Qigong (also written as chi kung, and more commonly known as nei gong before the term qigong became the widely used) refers to a type of training that manages the health of the mind and body. Qigong consists of two Chinese words: qi and gong. Qi, as used in the context of the phrase, qi gong, refers to both the signal that controls the functioning of the body and the actual functions of the body. However, the common everyday usage of the word 'qi' has several meanings, such as: air, breath, gas, anger, angry, to make angry, natural force, smell, spirit and mental status. The word 'gong' is the short form for 'gong fu' (kung fu), which means 'training with time and effort.' The phrase 'gong fu' translates into: 'effort, skill, and time.' In addition, as it is widely used today, gong fu is a Cantonese slang for martial arts, a usage widely adapted and coined in America to mean Chinese Martial Arts.
What is qigong? This seemingly simple question, when asked today amidst the plethora of self-taught qigong videos and instruction books available on the market, will solicit answers that are more often than not far from being accurate. These responses to 'What is qigong,' distorted to a great degree by the amount of mixed media coverage and publicity by self- proclaimed 'masters of the art of qigong,' fail to present qigong in its scientific context and instead, if with any accuracy at all, present qigong mainly in its spiritual or religious context. While qigong has its spiritual and religious applications, it is imperative to understand qigong from all points of view. As we define qigong, we will also cover its applications, origins, relationship with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), medical qigong, how qigong works, and finally qigong training techniques and programs.
