The Spread of Popular Qigong

The Spread of Popular Qigong  began with the publicized success of Guo Lin’s ‘Walking Cure’... Qigong clubs began to spring up all across China.  Dozens of prominent masters were drafted by Communist Leaders to devise a scientific-based training system.  A system designed for the general population that could relieve the growing health-care crisis in the wake of China’s urban population explosion.

Practices which just decades before could lead to internment in Maoist ‘re-education camps’ were now embraced.  Qigong Masters once persecuted were now sought out, their Traditional Qigong forms hurriedly videotaped before their special lineages could fade away.  National programs were developed promoting the health benefits of Taijiquan and Medical Qigong.  More and more common people began to enter the local parks to study with the masters in their community.  In fact, throughout the 1970s and 1980s, just as popular Kung Fu movies were introducing Martial Arts Qigong to Western movie-goers, the Chinese people themselves were also rediscovering the health benefits of Medical and Martial Qigong with growing public awareness and pride.  The time had come to teach Qigong to the People.  And the party most responsible for disseminating Medical Qigong research to the World is now the Chinese Communist Party.

This was accomplished with one very simple decree from the ruling council: The People’s Republic of China can no longer afford hidden secrets.  This is the true origin of Popular Qigong.

The challenge facing researchers were many.  Most traditional Qigongs survived down the centuries by maintaining certain training techniques as closely guarded secrets.  These were often affiliated with religious cults, medical and martial schools or the educated elite.  Secrecy served as a rudimentary ‘patent system.’  By passing certain secrets on to carefully selected students - masters hoped to guarantee the purity of their Lineage.  In the 1970s, dozens of new forms began to appear in the parks — One Finger Zen Qigong, The Zen-Secret Practice Form, The Spontaneous Five-Bird Game, Wild-Goose Qigong...  And many more... 

Each Qigong was designed by an accomplished Master.  So many, in fact, that Chinese Officials created a Top-Ten list of approved Medical Qigongs to help give people guidance.  Out of this mix gradually arose Dr. Pang’s Zhening Qigong into the Top-Ten.

The popularity of many of these newer forms is no doubt due in part to the difficulty in learning traditional Taijiquan and other Martial-style Qigongs.  These martial forms, generally speaking, were either too strenuous or else realizing the health benefits required years or sometimes even decades of practice to achieve.  Communist officials and Qigong researchers agreed this was too long a time table.

Dr. Pang’s medical form takes many health variables into consideration to make Zhening Qigong accessible to all people.  It can be adapted to almost any level of health or physical fitness.  Lift Qi Up  & Pour Qi Down can be performed standing, sitting or even lying down.  It can be practiced in a wheelchair or from a hospital bed.  In fact, Zhening Qigong is designed in such a way that it will benefit you even if you have no idea at all what you are doing or have yet to learn the rudimentary form.  However, the true genius of Dr. Pang and perhaps his greatest contribution to Qigong Science is his Hunyuan Entirety Theory and his Qi-field Technique which masterfully raised Zhening Qigong above and out of the field of ‘folk-remedy’ and placed it squarely at the forefront of 21st Century Energy Medicine.

Popular Qigongs have now spread around the world and Chinese and Non-Chinese Masters are teaching throughout Europe, The US, Canada, The UK, South and Central America, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. Hundreds of millions of people practice this Self-healing Art everyday.

Hao la!

--Pahka Dave

Popular Qigong - Hold Arms out to the Sides at Shoulder Level forming a Straight Line...