According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), illness results from interruptions in the flow of one's Ch'i (or "Qi" in pin yin spelling), the essential energy of life. Ch'i can be translated as breath, life force, or more accurately "the pulse of the Universe." Gong (or "Kung") means work or effort. Simply put, Ch'i Gong is energy work, like its sister practice T'ai Ch'i, its aim is to unblock and cultivate the flow of the life force, thereby promoting health, quieting the spirit, and increasing endurance and strength.
There are four basic types of Ch'i Gong exercises:
- Stillness in Stillness
- Movement in Stillness
- Stillness in Movement
- Movement in Movement
At the Tao Ch'i School, all four forms of Ch'i Gong are taught according to the needs and capacities of the individual student.
