What Is Qi Gong?

Written By Laura Chan

Qi Gong saved—and profoundly transformed—the quality and direction of my life.

Often described as the grandparent of the martial arts, Qi Gong is an ancient practice originating in China that combines breath, gentle movement, and focused intention. Quite literally, the term Qi Gong translates to “the cultivation or movement of Qi.”

Qi refers to the vital energy that animates the body and exists both within us and all around us. Many ancient traditions recognize this life force: in yoga it is called prana; in other indigenous traditions, it is understood as a universal animating energy that connects all living beings.

How I Discovered Qi Gong

While I was in medical and acupuncture school, Qi Gong was a required course for graduation. At the time, I did not love it. I didn’t feel connected to the practices or the teacher, and I approached the class as something to get through rather than something to embody. Then a friend mentioned an extracurricular Qi Gong class offered from 8–10 p.m. with a different teacher. I laughed. My classes started at 8 a.m.—there was absolutely no way I was staying on campus for 14 hours to take an extra class. But she persisted: “Trust me. This teacher is incredible. It will be worth it.”

She was right.

In my very first class with Dr. Guan-Cheng Sun, I was completely blown away. The experience was unlike anything I had encountered before. At the time, I was struggling significantly with insomnia and chronic jaw tension.

That night, after my first class, I slept deeply—for the first time in a long while. When I woke up the next morning, my jaw pain was gone. Those changes immediately caught my attention.

What was different?

Dr. Sun taught us how to consciously activate and “turn on” the Qi system in the body. He explained that in many Qi Gong practices passed down to Western students, this essential step is often skipped. As a result, people are taught to breathe and move without truly engaging the energetic system itself. While breath and movement alone are beneficial, they are far less powerful than when the Qi system is activated.

The difference, I often explain, is like working on a computer that is not connected to the internet versus one that is online. You can still do some things, but your capacity is dramatically expanded once the system is connected.

The good news is this: our Qi, or energetic system, is inherently intelligent and oriented toward self-healing. When you activate it and set it in motion through simple Qi Gong practices, you do not need to overthink the process. The body naturally begins to reorganize itself toward balance—just as mine did.

I am not, by nature, an especially disciplined person. But when I realized that practicing Qi Gong helped me sleep—and that my insomnia returned on the days I didn’t practice—I became devoted to studying it very quickly.

Weeks of study turned into years. I discovered that Qi Gong supported nearly every aspect of my well-being: 

  • my energy levels 

  • mood 

  • sleep 

  • aches and pains

  • intuition

I learned how to activate and strengthen my energy centers, calm my nervous system, and move energy through the acupuncture meridians. Through direct, embodied experience, I finally understood that we truly do carry our emotions in the body—within the meridian system itself. I learned how to ground and clear my energetic field and how to establish healthy energetic boundaries, something that proved especially valuable for me as a sensitive empath.

I became deeply fascinated by energy and energetic interactions. I ultimately chose to complete Dr. Sun’s teacher training—not because I was intent on teaching, but because I wanted to deepen my own practice.

Eventually, friends and patients began asking me to teach. I was hesitant. I didn’t consider myself a master, but I knew I could teach the basics. What surprised me most when I did begin teaching Qi Gong was that others began having experiences similar to my own. Symptoms improved, aches and pains resolved, and emotions moved. Again and again, I saw that this work was effective—and reproducible.

My life is better when I practice Qi Gong, even if I do just a little. I can say with confidence that it has the power to improve the quality of your life, too. Trust me. 

Today, it brings me joy to teach others.

To learn more about Qi Gong:

  • Watch: This short video (3 minutes) shows two of my favorite Qi Gong techniques for clearing stress, frustration, and anger. You can't think your way out of difficult emotions—you have to move them through your body.

Laura Chan
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