Qi Gong

Qi Gong is an aspect of Chinese medicine that has been around for centuries. It involves the way that a person coordinates their breath into different patterns of breathing. Along with the various patters of breathing, a person coordinates different postures and motions of their bodies. These different postures that go along with different breathing techniques might resemble Yoga in a way. This practice has been around for many years, and it is something that lots of people, in Chinese countries as well as Western countries, take part in, like Yoga, for a variety of reasons.

Qi Gong is taught to people as a way of maintaining the health that they already have. Most of the time, it is used as a way to heal and strengthen your body, as well as to maintain it. However, some teach Qi Gong as therapeutic intervention. Many people can see the benefits of simple breathing and movement exercises in the way that they pertain simply to their own lives. However, there are people who view these kinds of exercises as things that help the universe as a whole, and participate in them for these reasons.

There are many different forms of Qi Gong, and many of them are taught traditionally as parts of different Chinese Martial Arts. Training in Qi Gong is also found in the advanced stages of what are called "internal martial arts", or Neijia. Each of the different forms contain basically the same types of things, breathing exercises and movement exercises that correspond with each other. Some of the movements are slightly different in different forms of Qi Gong, but the overall purpose and idea is the same.

In ancient times, people believed that they could change things by using certain body movements along with mental concentrations. These, combined with the various breathing techniques, would enhance and balance the physical and metabolic functions of their bodies, as well as enhancing their mental capabilities. Those that began Qi Gong worked out the movement and breathing techniques over time by exploring the natural range of motion that the body is capable of producing, and matching it with the various types of breathing that a person can do. They began by imitation different animals. After this careful research was passed down and taught, as well as refined, from teachers to students, the body of knowledge that was accumulated became known as Qi Gong.

In current times, there are perhaps more than 3,300 styles of Qi Gong incorporated into slightly different schools of thought. The general idea behind Qi Gong is incorporated into the traditional Chinese belief that there is an energy field that surrounds the body. This field is made and maintained by the body's breath, or its natural respiration sequences. This is called the Qi. This word means "breath" or "gas" in the Chinese language of Mandarin. Because the energy produced by breathing correctly is what keeps the body alive, Gong means "technique", or "work". When you put these two words together, Qi Gong means "breath work". This makes sense, because the general principle is that the breathing work is what is keeping your body alive, so therefore it is essential that you are doing it correctly in order to get the most out of your life. It is important in the martial arts, and in other forms of these arts, to maintain and to achieve good health by carefully controlling and regulating the way that you breathe.

As with any different medicine, there are various ways that Qi Gong is viewed. Most of the people that practice Western medicine view it as simply a breathing and movement exercise. They see it as having possible benefits to a person because of its ability to reduce stress, and also because it is an exercise that people can do. There are many people who practice traditional Chinese medicine who view Qi Gong in this same way, which is also the view of the practice by the Chinese government. However, there are many people who see Qi Gong in a much more metaphysical light, who claim that these simple breathing and movement exercises might change and influence most of the fundamental forces of the universe.