I found this from a post by Ming Liu and had to share.
An excerpt from the encyclopedia of Taoism, Catherine Despeux
Qigong is a product of the twentieth century, but is rooted in the earlier tradition.
The term is mentioned in the Tang period to designate the “practice of *qi,” and in the Song period the “efficiency of qi.” In modern times, it has taken on a new meaning and refers not only to Nourishing Life (*yangsheng) but also to martial and therapeutic techniques. As the term qigong signifies both “practice” and “efficiency” of qi, it can embrace all types of techniques, both traditional and modern.
Depending on the doctrinal and social context of these practices, historians currently divide qigong into six branches: a Taoist qigong, a Buddhist qigong, a Confucian qigong, a medical qigong, a martial qigong, and a popular qigong (including the methods of rural exorcists and sorcerers). According to the features of the practice, they also distinguish between a “strong qigong” (ying qigong 硬氣功), incorporating martial techniques, and a “soft qigong” (ruan qigong 軟氣功). The latter is further divided into two groups:
1.Jinggong 靜功, or the practice of qi in rest, which traditionally was called
"sitting in oblivion" (*zuowang) by Taoists, "sitting in dhyiina" (禪坐chanzuo) by Buddhists, and "quiet sitting" (*jingzuo 靜坐 ) by Neo-Confucians.
These sitting practices can be accompanied by breathing, visualization, and mental concentration.
2. Donggong 動功 , or the practice of qi in movement, which includes the gymnastic traditions (*daoyin) of medical doctors, Taoists, and Buddhists.
The induction of spontaneous movements (自發動功 zifa donggong ) is derived from traditional trance techniques (Despeux 1997) .
New practices essentially created in the 1980s were much debated and criticized by traditional religious personalities, qigong followers, and authorities.
Certain practices, such as the “Soaring Crane form” (hexiang zhuang), lead to spontaneous movements that were said to cause illness, probably because of their close connection with trance states. Some techniques that emphasize collective practices and promote the establishment of a so-called “area of qi” (qichang ) to increase efficiency were also strongly criticized; for instance, the method taught by Yan Xin, a master who organized collective qigong sessions in stadiums with a capacity of up to about ten thousand, was very popular but aroused suspicion among the authorities.
As for the therapeutic technique of the qigong master who heals people at a distance through his energy or his hands-a method that actually revives the traditional Taoist practice of “spreading breath” (*buqi)-the possible existence of an “outer energy” (waiqi外氣) and its efficacy have been debated at length.
Official qigong institutions appeared in the 1950S and 1960s and were at first exclusively concerned with therapeutics. One of the main qigong promoters at the time was Liu Guizhen (1920-83). A friend of Mao Zedong, he returned to his village after developing a stomach ulcer and practiced breathing and meditation exercises under a Taoist master. Later he created a new method called “practice of inner nourishment” (neiyang gong ) and founded qigong therapy institutes in Tangshan (Hebei) in 1954 and in J3eidaihe (Hebei) in 1956. These institutes were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, and then partly reconstructed after 1980 when qigong flourished again.
From that time, qigong began to invade the town parks where masters and followers practice in the morning. Some religious personalities who described themselves as “qigong masters” felt encouraged to revive forgotten or little known practices, or to create new techniques based on the traditional ones.
Qigong had both enthusiasts and critics among the authorities. Although its therapeutic function was always essential, certain officials wanted to move qigong beyond the realm of individual practice and propound it to the masses and to society, even to the state, because they saw in it economic advantages and the possibility of asserting the specific identity of China, its power and its modernity. Qigong was taught in schools and universities and became the object of international congresses and scientific research, and numerous specialized journals and books were published on the subject. Other officials viewed it as charlatanism and superstition, and mistrusted the subversive potential of certain movements. An example is the Falun gong (Practices of the Wheel of the Law), a form of qigong allegedly rooted in the Buddhist tradition, which in I999 organized demonstrations in Beijing and other Chinese cities
and was outlawed shortly afterward.
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