Qigong vs Tai Chi...

Qigong is an ancient practice that literally means cultivating your vital energy, or gi. This is done by a combination of exercises or movements, self massage, and meditation and breathing exercises. Tai Chi is the very well known and popular practice of Qigong, but it is performed with movement. All practices like yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong are a form of meditation which allows the system to align with its energy, and all are practiced with moving exercises. The difference between Qigong and Tai Chi is the way these exercises are practiced, and how the energy is manipulated in the body.

Traditionally, Tai Chi is practiced in a very specific form. With Qigong, you can take simple exercises and learn them quickly, by repeating them again and again. Some of these exercises are taken from Tai Chi postures, and then they are called Tai Chi Qigong.

While practicing Tai Chi, you focus on your energy. This is the same for those practicing Qigong. However, Tai Chi is more focused on posture and alignment while doing the exercises, which is something you need to remember while you are practicing Qigong as well.

In Qigong, you are asked to do a series of exercises over and over again. However, with Tai Chi, you can do a set of exercises a few times and then move on to the next set. Repetition is not as common in Tai Chi as it is in Qigong.

Tai Chi is based on martial arts, and is trying to work with the internal energies of the body. Qigong is an ancient, traditional Chinese practice, that allows the individual to maintain a healthy balance of energies to get the proper stability, and it also counteracts the energy blockages in the system.

Hope this gives you a little more information and interest in taking a look at these further!

Colleen :-)