Qigong and Yoga are internal methods one can use for the cultivation of the body, mind and spirit. Qigong means energy work. Qi is chinese for energy, gong is chinese for work, thus in qigong means to work with energy or energy work. Everything in the universe is made up of energy including consciousness and our bodies. Praying, we work with the energy and spirit of ourselves, energy of deities, the energy of ones perception of God. Simple exercise can also be considered qigong because we are working with the energies of our body. There is many different types of qigong. There is qigong for health, there is meditative qigong. Some qigong involves sitting meditation whereas some qigong involves movement. The theme in qigong is health, hygiene, harmony and self cultivation. Self cultivation comes from the cultivation of the mind, body and spirit and its harmony. Qigong movements can be slow graceful; this coupled with sychronized breathing harmonizes aspects of the body mind and spirit and promotes the circulation of energy within the body. Tai chi is an example of this and can be considered a moving meditation. Sitting meditations can include focusing energy in different energy centers of the body like the heart center which is called the middle dantian, or the dantian which is located at the navel and the major energy center of the body. Sometimes one mind center the energy at the upper dantian which is located at the center of the head; this is said to cultivate psychic abilities and more spirit. Sometimes sitting meditations included channeling energy throughout the body and its meridians for nourishment. Qigong cultivation is essentially energizing the mind body and spirit and bring harmony to ones life by bringing harmony to within the body, the mind and spirit. There are many schools of qigong each with a different focus, some schools focus on the cultivation of the mind and its mental faculties. Others the spirit or the body. The Taoist meditation has thousands of different schools of thought, however a common theme in Taoist meditation is reaching immortality and gaining more spirit by cultivating one health. Buddhist qigong is closely associated with vedic science and its focus is on the cultivation of spirit through sitting meditation, the use of mantras and mudras, and breathing. Martial arts qigong involves strengthen the body externally.
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