Qigong is the key component of traditional Chinese medicine with a history of five thousand years (in record), which can be divided approximately into four major periods.
(1) The period of united heaven, earth and man (before 206 BC): This period was marked out historically by the book “Yi Jing” (Book of Changes) introduced in 1122 BC, which talked about Qi, the concepts of the natural energies and the integration of Heaven, Earth, and Man.
(2) The period of Qigong mixed with religion (206 BC – 500 AD): During Han dynasty (206 BC) Buddhism and meditation methods were imported from India, which brought Qigong practice and meditation into the religious Qigong era.
(3) The period of martial art Qigong (500 AD --): In the Liang dynasty (502- 557 Ad), it was discovered that Qigong could be used for martial-art purposes. From 1911 on, Chinese Qigong training was mixed with Qigong practices from India, Japan and many other countries because of the ease of communication in the modern world. (Source: Jwing-Ming Yang, Qigong for Arthritis).
(4) The period of modern Qigong research: (1980s – present). As more and more Qigong practitioners came out to show the public their amazing abilities and to teach the public to practice Qigong, it gradually emerged from the traditional secret transmission into a practice found in the public domain and scientific research.
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