improving mental focus and retention, normalize body weight, slow down the aging process and help with arthritis.  In many cases, the results are quite dramatic.  Our goal is to help optimize as many of these systems as possible by using several of the approaches listed above to find the right combination for each student.

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Many martial artists or athletes practice Qigong to enhance their power and skill.  The high level practitioner can bear enormous weights or withstand hard blows on his body.  The palm (iron palm) can be trained to smash a stone slab with a single blow.  Nevertheless, Qigong exercises should not be confused with any deception or supernatural activity.  Rather, it is a form of relaxed energy exercises that unlock a person's inherent energy and true potential with time, effort and consistent training.