According to historical tradition, Qigong can be classified into 5 types, although in some the border is not well defined.
The 5 types of Qigong are:
- Medicinal Qigong: emphasizes the free flow of Qi in the body. The primary goals are to promote self-healing, prevent disease, and increase longevity.
- Taoist Qigong: It focuses on preserving the body and achieving virtue. Many great Taoist masters enjoyed very long lives.
- Buddhist Qigong: The goal is to free the mind, cultivate virtue to reach wisdom and enlightenment. The human body is considered as a tool to achieve enlightenment.
- Confucian Qigong: The objective is to obtain high morale and intelligence.
- Qigong for martial arts: focused on training the body to protect it from impacts and even cuts from weapons and to project deadly blows using Qi.
Today’s Qigong masters continue to create new forms and sequences to enhance the flow of Qi and optimize its benefits.
Despite the religious tradition, no belief of any kind is necessary to learn Qigong and all its practitioners will enjoy its health benefits.