HISTORY OF KI GONG
Ki Gong history can be roughly divided into five periods. Throughout Ki Gong history there have been several constants. There is an emphasis on meditation, respiration and movement in order to achieve higher levels of health and well-being.
Ancient History
The first period had very little written documentation and therefore historical review is a bit speculative. It is possible that Ki principles were practiced during this time because some historical records have indicated that conscious body movement and breathing exercises were practiced to cure diseases. It is unknown if these practices were related to Ki philosophy or if they were just practiced because of the de facto realization of increased health.
There is documentation of body movement and breath control practice in ancient history. The first written record of anything resembling Ki Gong principles was 4000 years ago in a book titled, The Spring and Autumn Chronicles by Lu. In this book Lu states that a long time ago people became ill due to stasis of body fluids which caused diseases similar to the modern condition known as rheumatism. Afflicted individuals were prescribed a series of dance like movements that were intended to relieve stagnation.
Heaven, Earth and Man
The second period is marked by the introduction of a book known as Yi Jing (Book of Changes) sometime before 1122 BC. This book was the first known to discuss the relationship of energy and thus relates to the development of Ki Gong. In the Yi Jing three natural energies were proposed: Tian (Heaven), Di (Earth) and Ren (Man). Importantly it was the study of the relationship between the three energies that sponsored the ideas of Ki Gong practice. Each energy was considered a power and the cultivation of the three individual powers depended on the relationship of one to another.
During the Zhou dynasty (1122-934 BC), the famous philosopher Lao Tzu wrote Tao Te Ching in which he stated that the way to achieve health was to concentrate on Ki and achieve softness. There was also a great deal of discussion about proper breathing and respiratory techniques. Several other books came out during this time that discussed the importance of conscious breathing techniques for the cultivation of Ki and subsequently increased vitality.
Two types of Ki Gong training were developed during this period: Religious Ki Gong which was practiced primarily by Taoist and Confucian scholars, and Medicinal Ki Gong which was practiced to prevent or cure illness. Interestingly both Religious and Medicinal Ki Gong was practiced for the sake of increasing health. Both types of training focused on the natural way of optimum health potential. It was thought that it was impossible to counter the effects of nature. Instead the powers of nature were used to fortify energy in the individual Ki Gong practitioner.
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