Many people come in and ask ‘what is Qigong, and more importantly, what are its benefits for me?’. Firstly, “Qi” (pronounced ‘chee’, often incorrectly written as ‘Chi’, which means ‘to eat’ in Chinese) means “air” or “breath”, or “light energy”. Gong means “working of” or “effort”, or “labour”. Thus Qigong means “the working of air or breath”, or “working with energy”. It is the conscious and systematic development of the vital energy of the body. This may sound mystical, but in reality is a very pragmatic form of standing/sitting meditation and gentle exercise, involving special breathing techniques. In China, and now all over the world, Qigong is used as a way to keep ones body fit and healthy and to promote a long life. There are many different forms of Qigong, however the idea behind the practice of Qigong is the same, to build up internal energy. The Qigong taught at the Kung Fu Academy in Castle Hill focuses on preventing disease, promoting health and prolonging life.

To begin with, students are taken through the 18 movements of Qigong, called “Qigong Shi Ba Shi”. This set of movements involve concentration on breathing and relaxing while moving the arms and legs. Compared to Taijiquan, this is a relatively stationary form of movements. Once the various movements are mastered, the student starts to focus energy in order to draw in positive forces and breath out the negatives in ones life, whether they be physical ailments or emotional troubles.

Once a student is competent in Qigong Shi Ba Shi, they are taken on a more individual Qigong journey, using different movements and steps to gain further control of their bodies and lives. Some examples include seated Qigong, Lohan Qigong, and Hunyuan Qigong.

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