This paper examines the deep connection between Qigong, an ancient Chinese martial art and healing practice, and Taoism, the philosophical tradition from which it derives. The paper traces Taoism's origins to the Warring States period and its founding figures, Lao Tzu and Zhuang Zi, then explores how Qigong's four training methods—dynamic, static, meditative, and external agents—embody Taoist principles. Special emphasis is placed on Tai Chi Chuan, a branch of Qigong, and its documented benefits for stress reduction, balance improvement, and sleep quality. The paper demonstrates how Taoist concepts of yin-yang balance and the flow of qi underpin modern medical applications of Qigong practices.
As human beings, we tend to create routines for our daily lives. The routine is usually created because a person is familiar with their everyday patterns, so in turn they feel safe. People usually stick to their daily routines because of the fear of the unknown and the unfamiliar. While some habits may be harmful to a person, others are beneficial to one's overall well-being.
Qigong is a form of martial arts that serves multiple constructive purposes to the human body, including exercise, recreation, preventive medicine, self-healing, self-cultivation, meditation, and martial arts training. The main concept of Qigong is to cultivate the qi, or internal life force, by practicing slow breathing exercises along with slow, fluid movements. Currently, Qigong is widely known for its medical benefits and its ability to improve one's concentration during meditation. Qigong is also considered to be a Taoist practice, especially because it shares the same concepts and aspects as the philosophy of Taoism. According to Qigong Fever by David Palmer and other sources, Qigong and Taoism serve as advantageous practices for one's physical health, as well as mental and spiritual well-being.
As human beings, we strive for the feeling of happiness. Happiness can mean differently for each person. For certain people, happiness can mean money, fame, relationships, or taking a spiritual path. Once a person finds something that makes them happy, they cherish the moment and hope to encounter the feeling of bliss again. People are always searching for happiness because the feeling only lasts a certain period of time. People follow a specific way of life because they believe that it would grant them happiness. For example, following a religion can lead a person to achieve "ultimate" happiness. In Taoism, a person's goal is to be one with the Tao or achieve immortality. To do so, the person has to recognize the Tao as one with everything and understand that Tao is everything. Recognizing Taoist thought disregards racial, cultural, or ethnic background because Taoists believe that humans share the same archetype.
The history of Taoism dates back to the Warring States Period of China, when feudal lords ruled certain parts of the country. It is believed that shamanic traditions and rituals heavily influenced Taoism. While conflicts between feudal states were common, one man sought to find an answer to end the struggle for power. Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, wrote a book called the Tao te Ching. The teachings in this book reflect Lao Tzu's philosophy toward achieving "ultimate" happiness and immortality.
Another founder of Taoist philosophy is Zhuang Zi. Zhuang Zi argues that life is limited while the knowledge to be gained is unlimited. His philosophy can be considered a precursor of relativism in systems of value. Lao Tzu's Tao te Ching and Zhuang Zi's Zhuang Zi created the philosophical foundation of Taoism. Today, Taoism has over twenty million followers around the world, and it has influenced not only China greatly but also the entire world.
Taoism has demonstrated its influence not only through religions such as Zen Buddhism but also greatly through the Chinese medical field. The Chinese medical field has flourished ever since Qigong was discovered and incorporated into healing practices. With Qigong, scientific studies have found evidence correlating Qigong's potential to aid the human body. Today, there are over a hundred different forms of Qigong. Each form can be divided by how it is practiced.
The four different categories of Qigong consist of dynamic training, static training, meditative training, and the use of external agents. Each category is separated by how the practice is beneficial to the body. To start practicing Qigong, one must understand the concept of the art itself.
With roots in ancient Chinese culture dating back more than 4,000 years, a wide variety of Qigong forms have developed within different segments of Chinese society. With the different categories of Qigong, there are many different masters who specialize in a certain area. For example, there are Tai Chi Chuan masters. Tai Chi is a branch of Qigong that specializes in martial arts. The purpose of practicing Qigong in this context is to improve one's skill in martial arts or to enhance their self-discipline. Tai Chi is also categorized as an external cultivation of qi, or the intrinsic life force.
Another practice in which Qigong correlates with health benefits is Yiquan. Practicing Yiquan involves sustaining postures for periods of time, much like yoga. This kind of training is considered static training. Yiquan consists of focusing on one's natural movements and fighting abilities through a system of training methods. These training methods differ from Tai Chi because they do not use the concept of qi or dantian. This kind of training helps a person's balance, concentration, and meditation ability.
The meditative training for Qigong is one that emphasizes the typical Qigong practices. One has to guide qi by rhythmic breathing with fluid movement, a calm mind, and visualizing the movement of qi through the body. Through the meditative practice of Qigong, aspects of Taoism appear evidently. Traditional Chinese medicine practice requires the cultivation of qi in the dantian and balancing of qi flow. Taoists believe that qi is cultivated in the dantian, which is located right below the navel and is where the power of the qi is stored. Through meditation, one can manipulate qi to any part of the body. Manipulating the qi to go to any part of the body requires an immense amount of concentration and is said to feel warm and tingly. For some people, this method might take years to reach, but for others, it can only take up to three seconds.
The Taoist thought of balancing qi flow is one of the concepts that Qigong adopted from Taoism. Meditation can also be described as making the mind still and entering a state of consciousness that brings serenity, clarity, and bliss. Another correlation in which meditation is derived from Taoism is the way meditation provides a path to achieve longevity and spiritual enlightenment. Since one of the goals of Taoists is to achieve immortality, meditative Qigong is beneficial to one's health because it helps a person achieve a longer life and clarity. The meditative training is not limited to sitting. One can practice the meditative process through standing positions and postural alignment stances, such as the stake of infinity position, where the elbows are aligned with the knees, the knees are aligned with the toes, the head is aligned with the dantian and spine, and the shoulders are aligned with the hips.
One of the final concepts of Qigong relating to health benefits and the philosophy of Taoism is the use of external agents. The use of external agents dates back to the pre-Taoist era when shamans used herbs and massage for medicine. This can also be considered as the Taoist practice of alchemy. In order to receive treatment, Qigong masters have used different kinds of methods derived from traditional Chinese medicine. This is how the root of Chinese medicine is portrayed through Qigong. Specialized foods and drinks are prescribed to aid the manipulation of qi. There are also instances in which a Qigong master emits his own qi to another person to manipulate the qi flow as a form of treatment. These methods can also be used on animals, which signifies the relativity of everything.
Tai Chi is a branch of Qigong that specializes in martial arts training. Tai Chi movements have very similar aspects to Taoist ideology. In Tai Chi, the concept of yin and yang is always involved. The position of one's hands is important to the practice of this martial art. While one palm is facing up (the yin) and the other is facing down (the yang), it completes the flow of qi in the body. Another aspect in which Tai Chi is related to Taoism is the flow of all things in nature. According to popular Taoist thought, everything in the universe is in constant flow, portrayed in the symbol of the yin and yang.
Just like in Tai Chi, one's movements are supposed to be slow and aligned. Along with the movements or forms of Tai Chi, it is very important to keep the balance of yin and yang, as well as to move continuously to represent the flow of the universe. It is also proven that performing Tai Chi lessens the risk of a heart attack and stroke and helps improve a person's balance. The benefits of Tai Chi Chuan mainly focus on the body's physical aspect, though mental and spiritual dimensions are equally important to practice.
Every year, about a quarter of the adults in the United States are diagnosed with a psychological or mental disorder, costing about fifty billion dollars a year in healthcare. A new way of treating such illnesses was found after countless studies of patients who suffer from mental disorders. Tai Chi has been proven to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, improve mood, and improve self-esteem. Tai Chi helps reduce stress because it requires focus and concentration. When people's minds are busy trying to focus on the movements and techniques, the thought of stress leaves their mind.
Another aspect in which Tai Chi is beneficial to the human body is the ability to improve balance. Loss of balance and falling is one of the leading causes of injury for the elderly. As one grows older, the body deteriorates without proper care such as exercise and the right meals. The National Institute of Aging sponsored two studies on the effects of Tai Chi on the balance of older people. As a result, they found that Tai Chi helps three aspects of balance function: losses of balance during sensory organization testing, single stance time, and voluntary limits of stability. Another study done by the Oregon Research Institute found that those who practiced Tai Chi were 55 percent less likely to fall than those in the control group who just stretched. The reason why Tai Chi is more effective than stretching may be because of the slow movements used in Tai Chi, which include shifting weight in a planned manner. The availability of Tai Chi is also convenient for older people. They do not have to pay money for a personal trainer, and it can be done at the comfort of someone's home.
Sleep is one of the most important parts of life. Sleep is the body's way of healing itself without using too much energy. Tai Chi is proven to increase one's quality of sleep. A randomized study done with two groups—one group practicing Tai Chi and the other using low-impact exercise for six months—shows that after the experiment, the Tai Chi participants had eighteen minutes less sleep latency and forty-eight minutes more sleep per night than the other group. Along with improving the quality of sleep at night, practicing Tai Chi also reduces daytime sleepiness.
Not only is Tai Chi beneficial to the human body, but it is also in perfect accord with Lao Tzu's Tao te Ching. There are plenty of examples where the literary work describes Tai Chi-like actions. For example:
Verse 43:
The softest thing in the universe
Overcomes the hardest thing in the universe.
Verse 76:
The hard and strong will fall
The soft and weak will overcome them.
Verse 78:
The weak can overcome the strong;
The supple can overcome the stiff.
Under heaven everyone knows this,
Yet no one puts it into practice. (Lao Tzu)
These verses explain the concept of "soft overcomes hard." Tai Chi Chuan application is similar to practicing the solo form. It is guided by the concepts of relaxation, softness, circular movements, and evenness. It is only when a posture is natural, relaxed, and soft that the qi can circulate profoundly and the power supporting the posture emerges. Tai Chi Chuan applies the concept of "softness," which distinguishes it from many Chinese martial art systems that emphasize "hardness." These verses from the Tao te Ching exemplify the correlation between Taoism and Qigong. This also applies to the static practice of Qigong. Correlations between Tai Chi, Qigong, and Taoism can all be identified within a culture and through the philosophical works of Lao Tzu and Zhuang Zi.
The widely practiced martial art, Tai Chi Chuan, emphasizes relaxation, separating yin and yang, turning the waist, keeping the back erect, and total body involvement. Through this characteristic, it is safe to say that there is a major influence of Taoism into Qigong. Through Qigong, there are plenty of medical advantages. The branch of Qigong called Tai Chi helps with reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, improving mood, and improving self-esteem—all of which are beneficial to the human body. Another aspect in which Qigong is beneficial is the use of external agents. The pre-Taoist thought of using alchemy to practice the cultivation of qi exemplifies the connection of Taoism and Qigong. Strengthening one's mental, physical, and spiritual health can all be achieved by practicing a certain philosophy and martial art. Through these concepts, a person can strive to have better health in general.
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