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= Qigong =
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Introduction
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Qigong () is a system of coordinated body-posture and movement,
breathing, and meditation said to be useful for the purposes of
health, spirituality, and martial arts training. With roots in Chinese
medicine, philosophy, and martial arts, qigong is traditionally viewed
by the Chinese and throughout Asia as a practice to cultivate and
balance the mystical life-force 'qi'.
Qigong practice typically involves moving meditation, coordinating
slow-flowing movement, deep rhythmic breathing, and a calm meditative
state of mind. People practice qigong throughout China and worldwide
for recreation, exercise, relaxation, preventive medicine,
self-healing, alternative medicine, meditation, self-cultivation, and
training for martial arts.
Etymology
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'Qigong' (Pinyin), 'ch'i kung' (Wade-Giles), and 'chi gung' (Yale) are
romanizations of two Chinese words "'qì'" and "'gōng'" (). 'Qi'
primarily means air, gas or breath but is often translated as a
metaphysical concept of 'vital energy', referring to a supposed energy
circulating through the body; though a more general definition is
universal energy, including heat, light, and electromagnetic energy;
and definitions often involve breath, air, gas, or the relationship
between matter, energy, and spirit. 'Qi' is the central underlying
principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts. 'Gong' (or
'kung') is often translated as cultivation or work, and definitions
include practice, skill, mastery, merit, achievement, service, result,
or accomplishment, and is often used to mean gongfu (kung fu) in the
traditional sense of achievement through great effort. The two words
are combined to describe systems to cultivate and balance life energy,
especially for health and wellbeing.
The term qigong as currently used was promoted in the late 1940s
through the 1950s to refer to a broad range of Chinese
self-cultivation exercises, and to emphasize health and scientific
approaches, while de-emphasizing spiritual practices, mysticism, and
elite lineages.
In the 1957 first edition of “Qigong Therapy Practice” by Liu Guizhen
- the first published and publicly available book on Qigong, it was
described that Qigong was originally used to strengthen the body and
promote health and longevity. Over time, it evolved into a method for
treating diseases. The practice involves mastering specific postures
and breathing techniques, focusing on restoring the body’s natural
physiological functions without relying on medication or surgery.
Maintaining a calm state and focusing on breath control are essential
during therapy. In the 1982 second edition of the book, the author
provided a modern definition of Qigong: "…the training of the body,
breath, and mind as a means to cultivate the body's vital energy (Qi),
with the aim of preventing illness and prolonging life. Based on
classical theory, we named this self-exercise method, which focuses on
cultivating Qi, 'Qigong'".
Roots and traditions
======================
With roots in ancient Chinese culture dating back more than 2,000
years, a wide variety of qigong forms have developed within different
segments of Chinese society: in traditional Chinese medicine for
preventive and curative functions; in Confucianism to promote
longevity and improve moral character; in Taoism and Buddhism as part
of meditative practice; and in Chinese martial arts to enhance self
defending abilities. Contemporary qigong blends diverse and sometimes
disparate traditions, in particular the Taoist meditative practice of
"internal alchemy" ('neidan'), the ancient meditative practices of
"circulating 'qi'" ('xingqi') and "standing meditation" ('zhan
zhuang'), and the slow gymnastic breathing exercise of "guiding and
pulling" ('daoyin'). Traditionally, qigong was taught by master to
students through training and oral transmission, with an emphasis on
meditative practice by scholars and gymnastic or dynamic practice by
the working masses.
From 1949 to 1999: the qigong boom
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Starting in the late 1940s and the 1950s, the mainland Chinese
government tried to integrate disparate qigong approaches into one
coherent system, with the intention of establishing a firm scientific
basis for qigong practice. In 1949, Liu Guizhen established the name
"qigong" to refer to the system of life-preserving practices that he
and his associates developed, based on 'daoyin' and other
philosophical traditions. This attempt is considered by some
sinologists as the start of the modern or scientific interpretation of
qigong. During the Great Leap Forward (1958-1963) and the Cultural
Revolution (1966-1976), qigong, along with other traditional Chinese
medicine, was under tight control with limited access among the
general public, but was encouraged in state-run rehabilitation centers
and spread to universities and hospitals. After the Cultural
Revolution, qigong, along with tai chi, was popularized as daily
morning exercise practiced en masse throughout China.
Popularity of qigong grew rapidly through the 1990s, during Chairman
Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin eras after Mao Zedong's death in 1976,
with estimates of between 60 and 200 million practitioners throughout
China. In 1985, the state-run China Qigong Science and Research
Society was established to regulate the nation's qigong denominations
and activities of Qigong Masters.
With the backing of prominent figures including several senior ranking
party officials and most notably the atomic scientist Qian Xuesen,
research into the paranormal aspects of Qigong gained traction within
the Chinese scientific community during the 1980s. Qian advocated for
the creation of "somatic science" (人体科学, renti kexue) which would
address supernatural powers in its research of latent human body
potentials that can be cultivated via Qigong practice.
Along with popularity and state sanction came controversy and
problems: claims of extraordinary abilities bordering on the
supernatural, pseudoscience explanations to build credibility, a
mental condition labeled qigong deviation, formation of cults, and
exaggeration of claims by masters for personal benefit.
Control and crackdown
=======================
In 1999, in response to widespread revival of old traditions of
spirituality, morality, and mysticism, and perceived challenges to
State control, the Chinese government took measures to enforce control
of public qigong practice, including shutting down qigong clinics and
hospitals, and banning groups such as Zhong Gong and Falun Gong.
Since the 1999 crackdown, qigong research and practice have only been
officially supported in the context of health and traditional Chinese
medicine. The Chinese Health Qigong Association, established in 2000,
strictly regulates public qigong practice, with limitation of public
gatherings, requirement of state approved training and certification
of instructors, and restriction of practice to state-approved forms.
Overview
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Only a limited number of studies on Qigong meet accepted medical and
scientific standards of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Clinical
research concerning qigong has been conducted for a wide range of
medical conditions, including bone density, cardiopulmonary effects,
physical function, falls and related risk factors, quality of life,
immune function, inflammation, hypertension, pain, and cancer
treatment.
Practices
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Qigong comprises a diverse set of practices that coordinate body (),
breath (), and mind () based on Chinese philosophy. Practices include
moving and still meditation, massage, chanting, sound meditation, and
non-contact treatments, performed in a broad array of body postures.
Qigong is commonly classified into two foundational categories: 1)
dynamic or active qigong ('dong gong'), with slow flowing movement;
and 2) meditative or passive qigong ('jing gong'), with still
positions and inner movement of the breath. From a therapeutic
perspective, qigong can be classified into two systems:
1) internal qigong, which focuses on self-care and self-cultivation,
and;
2) external qigong, which involves treatment by a therapist who
directs or transmits 'qi'.
As moving meditation, qigong practice typically coordinates slow
stylized movement, deep diaphragmatic breathing, and calm mental
focus, with visualization of guiding 'qi' through the body. While
implementation details vary, generally qigong forms can be
characterized as a mix of four types of practice: dynamic, static,
meditative, and activities requiring external aids.
* Dynamic practice
: involves fluid movement, usually carefully choreographed,
coordinated with breath and awareness. Examples include the slow
stylized movements of tai chi, 'baguazhang', and 'xingyiquan'. Other
examples include graceful movement that mimics the motion of animals
in Five Animals ('Wu Qin Xi' qigong), White Crane, and Wild Goose
(Dayan) Qigong. As a form of gentle exercise, qigong is composed of
movements that are typically repeated, strengthening and stretching
the body, increasing fluid movement (blood, synovial, and lymph),
enhancing balance and proprioception, and improving the awareness of
how the body moves through space.
* Static practice
: involves holding postures for sustained periods of time. In some
cases this bears resemblance to the practice of Yoga and its
continuation in the Buddhist tradition. For example Yiquan, a Chinese
martial art derived from 'xingyiquan', emphasizes static stance
training. In another example, the healing form Eight Pieces of Brocade
(Baduanjin qigong) is based on a series of static postures.
* Meditative practice
: utilizes breath awareness, visualization, mantra, chanting, sound,
and focus on philosophical concepts such as 'qi' circulation,
aesthetics, or moral values. In traditional Chinese medicine and
Daoist practice, the meditative focus is commonly on cultivating 'qi'
in dantian energy centers and balancing 'qi' flow in meridian and
other pathways. In various Buddhist traditions, the aim is to still
the mind, either through outward focus, for example on a place, or
through inward focus on the breath, a mantra, a koan, emptiness, or
the idea of the eternal. In the Confucius scholar tradition,
meditation is focused on humanity and virtue, with the aim of
self-enlightenment.
* Use of external agents
: Many systems of qigong practice include the use of external agents
such as ingestion of herbs, massage, physical manipulation, or
interaction with other living organisms. For example, specialized food
and drinks are used in some medical and Daoist forms, whereas massage
and body manipulation are sometimes used in martial arts forms. In
some medical systems a qigong master uses non-contact treatment,
purportedly guiding 'qi' through his or her own body into the body of
another person.
Forms
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There are numerous qigong forms. 75 ancient forms that can be found in
ancient literature and also 56 common or contemporary forms have been
described in a qigong compendium. The list is by no means exhaustive.
Many contemporary forms were developed by people who had recovered
from their illness after qigong practice.
Techniques
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Whether viewed from the perspective of exercise, health, philosophy,
or martial arts training, several main principles emerge concerning
the practice of qigong:
* Intentional movement: careful, flowing balanced style
* Rhythmic breathing: slow, deep, coordinated with fluid movement
* Awareness: calm, focused meditative state
* Visualization: of 'qi' flow, philosophical tenets, aesthetics
* Chanting/Sound: use of sound as a focal point
Additional principles:
* Softness: soft gaze, expressionless face
* Solid Stance: firm footing, erect spine
* Relaxation: relaxed muscles, slightly bent joints
* Balance and Counterbalance: motion over the center of gravity
Advanced goals:
* Equanimity: more fluid, more relaxed
* Tranquility: empty mind, high awareness
* Stillness: smaller and smaller movements, eventually to complete
stillness
The most advanced practice is generally considered to be with little
or no motion.
Traditional and classical theory
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Over time, five distinct traditions or schools of qigong developed in
China, each with its own theories and characteristics: Chinese medical
qigong, Daoist qigong, Buddhist qigong, Confucian qigong, and
"martial" qigong. All of these qigong traditions include practices
intended to cultivate and balance 'qi'.
Chinese medicine and qigong
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The theories of ancient Chinese qigong include the yin and yang and
Five Elements Theory, the Three Treasures Theory, Zang-Xiang Theory,
Meridians, and the 'qi'-Blood Theory, which have been synthesized as
part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM aims to identify and
correct underlying disharmony, addressing deficiency and excess by
utilizing the complementary and opposing forces of yin and yang, to
create a balanced flow of 'qi'. 'Qi' is believed to be cultivated and
stored in three main dantian energy centers and to travel through the
body along twelve main meridians, with numerous smaller branches and
tributaries. The main meridians correspond to twelve main organs. 'Qi'
is balanced in terms of yin and yang in the context of the traditional
system of Five Elements. It is understood that illness and disease
emerge when 'qi' becomes diminished, unbalanced, or stagnant. Health
is believed to be returned and maintained by rebuilding 'qi',
eliminating 'qi' blockages, and correcting 'qi' imbalances. Although
not all TCM concepts align with modern science and medicine, they are
widely adopted by practitioners throughout East Asia and are
increasingly used in the West to treat patients.
Daoist Qigong
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In Daoism, various practices now known as Daoist qigong are claimed to
provide a way to achieve longevity and spiritual realization, as well
as a closer connection with the natural world. Daoist Qigong found it
philosophical roots in the Dao De Jing. Its featured techniques of
internal elixir emerged in the Eastern Han dynasty and reached a level
of maturity in the Ming and Qing dynasty. The Ming dynasty compendium
'Chifeng sui', written by a Daoist ascetic, lists various qigong-based
"longevity methods".
Buddhism
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Meditative practices are part of a spiritual path that leads to
enlightenment or Buddhahood. They are considered by some as Buddhist
qigong.
Confucianism
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In Confucianism practices now known as Confucian qigong provide a
means to become a Junzi () through awareness of morality. Confucian
qigong can include dynamic exercise or static meditation, as well as
cultivation of the mind to achieve "noble spirit".
Contemporary qigong
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In contemporary China, the emphasis of qigong practice has shifted
away from traditional philosophy, spiritual attainment, and folklore,
and increasingly to health benefits, traditional medicine and martial
arts applications, and a scientific perspective. Qigong is now
practiced by millions worldwide, primarily for its health benefits,
though many practitioners have also adopted traditional philosophical,
medical, or martial arts perspectives, and even use the long history
of qigong as evidence of its effectiveness.
Contemporary Chinese medical qigong
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Qigong has been recognized as a "standard medical technique" in China
since 1989, and is sometimes included in the medical curriculum of
major universities in China. The 2013 English translation of the
official Chinese medical gigong textbook used in China defines CMQ as
"the skill of body-mind exercise that integrates body, breath, and
mind adjustments into one" and emphasizes that qigong is based on
"adjustment" ('tiao' , also translated as "regulation", "tuning", or
"alignment") of body, breath, and mind. As such, qigong is viewed by
practitioners as being more than common physical exercise, because
qigong combines postural, breathing, and mental training in one to
produce a particular psychophysiological state of being. While CMQ is
still based on traditional and classical theory, modern practitioners
also emphasize the importance of a strong scientific basis. According
to the 2013 CMQ textbook, physiological effects of qigong are
numerous, and include improvement of respiratory and cardiovascular
function, and possibly neurophysiological function.
Integrative, complementary, and alternative medicine
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Integrative medicine (IM) refers to "the blending of conventional and
complementary medicines and therapies with the aim of using the most
appropriate of either or both modalities to care for the patient as a
whole", whereas complementary is using a non-mainstream approach
together with conventional medicine, while alternative is using a
non-mainstream approach in place of conventional medicine. Qigong is
used by integrative medicine practitioners to complement conventional
medical treatment, based on complementary and alternative medicine
interpretations of the effectiveness and safety of qigong.
Recreation and popular use
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People practice qigong for many different reasons, including for
recreation, exercise and relaxation, preventive medicine and
self-healing, meditation and self-cultivation, and training for
martial arts. Practitioners range from athletes to people with
disabilities. Because it is low impact and can be done lying, sitting,
or standing, qigong is accessible for people with disabilities,
seniors, and people recovering from injuries.
Meditation and self-cultivation
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Qigong is practiced for meditation and self-cultivation as part of
various philosophical and spiritual traditions. As meditation, qigong
is a means to still the mind and enter a state of consciousness that
brings serenity, clarity, and bliss. Many practitioners find qigong,
with its gentle focused movement, to be more accessible than seated
meditation.
Qigong for self-cultivation can be classified in terms of traditional
Chinese philosophy: Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian.
Martial arts applications
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The practice of qigong is an important component in both internal and
external style Chinese martial arts. Focus on 'qi' is considered to be
a source of power as well as the foundation of the internal style of
martial arts ('neijia'). Tai chi, 'xingyiquan', and 'baguazhang' are
representative of the types of Chinese martial arts that rely on the
concept of 'qi' as the foundation. Extraordinary feats of martial arts
prowess, such as the ability to withstand heavy strikes (Iron Shirt, )
and the ability to break hard objects (Iron Palm, ; alt. , , or ) are
abilities attributed to qigong training.
Tai chi and qigong
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'Tai chi' is a widely practiced Chinese internal martial style based
on the theory of 'taiji', closely associated with qigong, and
typically involving more complex choreographed movement coordinated
with breath, done slowly for health and training, or quickly for
self-defense. Many scholars consider tai chi to be a type of qigong,
traced back to an origin in the seventeenth century. In modern
practice, qigong typically focuses more on health and meditation
rather than martial applications, and plays an important role in
training for tai chi, in particular used to build strength, develop
breath control, and increase vitality ("life energy").
Therapeutic use
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Qigong has shown therapeutic benefits in various health conditions.
Research suggests in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD), Qigong has been found to improve lung function,
exercise capacity, and quality of life. Qigong exercise shows
therapeutic efficacy in alleviating fibromyalgia symptoms including
pain, sleep quality, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and fibromyalgia
impact, as per a pilot randomized clinical trial. Moreover, studies
have indicated Qigong-based exercises may be effective for alleviating
depression symptoms in individuals with major depressive disorder and
future well-designed, randomized controlled trials with large sample
sizes are needed to confirm these findings.
Safety and cost
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Qigong is generally viewed as safe. No adverse effects have been
observed in clinical trials, such that qigong is considered safe for
use across diverse populations. Cost for self-care is minimal, and
cost efficiencies are high for group delivered care. Typically the
cautions associated with qigong are the same as those associated with
any physical activity, including risk of muscle strains or sprains,
advisability of stretching to prevent injury, general safety for use
alongside conventional medical treatments, and consulting with a
physician when combining with conventional treatment.
Conventional medicine
=======================
Especially since the 1990s, conventional or mainstream Western
medicine often strives to heed the model of evidence-based medicine,
EBM, which demotes medical theory, clinical experience, and
physiological data to prioritize the results of controlled, and
especially randomized, clinical trials of the treatment itself.* Tenny
S & Varacallo M, [
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470182
"Evidence based medicine (EBM)"] @ NIH.gov (Treasure Island, FL:
StatPearls Publishing, 2020).
* Guyatt GH, Haynes RB, Jaeschke RZ, Cook DJ, Green L, et al.,
[
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/gim/_pdf/JAMA/25-Applying_to_Patient_Care.pdf
"XXV, Evidence-based medicine: Principles for applying the Users'
Guides to patient care"], , 'Users' Guides to the Medical Literature',
in 'JAMA', 2000;284(10):1290-96, especially pp 1292-1293.
* Liberati A & Vineis P,
[
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15082801 "Introduction to the
symposium: What evidence based medicine is and what it is not"], 'J
Med Ethics', 2004 Apr;30(2):120-121. Although some clinical trials
support qigong's effectiveness in treating conditions diagnosed in
Western medicine, the quality of these studies is mostly low and,
overall, their results are mixed.
Systematic reviews
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A 2009 systematic review on the effect of qigong exercises on reducing
pain concluded that "the existing trial evidence is not convincing
enough to suggest that internal qigong is an effective modality for
pain management."
A 2010 systematic review of the effect of qigong exercises on cancer
treatment concluded "the effectiveness of qigong in cancer care is not
yet supported by the evidence from rigorous clinical trials." A
separate systematic review that looked at the effects of qigong
exercises on various physiological or psychological outcomes found
that the available studies were poorly designed, with a high risk of
bias in the results. Therefore, the authors concluded, "Due to limited
number of RCTs in the field and methodological problems and high risk
of bias in the included studies, it is still too early to reach a
conclusion about the efficacy and the effectiveness of qigong exercise
as a form of health practice adopted by the cancer patients during
their curative, palliative, and rehabilitative phases of the cancer
journey."
A 2011 overview of systematic reviews of controlled clinical trials,
Lee et al. concluded that "the effectiveness of qigong is based mostly
on poor quality research" and "therefore, it would be unwise to draw
firm conclusions at this stage." Although a 2010 comprehensive
literature review found 77 peer-reviewed RCTs, Lee et al.'s overview
of systematic reviews as to particular health conditions found
problems like sample size, lack of proper control groups, with lack of
blinding associated with high risk of bias.
A 2015 systematic review of the effect of qigong exercises on
cardiovascular diseases and hypertension found no conclusive evidence
for effect. Also in 2015, a systemic review into the effects on
hypertension suggested that it may be effective, but that the evidence
was not conclusive because of the poor quality of the trials it
included, and advised more rigorous research in the future. Another
2015 systematic review of qigong on biomarkers of cardiovascular
disease concluded that some trials showed favorable effects, but
concludes, "Most of the trials included in this review are likely to
be at high risk of bias, so we have very low confidence in the
validity of the results.
Mental health
===============
Many claims have been made that qigong can benefit or ameliorate
mental health conditions, including improved mood, decreased stress
reaction, and decreased anxiety and depression. Most medical studies
have only examined psychological factors as secondary goals, although
various studies have shown decreases in cortisol levels, a chemical
hormone produced by the body in response to stress.
China
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Basic and clinical research in China during the 1980s was mostly
descriptive, and few results were reported in peer-reviewed
English-language journals. Qigong became known outside China in the
1990s, and clinical randomized controlled trials investigating the
effectiveness of qigong on health and mental conditions began to be
published worldwide, along with systematic reviews.
Challenges
============
Most existing clinical trials have small sample sizes and many have
inadequate controls. Of particular concern is the impracticality of
double blinding using appropriate sham treatments, and the difficulty
of placebo control, such that benefits often cannot be distinguished
from the placebo effect. Also of concern is the choice of which qigong
form to use and how to standardize the treatment or amount with
respect to the skill of the practitioner leading or administering
treatment, the tradition of individualization of treatments, and the
treatment length, intensity, and frequency.
See also
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* 'Hua Tuo'
* 'Neigong'
* 'Paidagong'
* Buddhist meditation
* Asahi Health
* World Tai Chi and Qigong Day
License
=========
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Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qigong
