Qi is, very simply put, energy. Qi (pronounced chee) moving meditation focuses the breath, mind and body on moving qi (energy) throughout the body. This relaxes the body through gentle movements, and energizes the body in a gentle manner. After practicing Qi moving meditation you will feel more focused and alert. Gong is exercise, practice, cultivation.
Tai Chi is a series of movements based on martial arts, each movement has intent an purpose in both hand and foot placement. It’s an intricate dance with hidden meanings, a moving form of meditation in a slow, relaxed pace.
T’ai Chi ch’uan, as it is formally known, derives from a form of Chinese martial arts. Explaining the slow, circular movement of the practice, Arthur Rosenfeld, a tai chi master and the author of “Tai Chi — The Perfect Exercise: Finding Health, Happiness, Balance, and Strength”, said Tai Chi is a philosophical term that means the harmonious interplay of opposing forces.
When nature encounters a strong force, the way it answers that force to maintain harmony in the world is with a spiral, he said. “Astronomers see galaxies moving in spirals, water goes down the drain in a spiral, tornadoes form as a spiral. We spiral in tai chi because the most effective way to move fluid through solid is a spiral.” **
Qi Gong, or Chi Kung, is centuries-old exercise created in China to keep the body healthy. There are very many styles and forms of Qi Gong, the style I practice is the Wudang style. Wudang Mountain, in China, is where Zhang Sanfeng first created the moving forms of Tai Chi in the 12th century. Qi Gong predates this by many centuries.
** Taken from an article by Dorene Interniola, published by Reuters June 17, 2013
This quote really says it for me: “There is no mystique to Tai Chi Chuan. What is difficult is the perseverance. It took me ten years to discover my chi, but thirty years to learn how to use it. Once you see the benefit, you won’t want to stop.” – Ma Yueh Liang
Since I’ve only been doing Tai Chi for 20+ years, I’m still learning how to use my chi.
I have taught many forms of Qi Gong, including the Wudang Yang Sheng and Hun Yuan (Primordial) part one. Yang Sheng is very easy to learn, but like all forms of Qi Gong, can take a lifetime to master. Primordial Part One has more forms within to learn but is very powerful and energizing. Other Qigong sequences include 8 Pieces of Brocade, Medical Qigong, Shibashi: 18 Parts I, II, & III, Ma Wang Dui, Tai Chi Ball. Shaolin Yin Jin Jing, Tai Yi, Bone Stretching, and Five Animals.
I also have taught several styles of Tai Chi, predominately the Wudang Therapeutic Tai Chi. This set of forms is based on the Yang style 24 form set, but includes major components of Wudang theory and practice. Other formsets of Tai Chi include: 108 (Long Form) Yang Style Tai Chi, Wudang Square Foot Tai Chi, a modified version to fit into small spaces, utilizing many of the familiar Wudang Tai Chi forms; the Yang style 8 or 10 form, which is short and rather easy to learn; and the Simplified 24 form Yang style, a standardized form that is widely-known around the world. Edit