氣功 Qigong (Chi Kung, Ch’i Kung)

氣 Qi or Chi (pronounced chee) means vital energy. This is the energy of all living things and the cosmos.
Thousands of years ago ancient Chinese masters had discovered through meditation and intuition what would take Albert Einstein to theorize and modern science to prove in modern times. Namely that everything, including all matter and even ourselves, is nothing but interwoven fields of energy.
The Key & The Lock 鍵
“One day long ago, a highly accomplished martial artist had reached the limits of his training. He desired to break through his current limits to reach new heights. So, he set off on a quest. He journeyed far and wide in search of a martial arts master who could teach him deeper secrets to unlock. After searching for over a year in vain, he finally came upon a very old master who he hoped had such secrets to reveal.”
How to See the Path of Chi (Qi/Ki) 氣
The above image is my artist representation of what it looks like to see the path of Chi (Qi/Ki) 氣. As your hand moves through your field of vision it looks like it creates a short trail of distortion similar to looking through rippling water.
Piercing the Matrix with Qigong
Einstein’s famous equation from his Theory of Special Relativity, E = MC2, shows that matter and energy are but two forms of the same thing. Matter is really just a stable form of energy. Einstein’s equation showed that this stable form of energy, seen as matter, can be released and transformed into pure energy, as seen in a nuclear reaction.
Modern Scientists Slowly Catching up to Ancient Taoists by Confirming the Anatomical Physical Foundation of Qigong Meridians
Western medical science had typically discounted the TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine, theory of acupuncture meridians because they could not find physical evidence of such channels. It turns out they were just not looking in the right places. Such long sought evidence is now beginning to pile up.
氣功 Qigong Meditation: You Cannot See the Vast Expanse of the Universe While the Sun Shines
Look up at the sky on a bright sunny day. What do you see? Very little really, just a vast expanse of blue sky with some white clouds floating by. If you were only awake and outside during the day you would have no idea that the vast expanse of the Universe was being hidden from you by the blazing light of the Sun. The Sun is but one tiny star among infinite others. But, because the Sun is so close to us, its light illuminates our atmosphere so brightly that it blots out everything else that would normally be visible in the sky.
Major Types of Qigong Exercises
Qigong or Chi Kung (pronounced chee-gong) means vital energy work or life energy cultivation.
It is a form of meditative exercise used to train the mind, body and spirit. Chi Kung uses a variety of methods in order to cultivate, regulate and flow the Qi.
There are three major types of Qigong exercises.
- Moving Meditation such as Ba Duan Jin and Tai Chi
- Standing Meditation such Wu Chi and Zhan Zhuang
- Sitting Meditation such as Nei Dan Small Circulation
The videos below show the practice of some beginner Qigong exercises including Ba Duan Jin and Tai Chi as well as an intermediate set of Zhan Zhuang exercises.
Stay tuned for more content as I flesh this Qigong section out!
Medical Studies of Qigong for Health Improvement
- A Comprehensive Review of Health Benefits of Chi Kung and Tai Chi
- Acute Physiological and Psychological Effects of Qigong Exercise in Older Practitioners
- EEG Brain Activity in Dynamic Health Chi Kung Training: Same Effects for Mental Practice and Physical Training?
- Qigong and Tai-Chi for Mood Regulation
- Levels of Fatigue and Distress in Senior Prostate Cancer Survivors Enrolled in a 12-Week Randomized Controlled Trial of Chi Kung
- Effects of Health Chi Kung Exercises on Relieving Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease
- Randomized Controlled Trial of Chi Kung/Tai Chi Easy on Cancer-Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors
- A randomized controlled trial of Chi Kung for fibromyalgia
- Many more Qigong medical studies…
Baduanjin videos are based on exercises described in the book – The Way of Energy
Tai Chi Meditative Movements are based on those described in – Chi Discovering Your Life Energy