10 Benefits of Qigong

10 Benefits of Qigong

Last update: 07 September, 2018

Qigong is an age-old Chinese practice. The word qigong translates into the art of cultivating life energy and circulating it harmoniously throughout your body. It involves a lot of different techniques that combine your mind, physical exercise, and breathing. According to many studies, it can help with relaxation, improve performance, and generate well-being for people of any age.

This practice combines slow movements, breathing exercises, and concentration. It generally involves repeating a group of precise motions specially designed to benefit your health on every level. In fact, if you do it regularly, you’ll start to feel some of the positive effects right away.

The qigong movements with proven health benefits use a range of simple motions. They also encourage you to enter into a relaxed stated of consciousness. Lastly, they use various breathing techniques to go along with the different motions and poses.

The founders of qigong got their inspiration from nature, animals, and the elements. A lot of the exercises in this practice imitate animals to try and achieve qualities that have positive effects on your health. One interesting example is turtle breathing, which was invented 1,400 years ago by the Taoists. They noticed how amazingly long turtles live and started to study them. They observed their motions and breathing and developed exercises based on them for maintaining  good health and living longer.

Now we’re going to show you some of the benefits of qigong that are worth considering if you’re thinking about starting to practice it.

People doing qigong on the beach.

1. It reduces stress

This is a practice that helps you work on both body and mind. It does this by combining slow motions and deep breathing. So when you do these exercises, it physically and mentally relaxes you and that will reduce your stress levels. From there, you can reach a state of calmness and peace.

2. It improves your sleep quality

The deep breathing and mental tranquility involved in qigong can also help you fall asleep faster and get more out of your sleep.

3. It boosts your energy

The slow, soft movements will open up the energy channels in your body. That’s why people who do qigong have more energy, which also benefits sexuality and fertility.

4. It balances your emotions

Doing qigong can help you train skills like concentration and attention. These are both absolutely necessary for managing your emotions and having a clear, peaceful mind that doesn’t rely on autopilot to get through the day.

5. It gets rid of toxins

Your skin, like your intestines, is an organ that rids the body of waste. According to Chinese medicine, qigong can help your body get rid of toxins and clear up its energy channels.

6. It helps you connect with the present

The exercises you do as part of qigong are about connecting with the present. They help you have a more optimistic, joyful attitude towards life. This makes it much easier to feel happy.

Three people doing qigong.

The balance involved in qigong can show you to move without forcing or blocking your joints. Its soft stretches increase your flexibility and help prevent any injuries in those parts of your body.

8. It speeds up your healing processes

Qigong is a great practice to start after an injury or a surgery. Doing these soft movements and using the healthy parts of your body can speed up the healing in the injured parts. It does this by improving your circulation and the flow of energy throughout your body.

9. It relieves migraines

According to traditional Chinese medicine and qigong, not being in good health is something you deal with by working on your energy field. You have to keep it in constant, uniform motion. The reason you get a headache is that too much energy builds up there.

By doing some of the qigong exercises, you can actually relieve a migraine. The deep breathing involved in it will help you re-establish your internal balance.

10. It helps with digestion

The last benefit of qigong we’re going to talk about here is that it helps your gastrointestinal system work better. It can regulate and strengthen the contractions in your intestines, speed up the process, and eliminate gases. In fact, a lot of the exercises are good for toning your liver and pancreas.

We hope this list of the benefits you can get from qigong has convinced you to give it a try! Always remember that there are a lot of different ways to go about things in the world. The key is to start at a moderate level until you find the perfect balance.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.