Yoga & Qigong - Compared (by you)

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

In america, the media portrays women as sex objects. Yoga is a health and fitness practice, which is considered attractive.


In america, men are fodder, at best. Men are expected to be uptight, rigid, and adamant... stone that does not flex.

[Great Energy Qigong]

Hi friends! As a certified yoga and qigong teacher, this topic always fascinates me. I've enjoyed reading some of your responses and I put together my thoughts on the GreatEnergy.org website here:  https://www.greatenergy.org/which-is-better-yoga-or-qigong

 

I'd love to know your perspective and opinions! Has it changed for your over time - perhaps due to increasing sensitivity, or the natural aging process of the body? 

[Mark Foote]

On 4/2/2013 at 4:19 AM, vivekji108 said:

I have done yoga for many years and practice it daily. from 30 min to 2 hours depending on time.

As well doing some basic pranayama exercises without retention...

 

How can the practice of qigong enrich my life further...

 

What can Qigong that Yoga & Pranayama can not?

 

I'm highly interested in starting a healthy discussion about this

 

Vivek
 

I confess, I only got through the first page of responses to your post, and now I am composing my own. Tut, tut.

My study of yoga and pranayama consists of a few postures and some rudimentary breathing exercises that I learned from books and practiced briefly, long ago. And one yoga class, now decades ago. 

Nevertheless, I think the yoga postures and breathing exercises are mostly stationary practices, are they not? 

I have done the first part of Cheng Man-Ch'ing's Tai Chi set for years now, the first part was all that was offered in the local park for free, but I've been quite satisfied with that.

Where does the movement in Tai Chi come from? The Tai Chi classics would say it is the ch'i that moves the body--the ch'i that sinks to the dan-t'ien, circulates throughout the body, and accumulates in the dan-t'ien. 

I find the ch'i by keeping in mind that Tai Chi is a single-weighted practice, meaning the weight in each pose is entirely in one foot and the opposite hand, and precipitating the transition of weight between poses by circling the weighted hand/arm in the direction opposite the direction of the expected shift of weight. 

Of course, you could say that in true seated meditation, the accumulated ch'i sits the posture. While the literal meaning of ch'i is "breath", the accumulated ch'i can also conduct the activity of inhalation and exhalation.

The final stage in the development of ch'i, according to the classics, is "perfect clarity". That follows listening to the strength of ligaments, and comprehending the strength of ligaments (in the classics).

What I do is just the part of the form to 2:16.
 

 

Edited Wednesday at 07:32 PM by Mark Foote

[ChiDragon]

On 1/4/2026 at 3:57 PM, Great Energy Qigong said:

Hi friends! As a certified yoga and qigong teacher, this topic always fascinates me. I've enjoyed reading some of your responses and I put together my thoughts on the GreatEnergy.org website here:  https://www.greatenergy.org/which-is-better-yoga-or-qigong

 

I'd love to know your perspective and opinions! Has it changed for your over time - perhaps due to increasing sensitivity, or the natural aging process of the body? 

Hi, the reason that Yoga is more popular. It is because there are more people teaching it. I see a lot of signs of Yoga studio on the streets. I don't see any signs for Qigong studio. When people say that they practice or teaching Qogong, I was always puzzled what and how their practice was. Some said it has nothing to do with breathing and some said it does. Thus I am a bit confused what the public know about Qigong. If it is not a trade secret to tell, I would to hear your opinion what Qigong is all about? How do you practice it?

Edited yesterday at 02:24 AM by ChiDragon