Not All Qigong Systems Are Created Equal

Qigong has become a popular exercise for health and wellness, but few understand its origins or the history behind it.

Qi is synonymous with blood flow or life force energy. Gong means mastery or skill learned over a long period of time. Together they mean mastering the skill of your blood flow and life force energy by activating the fascia in the body in a specific way.

Fascia is connected to all tissue in the human body and the more fluid it is, the easier it is for fourth phase or Exclusion Zone water to maintain its integrity and protect the cells in the body. For more information, on fourth phase water, you can look up the works of Gerald Pollack HERE

Qigong is meant to build momentum in the nervous system, blood and lymphatic fluid flow by opening and closing the joints in a specific sequence to maximize health benefits. Modern fusion systems, while providing some benefit due to movement and breath work, mix and match movements from different systems thereby negating the beneficial momentum that would have otherwise developed over time.

In resistance training, body confusion can be good for muscular development and endurance. This is not the same for Qigong which moves the blood and nutrients through the body in a specific fashion while engaging the fascia, joints, and tendons. Mixing and matching Qigong systems can cause damage in the body due to the way Qi and blood is supposed to flow, especially when you do not understand what one particular system was designed to do.

Some Qigong fusion sets are actually just joint loosening exercises. While this is beneficial for mobility and range of motion in the body, it does not have the same benefits as a living system of Qigong.

The 4 main formalized sets of Qigong allow for building the Dan Tiens (energy centres) to run Qi in the body, refine blood flow, and engage the fascia in a way to maximize energy production (ATP). Over time, you develop stillness and enervation correctly in the body.

The 4 main formalized sets of Qigong that have been around for approximately 3600 years are:

• Ba Duan Jin 8 Pieces of Brocade Qigong
• Yi Jin Jing – Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic
• Liu Zi Jue – Six Healing Sounds
• Wu qin xi – 5 Animal Frolics Qigong

The Ba Duan Jin 8 Pieces of Brocade Qigong is the set we teach regularly. We have an extensive course on our online course platform that explains how to perform each movement along with what it does for the body. We also provide options for practicing at various levels and in a chair.

The Yin Jin Jing – Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic is designed to maintain or regain your youthful physical state, improve the quality of your Qi, and ensure a strong power supply. 

Liu Zi Jue – Six Healing Sounds is a Qigong set coordinating movement and breathing patterns with specific sounds.

Wu qin xi – 5 Animal Frolics is a Qigong set based on the movements of 5 animals: deer, tiger, bear, monkey, and crane.

These four Qigong systems are considered living art forms. Broken or partial systems promote fragmentation of your energy, not the unification of it. Different systems do different things for the body that bring about a particular balance. These days there is an obsession with “flow” which is aesthetically pleasing to watch, but flow does not mean smooth, uninterrupted movement. True flow comes from achieving stillness, something that each of these systems brings about in its own way.

Kelly has also trained and taught the arts of Tai Ji (Tai Chi), Xingyi, and Baguazhang. Baguazhang, for example, has several styles each training the body slightly differently depending on which region of China where it was developed.

The main 3 systems are built on yin and yang methods of practice. Tai Chi is built on a Yin method. Xingyi is a yang method. Baguazhang combines both.

Tai Chi softens the body and mind to be yielding and absorbing as a means to defeat aggressive energy, and to see beyond our own personal patterns of aggression. Xingyi is a spear art designed for the battlefield, uses fire breathing methods, and is meant for destruction in the transmutation process.

Baguazhang combines the fire of destruction and teaches how to be soft and yielding to hear not only your body, but the energy of another. Baguazhang moves you into deeper awareness of yourself, so you can understand stillness by having a balanced and regulated yin and yang flow to such an extend that your body isn’t triggered to respond the same to external stimuli.

Fusion systems often replace true spiritual wisdom as they project an individual’s beliefs onto the movements which only makes it true for them, not true for everyone. What works for one, may not work for another.

Living systems of Qigong, depending on which region they are from, embody the wisdom of the collective and hold true wisdom of the body for many. This is why internal martial artists study several systems and master them over their lifetime. In this way, they learn and embody the wisdom of several systems, knowing and understanding when and how to use each system for better health and longevity.

Our latest podcast episode discusses this, and you can listen to it here on:

Spotify

To learn more, please visit our online course platform: https://aea.passion.io

You can download the Passion.io app to your smartphone from your App Store, or sign up in a web browser. It’s free to sign up and look through all of the courses and meditations we offer.

We are taking a break from in-person classes and workshops for the summer months. We are available for private Qigong or Baguazhang classes, Shaolin Qi healing, or Aligned Embodiment sessions with Kellie. Contact us through the comment form on the website, or email: wakingdao@gmail.com

Enjoy the sun and summer!

~Kellie & Kelly