Qigong covers exercises that involve standing still, sets of repeated movements, sitting meditations and sequences of movements that resemble a dance. The well-known Taiji Qigong is a set of exercises based on the martial art of Taijiquan (Tai Chi).
From the nineteen fifties the Chinese state tried to collect and standardise the many lineages of Chinese Medicine and Qigong passed down through families, martial arts schools and temples, to create a single entity called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). As part of this project, many Qigong Masters were asked to contribute their knowledge, and, for a while, Qigong thrived in China. “Medical Qigong” was developed by Chinese doctors at various hospitals as an adjunct to treatment, occasionally with input from traditional teachers and martial artists, Buddhist and Taoist.
In general, the period since the end of the Qing dynasty (1911) was not kind to the ancient lineages, many of which have almost disappeared as China suffered through many wars and upheavals.
Nowadays it is difficult to practise Qigong in China: the Chinese government has banned one particular group and this has affected all Qigong teachers. You are more likely to see people dancing or doing aerobics in parks in China instead of people practising Qigong, but, thanks to the forethought of a few traditional teachers, some of the ancient skills are being preserved and taught in the West.
From the nineteen fifties the Chinese state tried to collect and standardise the many lineages of Chinese Medicine and Qigong passed down through families, martial arts schools and temples, to create a single entity called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). As part of this project, many Qigong Masters were asked to contribute their knowledge, and, for a while, Qigong thrived in China. “Medical Qigong” was developed by Chinese doctors at various hospitals as an adjunct to treatment, occasionally with input from traditional teachers and martial artists, Buddhist and Taoist.
In general, the period since the end of the Qing dynasty (1911) was not kind to the ancient lineages, many of which have almost disappeared as China suffered through many wars and upheavals.
Nowadays it is difficult to practise Qigong in China: the Chinese government has banned one particular group and this has affected all Qigong teachers. You are more likely to see people dancing or doing aerobics in parks in China instead of people practising Qigong, but, thanks to the forethought of a few traditional teachers, some of the ancient skills are being preserved and taught in the West.
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