Tai Chi and Qigong
Although tai chi and qigong are often separated into different camps, they are, in essence the same thing. They are both practices of mindful movement and are governed by the same principles.
Qigong is perhaps associated more with the healing tradition and tai chi (Tai Chi Chuan) with the martial but to put the arts into these boxes will limit your understanding.
The healing aspects of tai chi are massive and qigong has a martial dimension, if you are inclined to employ it that way.
As I understand it, the qigong lives within the tai chi and is its essence.
Tai Chi means the great cosmic balancing force.
Qigong translates as energy practice.
Together tai chi and qigong belong to a genre of exercise that has evolved and been practiced in Asia for hundreds, even thousands of years.
This genre of exercise is now practiced throughout the world and is recognised as offering an exceptionally successful way of maintaining health and vitality for the human being.
There are various ‘styles’ and many approaches to learning, playing and teaching these arts but essentially the tai chi and qigong can be enjoyed and brought to life seated, standing or sometimes even lying down, which makes them easy to access as a practice.
This adaptability and applicability to humans is down to the nature of its brilliant governing principles: physiology, philosophy and psychology combine to play their part in any given move or exercise. For more on this see the Living Movement page.
Even the simple move of lifting the arms and taking a breath becomes uplifting and inspiring in its effect. Relaxing into the ground through the feet to develop what is known as the ‘root’ delivers a feeling of stability and strength to the player.
These days tai chi and qigong are enjoyed by a huge diversity of people, younger and older, women and men, children and adults. An interesting point in their favour is that you can practice either alone or with others – friends, family – or with people you’ve never met before. Tai Chi is a great common language.