Vocab · 词汇 cíhuì

气功

qì gōng

The cultivation of vital energy through breath, movement, and stillness , China's oldest system of mind-body practice.

中医 · Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Reading Path hub →

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字源 zìyuán Etymology — Qi and Gong

字源洞见 zìyuán dòngjiàn · Etymological Insight

气 qì (breath; vital energy; air; qi) + 功 gōng (skill; achievement; work, the same 功 as in 功夫 gōngfu "skill through time"). 气功 = "the cultivation of qi through disciplined practice."

The character 气 originally showed steam or breath rising: three curving lines above the ground, representing vapor. It was later unified with 氣, which showed rice 米 being cooked and emitting steam, the nourishment that produces vital energy. Both forms converge on the same idea: qi as the vital animating substance, as invisible and pervasive as breath.

气 is one of the most fundamental concepts in Chinese thought, spanning natural philosophy (天气 weather), traditional medicine (气血 qi and blood), cosmology (元气 primal qi), and ethics (正气 righteous qi, as in Wen Tianxiang's 正气歌 "Song of Righteous Qi"). All share the root sense: the animating force or substance of a phenomenon.

理论 lǐlùn The Theory of Qi

气的理论 qì de lǐlùn · What Qi Is

In traditional Chinese medicine and classical philosophy, 气 qì is the fundamental substance of the universe: matter and energy, noun and verb at once. Everything that exists is a specific configuration of qi: dense, slow-moving qi is matter; subtle, fast-moving qi is energy and consciousness. Health is the harmonious flow of qi; illness is blockage, deficiency, or excess.

The body contains several key types of qi: 元气 yuánqì (primordial qi, inherited from parents, stored in the kidneys; finite), 宗气 zōngqì (chest qi that drives respiration and circulation), 营气 yíngqì (nutritive qi derived from food), and 卫气 wèiqì (defensive qi that protects the body surface).

Qi flows through channels called 经络 jīngluò (meridians), the same system used in acupuncture. The 12 primary meridians and 8 extraordinary vessels form a network through which qi moves in a 24-hour daily cycle, concentrating in different organs at different times. Qigong practice is designed to support and regulate this flow.

练功 liàn gōng Practice — How Qigong Is Done

三要素 sān yàosù · Three Essential Elements All qigong practice integrates three elements:
调身 tiáo shēn: regulating the body (posture, alignment, movement)
调息 tiáo xī: regulating the breath (rate, depth, rhythm, direction)
调心 tiáo xīn: regulating the mind (attention, visualization, intention)

静功 jìng gōng still-form qigong; seated or standing meditation

N 名词 míngcí

静 jìng (still; quiet) + 功 gōng (practice). Qigong performed without external movement: seated meditation, standing post (站桩 zhàn zhuāng), or lying-down practices. The body is still while breath and attention cultivate interior movement of qi.

站桩是最基本的静功练习之一。

Zhànzhuāng shì zuì jīběn de jìng gōng liànxí zhī yī.

Standing post (zhanzhuang) is one of the most fundamental still-form qigong practices.

动功 dòng gōng moving qigong; forms with coordinated movement and breath

N 名词 míngcí

动 dòng (moving; active) + 功 gōng (practice). Qigong with movement, from slow and gentle forms like 八段锦 Bāduànjǐn (Eight Brocades) and 五禽戏 Wǔqínxì (Five Animals) to more vigorous practices. Movement is synchronized with breath and guided by awareness.

八段锦是一种很受欢迎的动功，适合各年龄段。

Bāduànjǐn shì yī zhǒng hěn shòu huānyíng de dòng gōng, shìhé gè niánlíng duàn.

The Eight Brocades is a very popular moving qigong, suitable for all ages.

流派 liúpài Schools — Daoist, Buddhist, Medical

三大流派 sān dà liúpài · Three Major Traditions

道家气功 Daojiā qìgōng (Daoist qigong): The oldest tradition, with practices aimed at achieving 长生 cháng shēng (longevity) or 成仙 chéng xiān (immortality) through refining qi into increasingly subtle forms. The inner alchemy tradition (内丹 nèidān) visualizes the body as a laboratory for transforming essence (精 jīng) → qi → spirit (神 shén).

佛家气功 Fójiā qìgōng (Buddhist qigong): Practices focused on cultivating samadhi (定 dìng) and wisdom (慧 huì), the meditative foundation of Chan Buddhism. The Shaolin tradition blended Buddhist meditation with physical conditioning, producing both the monk's stillness and the warrior's power.

医家气功 Yījiā qìgōng (Medical qigong): Practices derived from traditional Chinese medicine, designed for health maintenance, prevention, and therapeutic treatment. The most evidence-based tradition; used in hospitals and clinical settings in China. 八段锦 and 五禽戏 belong to this category.

词汇 cíhuì Essential Qigong Vocabulary

丹田 dāntián the elixir field — the body's energy center

N 名词 míngcí

丹 dān (cinnabar; red; elixir) + 田 tián (field). The "elixir field," the body's primary energy reservoir. Three locations: 下丹田 xià dāntián (lower, 3 inches below the navel, the primary center and focus of most practice) · 中丹田 zhōng dāntián (middle, the chest) · 上丹田 shàng dāntián (upper, the head). "Breathe into the dantian" is one of the most common instructions in qigong and internal martial arts.

练气功时，要把注意力集中在下丹田。

Liàn qìgōng shí, yào bǎ zhùyìlì jízhōng zài xià dāntián.

When practicing qigong, focus your attention on the lower dantian.

经络 jīngluò meridians; the qi channel system

N 名词 míngcí

经 jīng (warp thread; main channel) + 络 luò (network thread; connecting channel). Together they describe the body's energy network: 12 primary 经 channels + 8 extraordinary 奇经八脉 vessels + an extensive network of 络 branch channels. The basis of acupuncture, acupressure, and qigong.

针灸通过刺激穴位来调节经络中的气血。

Zhēnjiǔ tōngguò cìjī xuéwèi lái tiáojié jīngluò zhōng de qì xuè.

Acupuncture regulates the qi and blood in the meridians by stimulating acupoints.