Qigong pronounced
chee-gong consists of two Chinese characters:
Qi: the vital energy that is
found in all things
Gong: the practice and method of cultivate
the Qi
In short, qigong is a process of obtaining the vital energy from the universe through cultivation of mind and body
It integrates the training of mind and
consciousness with bodily relaxation,
breath, concentration and visualization
Traditional Qigong
handed down through generations of qigong masters for
thousands of years forms the foundation of
many aspects of Chinese culture
and history, such as the traditional Chinese
medicine (TCM) and martial arts
Qi Gong (Chi Kung) means literally, "Energy
Cultivation," and refers to exercises which improve health and longevity
as well as increase the sense of harmony within oneself and in the world.
There are thousands of such exercises. In fact, anything you do with the
intention of benefiting your energy can be considered Chi Kung. All Chi
Kung contains common principles - mind, eyes, movement and breath. Another
way to express this is - the mind is the presence
of intention, the eyes are the focus of intention,
the movement is the action of intention, the breath is the flow of intention.
These are the "secrets" of Chi Kung - and they are often taught at the
beginning of training. Of course it takes years of exploring these ideas
in practice to begin to truly grasp their
significance.
In remote areas of China, Buddhist and
Taoist adepts sought to increase their internal energy and keep it flowing
freely throughout their long days of seated meditation.
Some say that an Indian Buddhist named Bodhidarma
(or Tamo, or Damo) first brought Qi Gong to a Taoist temple in China. This
would suggest that Qi Gong's roots are in India. Then again, others say
that Qi Gong was first created in China. Qi Gong is something that any
human being can discover within him or herself. Witness a child running
onto the warm sands of the beach sometime. Notice how deeply they breath
in the salty air or how their arms open wide to embrace all the fun that
lies before them. This is Qi Gong in its purist form. Children have a natural
relationship with the energy of their environment. Adults have to learn
what comes naturally to our offspring. Any argument as to where Qi Gong
was "invented" misses the reality of what Qi Gong really is.
The word Qi (Chi) is used to describe breath,
vapor, air, and of course, the internal energy that Chinese medicine is
so adept at strengthening. Gong (Kung) means work, or achievement.
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