Tai Chi vs Qigong – How Each Practice Cultivates Energy and Balance
Written by Lisa Decker, Owner of Aligned Fitness
Lisa Decker has been in the field of posture alignment and biomechanics for 20+ years and has helped thousands of people free themselves from chronic pain. She is the owner of Aligned Fitness Posture Therapy & Qigong in San Jose, CA, where she specializes in many areas of holistic wellness.
Tai Chi and Qigong may look soft and effortless on the outside, but they are powerfully transformative within. Rooted in the Chinese energetic arts, Tai Chi carries the strength and wisdom of martial arts, while Qigong offers the gentle clarity of the healing arts. Both offer a dynamic integration of movement, breath, and energy. Whether you choose to begin with Tai Chi or Qigong, you will experience benefits that have the power to transform your well-being from the inside out.
The first step in both Tai Chi and Qigong is to learn to sense and feel energy. You will gain this skill regardless of which practice you choose. However, Tai Chi involves more complex integrated choreography, which may prove more challenging when you are just beginning to work with subtle energy. Building your kinesthetic sense and deepening your overall awareness is a vital first step in both practices.
Tai Chi is translated as "Supreme Ultimate," while Qigong is defined as "Cultivation of Life Force Energy." Both practices use physical movement, breath, and mindful intention to guide energy efficiently through the body. One key difference is that Qigong tends to be more prescriptive, with specific forms designed for particular health issues. In fact, Qigong hospitals in China have long used these healing practices to support patients with a wide range of conditions.
Researched benefits
Qigong is relatively new to the United States, whereas martial arts and Tai Chi are more widely recognized and practiced. This is likely why most of the research focuses on Tai Chi. However, both disciplines demonstrate significant, well-documented health benefits.
Tai Chi has been proven to significantly improve executive function, including multitasking, time management, and decision-making. It was also proven to slow the progression to dementia more than any other form of exercise. It even outperformed walking!
Healing ingredients
So why do Tai Chi and Qigong seem to improve function more effectively than other forms of exercise? I believe it comes down to a unique combination of ingredients that work together like a brilliant healing concoction:
Awareness: The slow, intentional movements in Tai Chi and Qigong help us develop our kinesthetic sense and experience heightened awareness. Slow breathing, harmonized with mindful movements, naturally releases stress and tension while regulating the nervous system.
Intention: Through focused visualization, we strengthen our ability to observe and direct our attention. We learn to utilize our mind as a powerful tool to influence the patterns of our body. As we practice the forms and flows, we guide the energy through the body, consciously releasing stagnation and obstruction within our tissues and vessels.
Process-driven: Qigong is process-driven rather than goal-driven. With consistent practice, we gradually reshape habitual patterns through direct experience. Rather than driving ourselves to achieve a goal, we stay present in each step of the process, practicing mindfulness while naturally building strength, flexibility, and balance.
Structural integration: Rather than treating the body in isolated parts, movement is experienced through the entire kinetic chain and across all planes of motion. In Tai Chi, full-body movements are integrated immediately. Qigong may prescribe exercises to open through individual joints, creating relative motion before progressing to more complex, fully integrated movements.
Breathwork: Breathwork is one of the most essential components of both Tai Chi and Qigong. Our breathing patterns influence our posture, nervous system, and emotional well-being. Regulating our breath shifts the nervous system from stress to relaxation. This allows the muscles and fascia to release tension, encouraging greater range of motion and improving the flow of oxygen, blood, and lymph throughout the body.
Strength & flexibility: Both Tai Chi and Qigong encourage a balance of strength and flexibility. By learning to move efficiently in all planes of motion, we generate greater energy flow. With consistent practice, we can develop an innate understanding of our alignment, breath, and movement patterns as we connect to the higher intelligence of our body.
Social support: Community is another vital component of both practices. When practiced in a group setting, we resonate with one another's energy in a shared energetic field. Social connection and community have profound, scientifically proven benefits and are strongly associated with overall health and well-being.
Spirituality: Finally, Tai Chi and Qigong embody an element of spirituality that sets them apart from many other practices. Spirituality is not synonymous with religion. Rather, it refers to connecting with and transcending beyond the conscious mind. Through these practices, we explore our relationship with the earth and the universe as we integrate our body, mind, and spirit.
More than exercise
Tai Chi and Qigong are far more than just exercise! When we connect within physically, energetically, and spiritually, we move through life from a more balanced, centered, and calm state. We become rooted and connected internally and are thereby able to connect more deeply and authentically with the world around us. It is my joy and life purpose to share this practice with all of you.
Join a Qigong class today! For a listing of Qigong classes, visit my website here.
Read more from Lisa Decker
Lisa Decker, Owner of Aligned Fitness
Lisa Decker began her work 25 years ago as a personal trainer but realized quickly the importance of addressing dysfunctional alignment and muscular compensations before strengthening. She has a master's degree in Human Movement, a 3-year certification in medical Qigong, and multiple certifications in biomechanics, spinal decompression, posture therapy, breathwork, and corrective exercise. She is the owner of Aligned Fitness in San Jose, CA, where she specializes in helping others restore functional alignment and movement patterns to reduce chronic pain symptoms. Her goal is to educate and empower people to understand the root cause of their pain so they can safely and pain-free return to enjoying the activities they love.
