The following definitions of Qigong are examples of how people like to make things complicated.
A simple and correct definition:
"Qigong means working with the life energy, learning how to control the flow and distribution of qi to improve the health and harmony of mind and body."
A more complicated definition:
"Qigong is a wholistic system of self-healing exercise and meditation, an ancient, evolving practice that includes healing posture, movement, self-massage, breathing techniques, and meditation. Through these various methods, qi is accumulated and stored in the body, like filling a reservoir. Impure or polluted qi - the essence of disease - can also be cleansed and refined into pure, healing qi." (1)
Qigong has become a general word that covers a lot. Today, any kind of exercises with a Chinese background is called Qigong. It has become a magic word, something you have to do if you want to be cool…
So what is Qigong?
Let's look it up in a dictionary (2). Basically, qigong consists of two words:
Qi: air; gas; breath
Gong: meritorious deeds, merit, achievement; skill
The translation of the word Qigong is "a system of deep breathing exercises."
The word Qi is a mystery on itself. Initially, Qi was used to indicate something invisible or something unknown.
An example of this can be found in the historical book Guoyu, Zhouyu (3) which is 2600 years old. In this book is written: "… Concerning the earthquakes, Yangfu - the uncle of King Yie - said, "They are caused by an imbalance of the qi of the cosmos."
The word Qi was used to indicate something that was undoubtedly present but that could not be seen or named.
The history of the character Qi further explains this idea:
The first meaning of Qi was vapour. In Lishu - an ancient style of calligraphy used in the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), the character qi evolved to the combination vapour and fire.
In the Song Dynasty (960 - 1127 AD), TCM (4) understood the importance of food energy for the body. Not surprisingly, the character Qi changed into vapour / fire and rice.
There are several kinds of qi, each of which has a different meaning. Examples are:
Yuan qi: original qi, or qi produced by the body in the 3 dantians (5). This kind of Qi is closest to our Life Energy. When we speak about Qi, we usually mean Yuan Qi (6).
Nei qi: internal qi
Wai qi: external qi
Wei qi: protective qi
Prenatal qi (xiantian qi) which is yang and postnatal qi (houtian qi) which is yin. This concept is very interesting and an example of the taiji or yin-yang philosophy in the body. Through negative abdominal breathing - inhale and pull in the belly, exhale and expand the belly - the postnatal qi which is formed in the lungs, is mixed with the prenatal qi in the abdomen (7). This kind of breathing is called qitong (to permeate and mix the qi) and is extremely important in qigong and taijiquan. The definition of Qigong as breathing techniques can be re-phrased now:
Qigong is a method to cultivate the Qi or Life Energy.
"Qigong is a system of gentle physical exercises and postures, breathing techniques and visualization techniques. The purpose of practicing qigong is balancing the flow of energy in and around the body and getting re-connected to your true higher self."
Qigong can also be translated as cultivating the Qi through long and persistent practice. Be honest, most of us don't like this translation ! But it means that when we practice qigong, we have to be patient and keep on practicing..
More than 2000 years ago, there were already several self-healing exercises in China, like:
tu gu na xin, which means expelling the old energy, drawing in the new
xing qi, which means moving the qi
dao-yin, which means bringing out
Several ancient documents mention the term daoyin which is considered to be the original qigong:
Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine: recommends dao-yin to cure chills and fevers
Dao De Jing (a philosophical book written by Lao Zi)
In the tomb of King Ma (Han dynasty, 206 BC - 24 AD), a piece of silk was found with 4 rows of 11 figures showing how to perform daoyin exercises.
The therapeutic use of the term qigong dates from 1936: a certain Dong Hao published in Hangshou a work entitled Special Therapy for Tuberculosis: Qigong. Since that time, qigong has been widely used in this medical sense, representing all Chinese self-healing exercise and meditation disciplines (8).
Notes:
(1) The way of Qigong, Kenneth S. Cohen
(2) Concise Dictionary English-Chinese, Chinese-English (Oxford)
(3) Buqi Newsletter, April 2000: This book deals with the Zhou Dynasty.
(4) Traditional Chinese Medicine
(5) Dantian: Energy center in the body.
(6) Life energy is produced by and stored in the dantian. The lower dantian in the lower abdomen stores qi and pumps it through the body. The upper dantian is in the head and according to Chinese theories, mental power is considered to be a vital force and thus produces yuanqi. The middle dantian is located near the cardiac orifice (stomach entrance). The function of the stomach is to digest food and produce energy for the body.
(7) Remember that the unborn child receives energy via the umbilicus.
(8) Catherine Despeux, La Moelle du Phénix Rouge: santé ét longue vie dans la Chine du XVI siècle.
