The Origin of Qigong

In ancient times most of the population of China consisted of peasants. The people would work in the fields all day until sunset, and then return to their homes to rest. Some would gather together and listen to the stories of the elders, while others would go and enjoy the cool night air after the heat of the day. Since the people enjoyed the refreshing nights more than the shifling days, they preferred the moon to the sun; that is why the Chinese calendar follows the moon - it is Lunar calendar, as opposed to the West's solar calendar. 

Healing and Wellbeing 

Out in the moonlight, the weary peasants could wind down and relax. And it was then that they became aware of something moving around inside their bodies - something that felt a little like steam. This steam could move up or down and in different places such as the legs or arms, it also seemed to be related to their breathing and mind. The people noted all these various feelings and eventually discovered that each person had a centre, just below the navel, which made the rest of the body warm and strong. They called this center 'Dantien'.

With continued observation they found that the flow of the steam could make the body warm and was related to spirit. Spirit in the sense of feeling of wellbeing rather than in the religious sense of the word. Gradually they discovered a network of channels crossing the body, linking the organs. Distributed along these channels were certain points which affected the way the steam flowed through the body. Thus energy (Qi) and system of accupuncture points and channels were discovered, and people found that touching and massaging points could heal a variety of problems.

Movements and breathing of various kinds to create heat were thus perceived as ways of healing physical ailments from very early times, long before the formulation of medicines. Throughout the centuries Chinese sages and philosophers have written of the beneficial effects of the treatment.