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Tai Chi or taiji - a Chinese system of self-development with relaxed, fluid movements - is recognised as being good for stress, balance, blood pressure and general health. Our free international directory contains thousands of listings for taiji, qigong and related exercises / martial arts. As a community resource we welcome feedback as well as articles etc. from instructors and students.

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The practice of Qigong arises from the deep past of China and its neighbours. It is known as the root of all Chinese medicine and philosophy. Through the profound perceptions of its early practitioners, the meridians and points of acupuncture were discovered and charted and the healing nature of foods and herbs was established.

Qigong can broadly be defined as the practice of cultivating the subtle energy, or Qi. Qi may be translated as breath, as the cosmic breath of life itself, as the vibrational force which animates matter. Gong implies work and the benefits accumulated over time through dedicated practice. Qigong, then, is a way of working with subtle energy to achieve some benefits.

Exactly what benefits will depend on style and focus. There are many styles ranging from the martial to the meditative. Qigong may be used to achieve good health, to develop healing abilities, to become powerful in combat, to become accomplished artistically or to achieve spiritual realisation, or sometimes a combination of these.

This article is not a practical guide to Qigong but rather a discussion of some of its essential principles. These principles are part of the guidance I usually give to a class as  preparation for Qigong and as a way of entering the “Qigong state”. They can be seen as forming the foundation of good practice.

Some Qigong principles

1) Relaxed attention

There is an apparent tension between these two words. We are asked simultaneously to relax and to pay attention. To relax  is to become soft, let go of tension, forget about worries, settle down. To pay attention is to be alert, concentrate, wake up. Qigong demands a balance of these two states. We are asked to relax without collapsing our posture, becoming dreamy or falling asleep and to pay attention without tightening the muscles, holding the breath or becoming too intense.

Relaxed attention, or attentive relaxation, is necessary to enter the Qigong state. If we relax but fail to be attentive, we enter a state closer to sleeping than the Qigong state. If we concentrate too tightly, without softness, we will also fail to achieve the Qigong state through constricting the energy flow. The Qigong state is an attunement of the bodymind to the subtle world, a coming-into-resonance with the subtle energy, or Qi. It is a relaxed, awake and pleasant state in which profound levels of healing are possible.

Qigong can be thought of as an active form of rest. Although Qigong can be quite strenuous and demanding at times, it is distinguished from most western styles of movement by the restful quality that informs its practice. Recently a Channel 4 series about Qigong played on this concept calling itself “Stand still, be fit”. It is this “not-doing” which makes it quite a challenging practice for most westerners.