Qi (or “chi”) is the universal life force common to all energetic healing systems. It is the “ki” in Reiki; in Tae Kown Do it is “gee”. Each of these is translated as “energy”. As Yoda observes, “Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, Not this crude matter.” In a very real sense Qi exists all around and through us at all times. It is our focus that brings it to our attention, allows us to be aware of it.
Master Usui posited that the Energy he experienced on Kurama Yama was related to a more ancient healing practice that had been forgotten. Many of those ancient healing techniques have been preserved in Classical Chinese Medicine. As long ago as 2690 – 2590 BCE, the Nei Jing or Book of the Yellow Emperor mentions adjusting people’s qi circulation. Lao Zi mentions certain breathing techniques in his classic Tao De Ching, ca. 1122-934 BCE.
Most people now-a-days know what Tai Chi is (also spelled Taiji). If you don’t know someone who practices Tai Chi, you’ve likely seen videos of older folk doing this slow motion exercise in the park. Qi gong is called “the mother of Tai Chi” and is sometimes referred to as Taoist Yoga. It is a five thousand year old practice that Tai Chi eventually derived from. http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/history/index.html
Qigong is medical, and the forms are often specific to different organs and their energetic channels, called meridians.
Qigong is energy work, or perhaps more accurately, energy cultivation. It is the practice of becoming attuned to this life force to such a degree that we can physically feel it and be able to direct it.
The purpose of the movements in qigong are to clear the energetic pathways – called meridians – in our bodies so that the energy can flow smoothly and unimpeded. Like a clot in a blood vessel, energy can become blocked in a meridian and stagnate, causing discomfort or disease in that meridian and its associated organ. The gentle exercises in qigong help to remove the blocks and clear the meridians, allowing the qi to move more effortlessly. There are thousands of peer reviewed medical papers supporting the healing attributes of qigong and tai chi. https://www.qigonginstitute.org/abstracts
For Reiki healers, the added benefit to our energetic pathways being clear is that the qi can flow more easily through us to our client, facilitating their healing. An understanding of qigong and the related energetic systems can help us as healers to produce more long-lasting results, improving the effectiveness of Reiki healings.
The first steps in preparing ourselves to practice qigong are to align, breathe, and relax.
Sage Wise Arts 
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