Ancient Qigong and Yoga are essentially two branches of the same tree. Though umbrella terms for a wide range of practices, both yoga and qigong are concerned with unifying the body in order to refine ones ‘qi’ or ‘prana’ to achieve higher states of being. While much of modern yoga has become synonymous with ‘flexibility’, the Chinese systems are thought to have better maintained their roots. The simple movements of qigong allow the student to easily and effectively feel the internal flows of energy in the body.
This form of Qi Gong, well known in China, is one of the four methods officially recognized. It has been inspired by Hua Tuo (a doctor in medicine of the Han dynasty), who has devised each movement from his watching wild animals’ behaviours.