FAQ

Qigong, sometimes called the grandmother of tai chi, is one of the four major branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Because Qigong incorporates a variety of gentle breathing methods, flowing movements, and mindfulness meditation, it can be practiced by absolutely anyone regardless of their age, health, religion, or fitness level.

At present, there are over 500 research studies on Qigong, and over 1800 studies on Thai Chi. 

Here is a free infographic with a list of the 13 proven benefits, as well as links to the research. (BELOW LINK) unsure if we can use this in the advanced form….  

https://s3.amazonaws.com/kajabi-storefronts production/sites/2806/downloads/26YXQgmhRWKtbP4nxm0g_13_Proven_Benefits_of_Qigong _and_Tai_Chi.pdf

Qi means “vital energy”, and gong means “cultivation”. The Chinese characters are as follows: 

氣 功 

To make it more poetic, we might translate Qigong to “the art of vital-energy cultivation”.

Qi is energy. Whether it is the energy that moves food through your digestive system, or the energy that mobilizes your immune system, or the energy that powers your cells — all of that is qi to me.

There are several hundred different styles of Qigong, but there are 5 historical categories of Qigong: 

1. Medical Qigong for healing pain and illness. 

2. Longevity Qigong for prolonging life. 

3. Scholarly Qigong for boosting intelligence. 

4. Martial Qigong for internal power. 

5. Spiritual Qigong for enlightenment. 

Many styles of Qigong incorporate more than one category. For example, Flowing Zen Qigong includes all 5 categories (starting with Medical Qigong). It’s important to clarify what type of Qigong you are learning, and to match it with your personal goals.

Qigong history dates back at least 3000 years. 

Qigong history dates back at least 3000 years. 

The early era of Qigong history began in roughly 1100 B.C.

Tai Chi came much later. There are endless debates about the origins of Tai Chi, but the 2 main arguments put the origins in either 12th century or the 17th century A.D. 

Either way, Qigong is older than Tai Chi by a few thousand years.

Well, sort of. 

Actually, George Lucas loosely based his concept of the Force off ancient Kung Fu legends. So, the connection is not coincidental. 

Just about every superpower you see in Star Wars can be found in the old Kung Fu novels. Whether these powers are real, or fantasy is a debate for another time. The superpowers that I’ve developed — health, vitality, mental clarity, resilience, fortitude, and happiness — have worked well enough for me.

As you get more into the practice we teach, you are going to imagine your Qi will gravitate down to the center of the Earth. There is nothing more grounding than connecting to the heart and womb of Mother Earth. You need to focus on this and not allow the mind to go up, instead you reach deep down into Mother Earth.

Once you learn how to shift your weight relaxing your upper body, you are activating deep channels in the left and right sides of the body. These are deeper than acupuncture meridians.  This is the reason Qigong is more effective than herbs and acupuncture. If you practice it will become much more powerful.

After training in various forms, none have been as effective as the Primordial Tai Chi for Enlightened Self-Love and Deep Earth Pulsing. The forms are easy for those of all ages and levels of fitness to learn and practice, and the energy levels attained are useful in everyday life. Morning practice provides the energy levels to support various activities over the course of the day. Nighttime practice promotes a sounder sleep over time.