“Qi” is life force and “gong” is skill. Qi gong is the practicing to become skilled with using qi. We do this by focusing our practice in nei gong: internal training. And from there we can expand qi gong to include many other practices from martial arts to meditation and even spirituality.
Before studying nei gong in depth, it is imperative to first learn to feel the qi.Qi gong is one of the best ways. Qi gong strengthens the body’s qi and clears blockages in the meridian system. Practicing qi gong also allows for the exchange between the body’s inner qi and the surrounding environmental qi, which lets the body’s “old” qi out and takes “new” qi in. It can bring in specific universal energies to store in the body’s dan tians.
One of qi gong’s important features in practice is the cultivation of inner strength. It usually consists of slow movements to learn how to focus on flowing with qi. They are usually simple movements that anybody can practice. It calms the mind, slows down the body to be relaxed, and from a personal standpoint, it feels great.
Practicing qi gong will teach you how to feel qi in many ways. However, two are most basic: listening and controlling. To listen to qi you must be calm, and at peace with yourself. To control qi you have to have the experience of how the qi moves. As you come to experience the flow of qi from your surroundings, the trees, rocks, etc… you will begin to understand the intimate bond between you and the universe which is the spiritual dimension of Qi Gong. It is a truly astonishing experience.