Originating from an ancient Chinese practice called qigong, zhineng qigong is a multifaceted life practice that encompasses posture exercises and body movements designed to make the practitioner stronger and more intelligent. It is a form of qigong that was founded in the 1980s, designed by a professor and grandmaster named Ming Pang, also known as Heming Pang. In qigong, a grandmaster is the highest level of training one can attain. zhineng qigong is a kind of hybrid qigong with components taken from several influences, including folk qigong, Taoism, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), modern medicine, martial arts, and Buddhism.
Qigong, prounounced chee gung, can also be called chi hung and sometimes chillel in the United States. Qigong is a Mandarin Chinese word that refers to a a series of practices meant to lead to self-improvement. It is an ancient series of practices that developed in China. At its core, the qigong practice focuses on training one's body and mind.
Like many other types of qigong, zhineng qigong practice has many components, but in a large part features a series of movements that are meant to control qi and absorb more universal qi. Qi, also known as chi or zhi, is the Taoist word for the universal life force that gives movement to all moving things. A person is healthy if her qi is balanced and properly flowing through all points, generally points corresponding to organs in the body. Common means of directing qi in qigong practice include feng shui, acupuncture, acupressure, movement, and meditation.
People use qigong in a variety of ways and for a number of reasons, including achieving spiritual enlightenment, balancing the mind, and curing illnesses. Historically, qigong as a religious practice was restricted to monks, but in many areas, the common people of China developed significantly varied forms of qigong that are usually called peasant or folk qigong. Like the sanctioned forms of qigong, folk forms of qigong were practiced in hopes of increasing one's health and vitality.
Common qi-centered practices used in zhineng qigong include head massage, breathing exercises, postures and meditation. The posture exercises used in this type of qigong give a practitioner precise posture instructions for each part of the body. Types of meditation used in zhineng qigong include qi lifting and pouring, qi stretching and qi pulling. Students of zhineng qigong take steps to improve their skill in the practice, including attending qigong classes that teach the qigong movements associated with the meditative exercise.