- Verifiable archeological evidence of qigong practice in China dates as far back as 400 BC in writings that describe physical exercises similar to those practiced in various health systems today. With a much shorter history, tai chi came into existence in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Tai chi is composed of five major styles that can all be traced back to the Chen family style. The main difference between the five styles is the approach to training.
- Both tai chi and qigong are based on Chinese philosophy, and so many practices in tai chi can be found in other qigong systems. Qigong includes many traditions, methods and techniques for training the body according to an individual's strengths or needs. Tai chi involves intense meditation exercises, coupled with deliberate movement, to achieve and maintain stability in mental health and stamina. Tai chi is considered the most popular form of dynamic qigong, which characterizes practices involving choreographed and deliberate movements.
- Tai chi has a number of reported health benefits ranging from subtle improvements to daily quality of life like digestive and sleep health, to treatment of chronic illness and disease like Alzheimer's and cancer. The same claim is made by other qigong systems with traditional Chinese medicine, and qigong science has gained popularity around the world, with many clinics and hospitals hosting their own qigong or tai chi programs to promote patients' physical and mental health.
- Throughout the ages more than 300 forms of martial arts have emerged in China. Originally, tai chi evolved as a fighting style and has since developed into a soft system of bodily movement focused on personal healing. The benefits of qigong to the mind and body, including increased stamina, lung capacity, and energy levels, have naturally lead to the incorporation of many qigong principles in Chinese martial arts, including tai chi. Other forms of martial arts heavily based on qigong practice include xing yi and baguazhaun.
- The act of meditation coupled with bodily movement allows the practitioner to become more familiar with the rhythms and limitations of their body and mind. Also known as self cultivation, this principle appears in Chinese philosophy in three main ways. The Confucious method focuses on awareness of one's morality. The taoist method is more concerned with long life and spiritual enlightenment. Finally, the Buddhist method is the path to perfect enlightenment, known as buddahood.
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