In a 2026 study published in Health Science Reports, Manzaneque and colleagues examined whether practicing Qigong for one month could alter immune biomarkers in individuals with fibromyalgia.
The assumption is that what you're doing is bona fide qigong work/exploration. How do we know that? The qi has some pretty obvious physical manifestations, such as jin skills, qi-tensile-integrity displays, etc. I'd expect some discussion of tangible qi development before hearing just the vague assertion that what you're studying has to do with the qi itself. 2 cents.
That’s a fair question. In research studies, Qigong is usually defined in practical terms rather than through demonstrations of internal power or martial skill. Researchers look at the parts of the practice that can actually be observed and repeated: coordinated movement, relaxed breathing, and sustained attention.
Those elements can be taught in a consistent way and practiced the same way across participants. That makes it possible to study how the practice affects things like stress physiology, immune function, or cardiovascular regulation.
In traditional language those kinds of internal changes were described through the idea of qi. Scientific studies approach the same practices by measuring what happens in the body. The aim isn’t to prove qi itself. It’s to see what happens to the body when people practice methods that developed within that tradition.
The practices stay the same, it's the analysis of the body that varies. Thanks again and have a great day.
Well, the qi involved in internal strength, calligraphy, traditional dance, qigongs, martial arts, farm work, etc., is all the same qi: there aren't multiple things called qi. The qi can be developed in several different ways (generally termed something like "hard" and "soft", but perhaps "not so subtle addition to strength" and "subtle addition to strength" are more accurate), but it's the same basic qi that is associated with the subconscious mind. The most functional and demonstrable use of the qi in all the various above categories is the qi that it "between the skin and the muscles".
The confusing bits about the qi happened when the ancient people tried to explain the workings of the involuntary systems within the body and their best guess resulted in the idea of an exotic energy-like postulate that somehow worked in conjunction with the "emotional mind" (the subconscious mind) which they thought resided in the heart because of the heart's obvious responses to emotion, fear, suggestions, sensations, etc.
The easiest way to begin acquiring control of the qi "between the skin and the muscles" is through breathing exercises that deliberately pull and contract those tissues. Using breathing that does not deliberately pull on those tissues is not going to develop the qi tissues: so not all "breathing exercises" are going to develop the qi. The topic expands from there, of course, but my point in relation to qigong studies is the question of how we know generic terms like "qigong", "meditation", etc., are really items related to the development of the qi? We're forced to make a leap of faith, without more information. Many thanks.
The assumption is that what you're doing is bona fide qigong work/exploration. How do we know that? The qi has some pretty obvious physical manifestations, such as jin skills, qi-tensile-integrity displays, etc. I'd expect some discussion of tangible qi development before hearing just the vague assertion that what you're studying has to do with the qi itself. 2 cents.
That’s a fair question. In research studies, Qigong is usually defined in practical terms rather than through demonstrations of internal power or martial skill. Researchers look at the parts of the practice that can actually be observed and repeated: coordinated movement, relaxed breathing, and sustained attention.
Those elements can be taught in a consistent way and practiced the same way across participants. That makes it possible to study how the practice affects things like stress physiology, immune function, or cardiovascular regulation.
In traditional language those kinds of internal changes were described through the idea of qi. Scientific studies approach the same practices by measuring what happens in the body. The aim isn’t to prove qi itself. It’s to see what happens to the body when people practice methods that developed within that tradition.
The practices stay the same, it's the analysis of the body that varies. Thanks again and have a great day.
Well, the qi involved in internal strength, calligraphy, traditional dance, qigongs, martial arts, farm work, etc., is all the same qi: there aren't multiple things called qi. The qi can be developed in several different ways (generally termed something like "hard" and "soft", but perhaps "not so subtle addition to strength" and "subtle addition to strength" are more accurate), but it's the same basic qi that is associated with the subconscious mind. The most functional and demonstrable use of the qi in all the various above categories is the qi that it "between the skin and the muscles".
The confusing bits about the qi happened when the ancient people tried to explain the workings of the involuntary systems within the body and their best guess resulted in the idea of an exotic energy-like postulate that somehow worked in conjunction with the "emotional mind" (the subconscious mind) which they thought resided in the heart because of the heart's obvious responses to emotion, fear, suggestions, sensations, etc.
The easiest way to begin acquiring control of the qi "between the skin and the muscles" is through breathing exercises that deliberately pull and contract those tissues. Using breathing that does not deliberately pull on those tissues is not going to develop the qi tissues: so not all "breathing exercises" are going to develop the qi. The topic expands from there, of course, but my point in relation to qigong studies is the question of how we know generic terms like "qigong", "meditation", etc., are really items related to the development of the qi? We're forced to make a leap of faith, without more information. Many thanks.