16 Reasons Qigong Will Be Bigger Than Yoga in 16 Years
by Sifu Anthony Korahais
“Maybe if I spell it differently,” I thought. “Maybe that will attract more people to my qigong classes!”
Qi Gong. Chi Kung. Chi Gong. Qigong.
I tried different spellings on different brochures.
I quickly learned that the spelling wasn’t the problem.
The problem was that Americans had never heard of such a thing as qigong.
I considered using the words “tai chi” instead. After all, there’s a ton of overlap between the two arts. And of course I also practice tai chi.
But the qigong that I teach is significantly different than the tai chi that is commonly practiced. I wanted to differentiate between the two, so I continued to use the word “qigong”.
Zoom ahead 12 years into my teaching career, and the world has changed.
Today, the word qigong — however you choose to spell it — is much more widely recognized.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it’s widely recognized.
Most Americans still haven’t heard of it. But awareness is growing, and that’s a wonderful thing.
(Note: if you are new to qigong, then I recommend you read my article: The 15 Most Frequently Asked Questions about Qigong )
Change takes time. It took time for yoga to become the billion-dollar, global industry that it is today.
But I believe that if you give qigong a little time, it will be huge.
In fact, I think qigong will be bigger than yoga one day. Here’s why:
1. Qigong is easier than yoga.
Qigong is accessible to absolutely everyone. I’ve taught extreme athletes, and extreme couch potatoes. I’ve taught 20-somethings and 80-somethings. I’ve taught disabled veterans and marathoners (and also disabled marathoners).
For example, the picture above shows the exercise called Pushing Mountains, which involves gently moving your palms back and forth in a flowing manner, and coordinating your breath with the movement.
Anyone can do this exercise. It can be done sitting, it can be done in a wheelchair, and it can even be done with one arm.
There is only 1 prerequisite for success with qigong: a strong desire to practice for 15 minutes a day (or more).
I probably don’t need the rest of this list. This reason is enough to explain why qigong will explode in popularity.
2. Qigong is easier than tai chi.
There are many reasons why the art of tai chi didn’t experience the same boom as yoga, despite it being practiced in the US for over 50 years.
In my experience, the biggest reason is this: people are intimidated by tai chi.
I can’t tell you how many students have come to me over the years telling me that they previously tried tai chi, but found it confusing, frustrating, and stressful.
With qigong, you don’t need to memorize long, complex routines. Nor do you need to worry about the martial aspects of the art.
Qigong allows you to dive immediately into the meditative and energetic aspects of the art, which is also what brings you quick results.
3. Qigong is challenging.
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A challenging qigong pattern called “Swallow Flying through Clouds”
Although some qigong exercises are physically easy, other exercises are incredibly challenging — both physically and mentally.
Because there are so many different qigong techniques, it’s easy to raise the difficulty level for those who are ready.
Just as there are techniques that are appropriate for those who are ill or out of shape, there are also techniques that even an olympic athlete would find challenging.
And this is wonderful because it means that the art of qigong can grow with us.
4. Qigong is medicine.
Yes, yoga can be medicine. And so can walking. And so can laughter.
But qigong is unique in that it was actually engineered to be medicine.
(Note: Not all styles of qigong were designed to be medicine. For example, Iron Shirt Qigong is not meant to be medicine, although it can have therapeutic effects.)
Qigong is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, along with acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine.
In China, you can find qigong in the hospitals. In fact, in some hospitals there’s an entire qigong wing!
5. Qigong is complementary.
If you see an acupuncturist in the United States, you will often be prescribed both herbs and acupuncture.
This is because the two forms of medicine compliment each other well.
Perhaps the main reason why qigong is so complementary is because you can take it home and use it safely on your own — something that isn’t possible with most forms of medicine.
Over the years, I have collaborated with acupuncturists, massage therapists, chiropractors, psychologists, MDs, reiki healers, osteopaths, and nutritionists.
I have seen with my own eyes how qigong can greatly complement other forms of healing.
6. Qigong is empowering.
Yoga is empowering too. But unlike yoga, Qigong doesn’t require physical strength or flexibility.
In fact, too much physical strength can be a hindrance with qigong. Body builders, for example, often struggle to relax the muscles and let go of deeper layers of tension.
An art that doesn’t need brawn for success is empowering to women, to the physically unfit, to the disabled, to children, and to smaller-sized men like myself.
7. The world is ready for mindfulness.
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Mindfulness and meditation have been on the cover of Time Magazine several times.
Even major corporations are talking about mindfulness these days.
The world is falling in love with mindfulness, and this is a beautiful thing.
Wait — didn’t you know that qigong is a traditional form of mindfulness meditation?
It is.
If you’d like to learn more about the connection between qigong and mindfulness, then read my article: 5 Things You Should Know About the Mindfulness Craze
8. Qigong is fun.
I imagine that yoga is fun for many people. I prefer qigong.
Let’s call this one a tie.
9. Qigong is accessible.
Compared to other arts, you actually need very little training to start getting remarkable results with qigong.
This is because qigong emphasizes internal aspects like mindfulness, breath, and energy flow rather than physical postures and alignment.
I can train a fresh beginner to start getting amazing results in just 3 hours.
In fact, I’ve watched many students learn from me for only 3 hours, but then continue to practice on their own and get all sorts of wonderful health benefits.