Qi Gong - A Short History
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011Meditative practices have a long history in China. They generally spring from its martial arts background, as the practitioner was taught that control over his body would be essential in combat. Eventually, most of these methods 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.
By the Book of Internal Medicine, the Yellow Emperor formalized Qi gong. While it had undergone numerous 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 due to access to higher planes, it nonetheless grew to be part of the holistic tradition.
At first the technique was limited to the elite of Chinese society. The texts concerning a number of Chinese meditative techniques were hidden from the bulk of society by a number of means, usually by keeping it in a secret code. However, in the waning 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 particular techniques, such as qi gong, became available to the public at large.
Its attention by the public was helped when Mao, in 1945, encouraged traditional Chinese medicine, as well as 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. Because of this 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 far better concentration, it was seen as a healthy practice.
Qi gong has numerous benefits to health and well-being and is a practice which has 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 revealed to be worthy of adding to one’s daily routine.
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