Meditative routines have a very long history in China. They generally spring from its martial arts background, as the practitioner was taught that control over his body would be crucial in combat. Eventually, a number of these practices would find use in non-combative areas. Qi gong is certainly one such practice, as control over wind (a loose translation) is important in combat, but also in keeping a person healthy.
With the Book of Internal Medicine, the Yellow Emperor formalized Qi gong. Even as it had undergone several revisions prior to that, including a point where gymnastic exercises were part of the study, it was solidified into a more meditative art, where one learned to control his breath and to look at the effects of that breath. Although originally meant to help the practitioner gain longer life because of access to higher planes, it nonetheless grew to become part of the holistic tradition.
Initially the method was limited to the elite of Chinese society. The texts pertaining to a number of Chinese meditative techniques were hidden from the the greater part of society by a number of means, usually by keeping it in a secret code. However, in the tapering years of the Qing Dynasty, in the late nineteenth century, a number of secrets found their way into the society at large as the medical practice of China was compared to The West, and specific techniques, such as qi gong, became available to the public at large.
Its approval by the public was helped when Mao, in 1945, encouraged traditional Chinese medicine, among them a number of its holistic practices. This was because Chinese medicine was seen as a “treasure house”, and that it was basically more advanced than some of the practices in The West. That is why doctors were persuaded to not only look into holistic practices, but to find out if they had any basis in science. As qi gong aided slow down the circulatory system and allowed considerably better concentration, it was seen as a healthy practice.
Qi gong has numerous positive aspects to health and well-being and is a practice that’s stood the test of time.. There has been some delving into it by medical doctors to see what makes it tick, and, like other meditative practices, it has been found to be worthy of adding to one’s daily routine.
If you enjoyed this content about Qi Gong, then most definitely go over this other internet site about History of Tai Chi.