Qi Gong began in China, and it’s history is somewhat unknown. Most experts say that it is 5000+ years old. Tai Chi is around 700 years old and was sourced from Qi Gong. The three major categories of Qi Gong are: • Medical Qi Gong for health and wellness • Spiritual Qi Gong: for a meditative mind • Martial arts Qi Gong: Tai Chi falls in this category, although it is mostly used for wellness rather than martial practice. Every movement in Tai Chi can be used as a “block” and “strike”, even if it is practiced as a body/mind/spirit practice. Both practices use water-like movements that generate from the body’s center, and both cultivate internal energy, or Qi, for health and awareness. In Tai Chi, you will memorize anywhere from 15 movements to 108 sequential movements. In Qi Gong, you will repeat one movement for a while using breath then move onto another movement. It is decidedly easier to practice Qi Gong than Tai Chi.

When you join a Qi Gong class, you will begin seated using a centering breath practice. Then you will stand comfortably in what we call “Wu Ji” or “rest and ready” posture. The class consists of: • A standing practice of warm ups that are especially focused on joint and spine mobility • Standing practice of cleansing exercises to “let go” of old unhelpful emotions • A seated section that includes activating acupressure points • Standing practice of meditative flows will be the culmination of your Qi Gong practice.

According to the National Institute of Health, Qi Gong is beneficial as a natural wellness program, especially in these areas: • improving pain, stiffness, and physical functioning • balance training and fall preventionmanaging fatigue and sleep quality • improving cognition and memory • alleviating depressive symptoms and anxiety • managing chronic disease such as fibromyalgia, Parkinson's, COPD, and quality of life for heart conditions