If yoga or meditation ever felt like they were missing a piece — slow, flowing movement paired with breath — Qi Gong (also spelled qigong) might be exactly what you’ve been looking for. It’s approachable at any age or fitness level, needs no equipment, and has been carried into modern life by teachers who’ve devoted their entire careers to it. Here’s what it is, where it came from, and how to begin.
What Qi Gong Is, and Where It Comes From
Qi Gong translates roughly to “cultivating life energy,” combining gentle, repetitive movement, breath regulation, and focused awareness. It’s often described as the parent practice from which Tai Chi later developed, and both are grouped under Traditional Chinese Medicine’s broader family of mind-body practices (Britannica: Qigong).
Its roots reach back remarkably far — archaeological evidence, including a Neolithic vessel roughly 7,000 years old depicting a figure in a meditative posture, suggests some form of qi-cultivation practice existed long before it had a name (National Qigong Association: What Is Qigong?). Early Daoist “dao yin” (guiding the energy) practices appear in classical texts, and over centuries qi gong became closely woven into Traditional Chinese Medicine’s map of qi flowing through the body’s meridians — the same energetic framework acupuncture works with.
The Masters Who Brought Qi Gong West
Few people have done more to translate qi gong for Western students than Kenneth Cohen. A Qigong Grand Master with more than fifty years of practice, Cohen trained under Taoist Abbot and acupuncturist Dr. Huang Gengshi and studied t’ai chi ch’uan under the William C.C. Chen school before writing The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing, one of the most widely respected English-language books on the subject (Qigong Healing: About Ken Cohen). Cohen teaches that qi gong is a living tradition, not a set of mechanical exercises — in his work, health means qi that is clear and flowing smoothly, “like a stream, not blocked or stagnant” rather than simply an abundance of energy. In 2003 he received the Alyce and Elmer Green Award for Innovation and Lifetime Achievement, one of the leading honors in the energy medicine field.
Alongside Cohen, Dr. Roger Jahnke, a doctor of Chinese medicine with 45 years of teaching experience, has shaped how qi gong is taught in clinical and wellness settings across the West. Jahnke is the author of The Healer Within and founder of the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi (IIQTC), which has trained more than 5,000 teachers and practice leaders internationally and is considered one of the most respected qi gong research and training institutes outside China (Qigong Institute: Dr. Roger Jahnke). He also co-founded the National Qigong Association, which has certified instructors across styles and lineages since 1996.
What Qi Gong Offers You Today
Traditionally, qi gong is understood as a way of cultivating and directing qi — vital energy that, in Cohen’s and Jahnke’s shared teaching lineage, flows more freely through a relaxed, well-aligned body and a settled mind. Practitioners often describe a felt sense of warmth, tingling, or expansiveness during practice, and a lasting sense of calm and rootedness afterward.
There’s also a wonderful, well-documented mainstream companion to this tradition: a large randomized trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that older adults practicing tai chi experienced 58% fewer falls than a stretching-only group over six months (Harvard Health: “Tai chi, the winner at warding off falls”), and Harvard Medical School’s Osher Center for Integrative Health has convened international conferences specifically on the science of tai chi and qigong (PMC: “The Science of Tai Chi and Qigong as Whole Person Health”). It’s a nice reminder that a practice this old is still teaching modern researchers something new about balance, resilience, and healthy aging.
If you’re managing a condition that affects balance, mobility, or cardiovascular health, qi gong is a gentle practice to bring alongside your doctor’s guidance — its low-impact nature is part of why it’s so often recommended as a companion to standard care for older adults.
Practical Ways to Begin
- Learn 3–5 basic movements first, rather than an entire long form. Many teachers start beginners with simple standing sequences like “cloud hands.”
- Practice barefoot or in flat shoes on a stable surface — qi gong emphasizes rootedness and weight-shifting.
- Follow a free video series before committing to in-person classes, to see whether the pacing and style suit you.
- Practice for just 10 minutes a day. Consistency tends to matter more than session length.
- Pair movement with breath — inhaling as you rise or open, exhaling as you sink or close, is a foundational pattern across most styles.
Tools That Can Help
- A structured beginner video program. Lee Holden’s Holden QiGong platform offers short daily practices designed specifically for newcomers (Holden QiGong). Links coming soon
- Kenneth Cohen’s “The Way of Qigong.” For readers who want a comprehensive, master-level entry point. Find it on Amazon
- Comfortable, flexible footwear or a non-slip mat for practicing on hard floors. Find it on Amazon
- A certified local instructor, found through the National Qigong Association, which has certified instructors since 1996 and doesn’t favor any single style or lineage (National Qigong Association: Certification).
Go Deeper
- qigonghealing.com — Kenneth Cohen’s own site, with his teaching, articles, and books.
- healerwithin.com — Dr. Roger Jahnke’s Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi.
- National Qigong Association — the longest-standing U.S. nonprofit dedicated to qigong education and certification.
- Explore related Radiance BioHarmonics articles: Meditation and Yoga and Mudras for other breath- and movement-based practices.
Sources
- Britannica, “Qigong” — https://www.britannica.com/topic/qigong
- National Qigong Association, “What Is Qigong?” — https://www.nqa.org/what-is-qigong
- Qigong Healing, “About Ken Cohen” — https://www.qigonghealing.com/about-ken
- Qigong Institute, “Dr. Roger Jahnke — Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi” — https://www.qigonginstitute.org/category/52/dr-roger-jahnke-institute-of-integral-qigong-and-tai-chi
- Harvard Health Publishing, “Tai chi, the winner at warding off falls” — https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/tai-chi-the-winner-at-warding-off-falls
- PMC, “The Science of Tai Chi and Qigong as Whole Person Health” — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13294534/
- National Qigong Association, “Certification” — https://www.nqa.org/certification
- Holden QiGong — https://www.holdenqigong.com/