Qigong is a system of controlled body movements developed by Taoists, practitioners of Taoism some 3-4000 years ago in China. It has no Indian Buddhist origins, but Chinese Buddhists borrowed from the Taoism in later years and incorporated it into a diluted form of Chinese-style-Buddhist-Qigong, practiced and popularized by Shaolin temple's Chan Buddhism, which later spread to Japan and became known as Zen Buddhism. (Chan - Chinese, Zen-Japanese and means meditation)
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen
The primary goal of Taoist Qigong is to promote mind-peace, healing, health maintenance and ultimately prolong life. Longevity and physical immortality are advanced goals of serious and committed Taoists. The strategy is simple. Qigong trains one to be relaxed, to let go, and detach, calm the mind, thereby allowing Qi to flow more easily, blood will flow all over your body, blocks are opened and all organ and tissue repair and healing can take place. Feeling light, energized are the symptoms of a good qigong session. An important aspect to Taoist Qigong is the meditation aspect.
There's is an emphasis on " Emptying the Mind" during Qigong practice. But that's hard for most beginners, so they are encouraged to start by staying calm, removing all distractions like music, noise, talking, focus on a single point 2-3 metres in front :
> Let one thought replace a thousand thoughts
This is done whilst moving during the Qigong practice. The whole point of this mental aspect is to try to attain mind-peace.
> "To attain STILLNESS through (gentle repetitive) movement "
It can be said Qigong of this sort is a moving-meditation.
Taoists do not practice stationary ( not-moving ) meditation commonly found in Chinese-Buddhist style Qigong, which may involve standing still for 1 hour or sitting still cross legged etc
The confusion is that on the internet, many 'Taoist ' sites teach sitting qigong / meditation. It's become popular to mix and match, some groups like to mix Taoism with Buddhism and Confucianism... it's good to be aware of the differences.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen
The primary goal of Taoist Qigong is to promote mind-peace, healing, health maintenance and ultimately prolong life. Longevity and physical immortality are advanced goals of serious and committed Taoists. The strategy is simple. Qigong trains one to be relaxed, to let go, and detach, calm the mind, thereby allowing Qi to flow more easily, blood will flow all over your body, blocks are opened and all organ and tissue repair and healing can take place. Feeling light, energized are the symptoms of a good qigong session. An important aspect to Taoist Qigong is the meditation aspect.
There's is an emphasis on " Emptying the Mind" during Qigong practice. But that's hard for most beginners, so they are encouraged to start by staying calm, removing all distractions like music, noise, talking, focus on a single point 2-3 metres in front :
> Let one thought replace a thousand thoughts
This is done whilst moving during the Qigong practice. The whole point of this mental aspect is to try to attain mind-peace.
> "To attain STILLNESS through (gentle repetitive) movement "
It can be said Qigong of this sort is a moving-meditation.
Taoists do not practice stationary ( not-moving ) meditation commonly found in Chinese-Buddhist style Qigong, which may involve standing still for 1 hour or sitting still cross legged etc
The confusion is that on the internet, many 'Taoist ' sites teach sitting qigong / meditation. It's become popular to mix and match, some groups like to mix Taoism with Buddhism and Confucianism... it's good to be aware of the differences.
Qigong with an emphasis on extreme life extension and cultivation of the elixir is intimately connected to Daoyin, Neigong and Neidan, terms used in Taoist Internal Alchemy.
There are hundreds of varieties of Qigong vastly different in appearance and movement.
Some are highly effective, others are not. Perhaps it is wise to get proper references and to choose carefully.
Hint : Ask for evidence of it's efficacy !
Originally Qigong was an integral component of soft martial arts such as Taoist -Wudang based Tai Chi Chuan.
In fact Tai Chi can be regarded as a diluted form of Qigong. Put another way, Qigong is the heart of Tai Chi. Qigong is that component of Tai Chi that is responsible for all the health benefits of Tai Chi. It is the non martial component of Tai Chi.
However today, many people practise Tai Chi without much emphasis on the martial arts .
Qi = Energy , life energy
Gong = Cultivation work
Qigong is the process of allowing one's acupuncture channels to be opened, of moving one's body in a relaxed and open manner, with calm and Empty Mind, often cyclic in action, for the purpose of collecting Qi energy from the Environment and Cosmos, refining, circulating and distributing it around to body to facilitate normal biological functioning and promote natural healing and overall health maintenance. There is great emphasis to calm the mind, relax the body to open it's energy ( Qi) channels. In Taoist jargon , it is to fuse fire (li ) with water (kan ).
An important principle in Qigong practice is that the " body knows best, it alone can heal itself " ... all you and I can do is to ensure :
- it has nutritious CLEAN and natural food and clean air
- a relaxed environment
- enough sleep
- remove natural ( metabolic ) body toxins
- remove toxins introduced by food
- energy ( Qi )
For millions of elderly senior citizens in China, Qigong is the sole if not primary method of health maintenance given the fact many cannot afford Western based medicine.
It is interesting to note, that China does not have the same healthcare crisis prevalent in USA. It is common to see many Chinese in their 80s, not in wheelchairs, not attached to a colostomy bag, not stricken by Parkinson's, Alzheimers or Dementia.
When a person has enough Qi and enough Qi flow, he/she is always healthy, is protected from Cancer and all injuries or illness will heal quickly.
In many cases natural psychic abilities such as claivoyance, clairsentience telepathy is exhibited naturally
The idea is simple: feed the body enough nutritious food and Qi, and health, extreme longevity is inevitable.
Qi is the most precious thing to a Taoist. It is life giving. It is life itself. Living creatures have Qi, dead ones don't. Qigong practitioners like to say one does not die from old age, only disease ie. lack of Qi
3 terms used in Qigong
a. Jing = pre-semen substance in men, blood in women
b. Qi = energy
c. Shen = Positive Intelligent spirit
As one performs the Qigong,
- The body is relaxed
- The acupuncture channels channels are opened
- Cosmic Qi is collected
- Jing is automatically refined to Qi
- which in turn is refined to Shen
- which on ' cooling ' returns to the Jing state
- ....... the cycle repeats by itself
- Qi is encourage to circulate over the body via the microcosmic orbit
- The result is blood circulation is massively improved, Qi is used by the body to self heal
An analogy often used to describe this cycle is
The sun heats the water ( Jing) in the lake ,
- becomes vapour/steam ( Qi) ,
- which rises to become clouds ( Shen )
- When clouds cool, it rains and returns to the lake ( as Jing)
- And the cycle continues
Some qigong varieties have stationary stances similar to Indian Yoga
These tend to be alterations introduced by Chinese Zen Buddhists in the last 1500 years
Despite both being of Chinese origin, Taoist qigong differs in some significant ways from the later Buddhist qigong systems. It is my opinion proper Taoist qigong is safer and more effective in achieving Taoist goals of mind-peace and health and longevity.
Conservative and purist Taoists stipulate that Qigong must always involve motion, for only dead things stay still.
Qi energy does not flow well in a motionless body ( as in sitting meditation or a contorted Yoga stance or other Qigong styles )
Some herbs will help one gain / restore Qi . Eg Goji berries and Ginseng
Other herbs will remove toxins and promote Qi flow. Eg Dandelion, Burdock, Green tea etc
Acupuncture's main goal is to remove all blockage and stagnation of Qi.
Blockages is often felt as pain and tightness.
If Qi flows smoothly, blood flows as well and all healing takes place.
Taoist warns one not to use your own Qi to heal others,
instead teach others to heal themselves by learning and practisingQigong for at least 30mins daily
Taoism's contribution to Traditional Chinese Medicine - the 4 pillars:
1. Herbal medicine
2. Accupuncture
3. Tuina massage
4. Qigong
Notes:
1. Taoist qigong is safer than Buddhist based ( Shaolin) qigong
2. If a qigong style involves standing or sitting in stationary posture longer than 60 seconds, it is NOT Taoist qigong regardless of what the teacher claims ( eg Zhan Zhuang - "Hug a tree" stance or, San Ti- as in Xing Yi Quan are often taught by people claiming that to be Taoist...in fact it is a contamination originating from Buddhist schools. Such fusion accounts for at least most of the Qigong taught in the West )
3. If any qigong style involves standing or sitting in stationary posture longer than 60 seconds, it is not recommended.
4. There's a small chance that stationary qigong ( ie. non Taoist) maybe lead to qigong psychosis, as the stationary posture over prolonged periods causes qi to be stuck in the head resulting in hot temper, delusional thinking and mental instability, localized pains, headache, insomnia or uncontrolled spontaneous movements. This is commonly refered to as " zou huo ru mo "
5. A qigong style that invovles cyclic and repetitive movements is far more effective than those that have long sequences that rarely repeat eg Tai Chi
6. In Taoist qigong there is NO special breathing technique. Just breath normally, and any attempt at being conscious of your breath is NOT natural and therefore by definition a struggle and not Taoist in character.
7. The mind is ideally emptied of thoughts, but beginners may find it better to practice in a darkened room and focus on a stationery point/ object like the glowing tip of an incense ( but not a candle flame as it moves and distracts. ) When the mind is still the qi flows much better , and the efficiency rate is better
8. The ideal times for Qigong practice are 11-1pm, 11-1 am, 5-7 pm, 5-7 am. Such practice times will increase qi collection by 3 times more than at other times.
9. If you are tensed and such tension impedes qigong, consider caffeine restriction and increasing your daily Magnesium intake.
10. NEVER do qigong in direct sunlight, You will find it hard to sleep that night. Qigong under a full moon has high efficiency due to the moon's gentler energy.
11. For some, qigong too close to bed time may keep you up.
12. Avoid urinating or sitting down for 10mins immediately after a qigong session to allow the qi to settle properly
13. No special breathing techniques are necessary. In fact you should not have you be aware of your breathing seeking to control it....that is unnatural
14. However, being conscious of your breathing cycle, focussing on it to maintain a still mind and drive out all other distracting thoughts whilst doing Qigong is another matter and probably ok. As a focussing tool.
Another article on Qigong
