What is Qigong?
What Is Qigong? Gentle Movement, Breathing, and How It Compares to Tai Chi
Qigong is a Chinese mind–body practice that brings posture, breathing, and focused attention together to support health and well-being. Pronounced roughly “chee-gong,” it includes gentle movement practices as well as quieter forms of meditation. You may also see it written as qi gong or chi kung.[1][2]
Qigong can look simple or fancy, depending on the moves you’re doing. But when it’s working best, even the simplest movement gives you room to notice how you’re moving, where you’re holding tension, and whether you’re breathing comfortably.
I first found my way into this kind of practice through Tai Chi. When I added a Qigong class, I fell in love with the flow and repetition of graceful, breath-driven movement. I now teach Qigong, and that repetition remains one of my favorite parts: you get another chance to feel a movement, not just remember what comes next.
What does Qigong mean?
In traditional Chinese medicine, qi refers to life energy or life force. Dr. Paul Lam explains gong, in this context, as a method of exercise: Qigong cultivates qi through practice.[2]
Anthony Korahais offers a compact definition in Flowing Zen: Finding True Healing with Qigong:
“Qigong: the art of cultivating life-force energy.”
— Anthony Korahais, Flowing Zen, p. 51.
What do you actually do in Qigong?
Most Qigong brings three things into the same practice: body, breath, and attention. Movements are generally gentle and smooth; breathing and mental focus are part of the exercise, not extras added afterward.[1]
Move with attention
A movement might involve raising and lowering your hands, opening your arms, turning gently, or shifting your weight. Instead of rushing through it, you notice your posture and how much effort you’re using.
Let breathing belong to the movement
You may coordinate an inhale with one part of a movement and an exhale with another. In my class notes, a recurring principle is to let the movement follow a comfortable breathing rhythm rather than force your breathing to keep up with the movement.[8]
Give your mind a specific job
Notice your shoulders. Feel your feet. Follow the movement of your hands. Attention has somewhere to go.
For me, that makes moving meditation approachable. I don’t have to sit perfectly still and somehow stop thinking. I can practice paying attention while I move.
Not all Qigong involves flowing movement. Meditative forms can involve little or no movement, using a sustained posture, breath, and mental focus instead.[1]
Qigong vs. Tai Chi: what’s the difference?
Qigong is the broader family of practices. Tai Chi, when practiced for health, is one form within that family. Both integrate posture, attention, and breathing. Tai Chi also has a distinct martial-art history.[1]
You might think of Qigong as the “grandmother” practice: a larger family of ways to cultivate health through body, breath, and mind. That’s a useful picture of the relationship, not a literal historical family tree.
The Tai Chi for Health Institute also describes Tai Chi as a form of Qigong and offers Dr. Paul Lam’s Qigong for Health alongside its Tai Chi programs.[9]
In the classes I’ve learned and taught, the practical difference often looks like this:
| Question | Qigong | Tai Chi |
|---|---|---|
| What are we learning? | Often a small set of slow, mindful movements repeated and coordinated with breathing | A linked sequence of movements and transitions done according to key principles |
| How do we move through the space? | Many movements stay in place; others include stepping | Stepping, weight transfer, and changes of direction are woven into the form |
| What gets our attention? | Breath, posture, ease, and the feeling of a repeated movement | Those same qualities, plus how one movement connects to the next |
| What may feel easier at first? | Following along without remembering a long sequence | Learning a sequence a little at a time |
These are practical tendencies, not rules for every style. Qigong can be complex, and Tai Chi can be taught in short, accessible sections.[9]
You don’t have to choose one instead of the other. Half of my Qigong students also study some form of Tai Chi, and I’ve seen a synergy as their training in one amplifies the other. Qigong can deepen the breath and attention you bring to Tai Chi; Tai Chi can give those same qualities a linked movement form.
How does Qigong fit into Chinese medicine?
Qigong developed in China as part of traditional Chinese medicine, with the aim of improving and maintaining health and well-being. It belongs to a tradition concerned with sustaining health as well as addressing illness—not simply working out.[1]
That helps explain why you’ll hear people speak about Qigong for health, healing, or prevention. In contemporary care, Qigong can be a complementary practice: something you do alongside appropriate medical care, not instead of it. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health advises against using Qigong to postpone seeing a health care provider about a medical problem.[1]
What are the potential health benefits of Qigong?
Researchers have studied Qigong for balance, physical function, pain, sleep, mood, and quality of life. Some findings are encouraging, but the strength of the evidence depends on the condition and the practice studied.[1] NCCIH reports potential benefits for physical ability and balance in older adults, while noting the need for stronger studies. Its summary of pain research is mixed: some reviews suggest benefits, while others find conflicting results. Research on fibromyalgia suggests possible improvements in pain, sleep, and function, but rests on a small number of studies.[1]
It’s not surprising Qigong doesn’t have as many clinical studies with the scope that would accompany a modern drug or expensive treatment modality. But if you’re curious about some of the medical studies that have been completed, the Tai Chi For Health Institute keeps a list of them so you can check out relevant medical studies.
How can you start Qigong safely?
Look for a teacher who welcomes beginners, explains their training, and offers ways to adapt the practice. Take all the insights you’ve gained from your current medical providers, specialists, and your own experience with movement, injury, and fitness with you into Qigong. Understanding something about what your body is facing in terms of circulation, muscle weakness, or other health challenge can help you as you use Qigong to support and energize your body.
Even if your Qigong teacher is a primary care doctor (like Dr. Lam was for decades), in qigong class, the teacher is not YOUR doctor. So pay attention to how your body responds as you breathe and move in qigong. Work within your comfort zone and make room to slow down, sit, or take a break if you feel pain, discomfort, or dizziness.
You can ask practical questions before you attend:
- Can I participate seated or use support if I need it?
- How do you adapt movements for pain or limited mobility?
- What is the room like—music, noise, lighting, and space?
- Can I rest or step out without disrupting the class?
You can begin without knowing every movement
One reason I love teaching Qigong is that the repetition gives us time. You can follow a movement, try it again, and notice something you missed the first time. You don’t have to remember the whole class to participate in the moment.[4]
