Qigong’s history developed from observation of chi to cultivation of chi for health purposes and enlightenment. It has influenced martial arts and is one of the foundation stones for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It continues to evolve and enhance the life of millions of practitioners every day.
Qigong is an ancient healing practice with its cultural roots in China. It is likened to certain practices from Indian yoga that can be found in pranayama,dhyana and asana.
Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming translates Qigong as the "kung fu of internal energy circulation" in his book Chi Kung Health and Martial Arts. Kung Fu is the study of excellence of any activity that requires time, energy and discipline.
Hold Old is Qigong?
Although Qigong is sure to have been practiced before texts documented its existence, history can only speculate for just how long Qigong has been practiced in China. Bill Douglas, author of The Idiot’s Guide to T’ai Chi and QiGong suggests Qigong is 2000 years old, whereas the website of Shen-Nong suggests that its 5000 years old.
Dr. Yang, one of the great Qigong scholars who have shared their learning and experience with the Western world in the past thirty years divides the history of Chinese Qigong into roughly four periods.
The First Period of Qigong
The first era documenting Qigong begins with the Yi Jing (Book of Changes) written sometime before 1122 B.C. Dr Yang in Qigong The Secret Of Youth writes that Qigong can be "traced back before the Shang dynasty (1766-1154 B.C.). However, documents that explain training practices are hard to come by."
The first period also includes information recorded in the Nei Jing that during the reign of the Yellow Emperor (2690-2590 B.C.) pebbles were used to adjust chi circulation. Lao Tzu wrote about cultivating chi in the Tao Te Ching and later in 300 B.C., Chuang-Tzu wrote a famous sentence "the men of old breathed clear down to their heals."
The Second Period of Qigong
The second period of Qigong heralds the merging of original Qigong methods with Buddhism and different meditation techniques. It could also be called "the religious qigong era."
Dr. Ying writes in A Brief History of Qigong, "It was during the Eastern Han dynasty (c. 58 A.D.) that Buddhism was imported to China from India. […]The Buddhist temples taught many Qigong practices, especially the still meditation of Chan (Zen), which marked a new era of Chinese Qigong."
Ying explains that while Buddhism kept the secrets of qigong training within the walls of their monasteries, there were other streams of qigong being taught and learned, including the meditation techniques of Dao Jiao, different schools of thought from Tibetan Buddhism, and the awareness that Qigong could be used for more than just health benefits, but to "escape from the cycle of reincarnation."
It was during this period that the famous Daoist Jun Qian observed and incorporated the movements of animals to create the Wu Qin Xi (Five Animal Sports), "which taught people how to increase their Qi circulation through specific movements."
The Third Period of Qigong
The third period of Qigong is initiated by a famous Indian called Da Mo who is credited with kick starting a fusion of Qigong with martial arts, "martial qigong."
It is also a effluent time for the growth of Qigong in literature, with Chao Yuan-Fang gathering together 260 ways of enhancing chi flow in the Zhu Bing Yuan Hou Lun (Thesis on the Origins and Symptoms of Various Diseases), Sun Si-Mao writing the Qian Jin Fang (Thousand Gold Prescriptions) and Wang Tao compiling the Wai Tai Mi Yao (The Extra Important Secret) wherein he discusses the use of breathing and herbal remedies for maintenance of health by enhanced chi circulation.
It was also during this third period that the famous brass man was designed and built by Dr. Wang Wei-Yi who also wrote and accompanying text entitled Tong Ren Yu Xue Zhen Jiu Tu (Illustration of the Brass Man Acupuncture and Moxibustion). Dr. Yang writes, "he explained the relationship of the 12 organs and the 12 Qi channels, clarified many of the points of confusion, and, for the first time, systematically organized acupuncture theory and principles."
The Fourth Period of Qigong
The current era of Qigong began in 1911 when the Qing dynasty came to an end. This heralded a moment in history when China was forced to open its doors to the world and it resulted in Chinese Qigong becoming enriched with practices from all across the world.
Shamanism and Qigong
In many countries the Church condemned and irradiated many traditional beliefs about energy, whether it be of the spirit, or the body, or the after world. However, there has been a revival of traditional shamanic practitioners who have benefited from implementing the newly released information about Qigong.
At a time when China opened its doors to the West, the Church was losing its authority in many countries across the world. The combination of increased information with open minded seekers has resulted in hybrid creations such as a North American shamanic qigong healer for animals, or a native of the former Soviet Union who became a Tibetan Qi Dao Lineage holder living in North America.
Qigong has its roots in awareness. New forms, new hybrids, new ideas are being created from a combination of different systems from many back grounds. Qigong’s history is in the making.
For more information about Qigong, read Origins of Lohan Qigong.
Sources:
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming Qigong The Secret of Youth YMAA Publication Center, Boston, 2000
Chia, Mantak Chi Self-Massage Healing Tao Books1986 USA
Chia, Mantak Taoist Ways to Transform Stress into Vitality 1985 USA
Kaptchuk, Ted J. Chinese Medicine Rider, London, (1983) 1997, London
Douglas, Bill The Complete Idiot’s Guide to T’ai Chi and Qigong 2002, USA
Tiffany Jones - Born: Black Rock, Melbourne, Australia, 1971 Current Residence: Granollers, Catalonia Work: Yoga, Qigong, Meditation Instructor, ...
