Healing Systems
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QiGongWhere Did QiGong Originate?
The practice and documented history of QiGong goes back approximately 2-300 years, however Chinese historians and archaeologists have found references to techniques similar to QiGong which date 5,000BC. Legends from the Shang dynasty describe how tribal members would perform exercises which imitated the movements of wild animals to cure conditions related to the cold and dampness.
As the basic principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine evolved, such as the five element theory, yin/yang imbalance being the root cause of all conditions, and an understanding of the vital energy flow through the energy channels of the body, various healing techniques evolved based on these understandings. These techniques included acupuncture, Chinese herbalism, and QiGong.
QiGong was first noted for healing during the Han Dynasty in the ancient Chinese medical text "Huang Di Nei Jing" (The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine), originating between approximately 300 and 100 B.C.E. The illustrations of Chinese healer Hua Tuo also showed figures performing movements similar to wild animals such as the crane, bear, monkey and wolf.As QiGong developed through the centuries, it became incorporated into various religious systems, two more predominantly:
Taoism:
QiQong philosophy and techniques are mentioned in the classic of Taoist philosophy, the Dao De Jing, written in 4th Century B.C. "By concentrating the qi and making your body supple, can you become like a child?" The Taoists used QiGong to achieve an empty, alert, limitless state of consciousness, and cultivate a body and spirit in balance." Taoists and QiGong practitioners were both looking for a harmony of yin and yang: inside and outside, earthly and spiritual, stillness and activity. Many writings on QiGong can be found among the approximately 1,100 texts in the Taoist Canon(Dàozàng) Translated as the “vault of the way” – the Taoist Cannon is a collection of texts originally housed in individual Taoist monasteries, and later kept in Imperial libraries.
Buddhism:
The Buddhist emphasis on tranquility and awareness represent QiGong. Several styles of QiGong were developed by Buddhists for both a healing system and as exercise to complement days predominated by lengthy seated meditations.
As Western medicine became popularized in China, many of the ancient healing traditions were neglected. However, during the Communist Revolution, Chairman Mao began to endorsed QiGong and other traditional natural practices as a cheap and effective healthcare treatment method for the millions of Chinese had no access to health care. This led to the integration of raditional Chinese Medicine and Western medicine and the opening of the first QiGong hospital in 1953 in Bei Dai He.
Today, millions of Chinese practice QiGong daily in gyms and parks around China where it is considered a basic health maintenance ritual. Larger and larger numbers of people are now practicing QiGong in the west.
Recent QiGong Submissions
| 1. | case study: Lower Back/Coccyx-Tail Bone Pain After treatment, she sat down on the couch and started moving left to right. I asked her what she wa... more | by: sggutierrez  date: 8/25/2009 |
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| The information in this website is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as medical advice, nor used to replace, diagnose, prescribe, or treat any ailment, nor does it replace consultation with your medical doctor and practitioner. It is intended only to enhance your knowledge in healing therapies. Please use it wisely. We care about your well-being. |