The question arises in nearly every beginner’s class, community center wellness program, and high-level medical symposium: What exactly is the difference between Tai Chi and Qigong, and which one should I practice?

The question took center stage at the recent Osher Center’s “the Science of Tai Chi & Qigong at the Whole Person Health” Conference. For researchers, instructors, and dedicated practitioners alike, parsing the overlap between these two ancient Chinese internal arts is more than an academic exercise—it is essential for guiding students toward the right path for their personal healthcare, longevity, and mental focus.
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To unpack this multi-layered relationship, I recently sat with two leading figures in the field: Tom Rogers, President of the Qigong Institute, and Siobhan Hutchinson, a veteran instructor with decades of experience in mindful movement. What emerged was a rich, nuanced dialogue that traced the history, cognitive demands, scientific mechanics, and regulatory battles surrounding these vital self-care practices.

Qigong Institute President Tom Rogers discusses interoception, the underlying neurological mechanism of mindfulness-based approaches to meditation and a key component of Qigong practice.

Interoception is a representation of the body's internal state and bodily signals based on proprioception, the senses, and biofeedback pathways which include bi-directional communication between the limbic system (thoughts and emotions), the frontal cortex, the neuroendocrine system, and the autonomic nervous system. Interoception is essential for physiological homeostasis, cognition, and emotional regulation.

Interoception refers collectively to the processing of internal bodily stimuli by the nervous system and includes physical responses in body and brain representation such that the sensing of stimuli is available for reflection, insight, conscious awareness, and action. This characteristic training of awareness makes Qigong an interoceptive awareness practice and therapy. The refined ability to sustain awareness characterizes what in Qigong is called cultivating the skill of self-observation and regulating emotional responses to bodily sensation.

Qigong Institute President Tom Rogers and Meditative Movement teacher and Qigong teacher for pain Josie Weaver discuss the Science and Practice of Qigong as part of the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi Level 2 Qigong and Tai Chi Teacher Training. The IIQTC has been training Qigong and Tai Chi teachers since 2005.

Are you interested in getting the word out about Qigong to more people in your circle, deepening your personal practice, and getting more people practicing Qigong in the world? Join us for this National Qigong Association sponsored Qi Talks with Francesco Garripoli (Chairman, Qigong Institute), Tom Rogers (President, Qigong Institute), and Josie Weaver (Vice-President, Qigong Institute) about promoting Qigong as a critical component of health and well-being solutions, and learn about the scientific evidence that confirms why this is so. Qigong teachers, the general public, healthcare professionals, educators and policy makers can benefit in understanding Qigong to be an essential life skill and what it means to teach and practice. Find out how the new Qigong Institute eBook, “An Introduction to Qigong Health Care” describes scientific research progress, issues, and challenges of integrating Qigong principles and practice into Western medicine and health care. Deepen your practice and support the diffusion of Qigong as a health care innovation when you discover this exciting new research.

A preview of the eBook is available at https://qigonginstitute.org/category/118/an-introduction-to-qigong-health-care-preview and it may be obtained free with a donation at https://qigonginstitute.org/donations .

Qigong Today 3

Resilience is the ability to positively adapt to adversity, trauma, stress, threat, and change. In a previous episode of Qigong Today we discussed physical exercise through the practice of Qigong and Tai Chi, as a fundamental component of resilience. But developing resilience to adapt to life’s challenges requires more than regular physical exercise. The exercise must be balanced with rest and recovery. Qigong’s slow paced diaphragmatic breathing is an excellent way to accomplish this balance.

* Adapting to Stress: Understanding the Neurobiology of Resilience 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27100966/

* Using Slow-Paced Breathing to Foster Endurance, Well-Being, and Sleep Quality in Athletes During the COVID-19 Pandemic 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8155704/

* Influence of a 30-Day Slow-Paced Breathing Intervention Compared to Social Media Use on Subjective Sleep Quality and Cardiac Vagal Activity 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6406675/

* Hypothesis: Pulmonary Afferent Activity Patterns During Slow, Deep Breathing Contribute to the Neural Induction of Physiological Relaxation 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6753868/

The second installment of Qigong Today by the Qigong Institute discusses developing resilient behaviors with Qigong and Tai Chi exercise for improved mental and physical health and discusses select research in the Qigong and Energy Medicine Database at the QigongInstitute.org website. 

Physical exercise is a key foundation of resilence. Frequent moderate exercise is associated with better mental and physical well-being and a lower prevalence of stress. Qigong and Tai Chi exercise prescriptions are recommended for resilience.

* In pursuit of resilience: stress, epigenetics, and brain plasticity - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26919273/

* The Contribution of Physical Exercise to Brain Resilience - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7874196/

* Physical Exercise as a Resilience Factor to Mitigate COVID-Related Allostatic Overload - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33691321/

* Clinical Evidence of Tai Chi Exercise Prescriptions: A Systematic Review - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7972853/

https://www.qigonginstitute.org

Qigong Today is an informative series from the non-profit Qigong Institute and presented by it's volunteer Board Members to share the amazing health and empowerment information and research available, for free, at QigongInstitute.org Vice President Josie Weaver, President Tom Rogers, and Chairman Francesco Garri Garripoli offer a lively dialogue on the latest updates in Qigong, Tai Chi, and Energy Medicine.

Introduction to Qigong Today, the Qigong Institute, and the Qigong and Energy Medicine Database. Early scientific research published by the Qigong Institute and research on Qigong for stress, COVID, and caregivers of cancer patients. 

* Anti-Aging Benefits of Qigong - https://www.qigonginstitute.org/category/39/anti-aging-benefits-of-qigong 

* Qigong for the Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of COVID-19 Infection in Older Adults - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7227578/

* Optimism, mindfulness, and resilience as potential protective factors for the mental health consequences of fear of the coronavirus - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33848964/

*Qigong mind-body program for caregivers of cancer patients: design of a pilot three-arm randomized clinical trial https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7976717/

https://www.qigonginstitute.org