What is Chi Kung?

By George Mera

Kung means mastering something, spending time and dedication till the activity transforms in an art. Kung-Fu is the person who possesses arts and skills and has excelled in any area of expertise so martial artists, musicians, and lawyers are called Kung-Fu.

Experts in Chi Kung have mastered the energy of life; they can control and manipulate Chi in order to exert incredible physical force or to heal a person. The force of Chi is described as the one that crazy people have, people on drugs or a woman that lifts a car in order to rescue her children.  It is an internal force, it is not related with muscles but with Chi.

The philosophy of Chi Kung declares that we are all healers, we all have the potential.  In Chi Kung’s practice we are encouraged, without becoming paranoid or hypochondriac, to constantly scan our bodies, organs, tendons and ligaments trying to detect any stagnancy of Qi in the meridians, to resolve the problem before it becomes serious.

Chi Kung is really a pleasant activity; we see obstacles as opportunities to grow. When Chi is stuck in certain parts of our bodies or organs, the game is to liberate the Chi and using some gentle techniques and patience, the areas of chronic pain will disappear.

After you resolve your physical concerns, many of the emotional tribulations seem possible to overcome.  Then your mind can start trusting itself to disperse the clouds of negative thoughts and you find yourself looking at the future with real contentment and pleasant internal dialog in your mind.

In this game of Chi Kung, the stronger the physical discomfort the more powerful the opportunity to release more Chi. The bigger the emotional scars the more the potential for love. The more doubt and questioning that is experienced by the disturbed mind, the closer we get to enlightenment.

There are thousands of different types of Chi Kung; they are classified in five principal schools:
The school of Stillness.  When the mind becomes like a peaceful lake with no ripples.  Many poses are held and much visualization is taught.
The school of Movement.  Some routines have only few or hundreds of movements.  Some imitate animals, like the white goose, or the movement of the four constellations.  This school is vast and the most popular.
The school of Breathing to have an internal vision of the organs.  For this school we are the microcosm of the macrocosm.  Whatever is happening inside your body is happening in the stars.  To know the universe you need to first know yourself.
The school of Medical Chi Kung consists of exercises prescribed by doctors to treat conditions from simple ailments to hepatitis or cancer. Many studies and research have been compiled all over the world, showing how internal and external (Healing Hands) Chi Kung can effectively help to heal.
The school of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism.  The metaphysical Chi Kung.  These spiritual practices are looking for Shien or Satori; spiritual enlightenment or immortality. The Chinese government has generally tried to encourage Chi Kung as a science and discourage religious or supernatural elements.