Tai chi
Tai chi, or taijiquan, developed as a Chinese martial art and is practised today mainly for health. It consists of a form, a set sequence of movements flowing continuously from one to the next, performed slowly with attention to weight shifting, posture and breath. Forms range from short sequences of a dozen movements to long forms with more than a hundred. Learning a form takes months, and refining it is a lifelong practice. The health benefits, particularly for balance, falls, arthritis and stress, are well studied.
Qi gong
Qi gong is an umbrella term for practices that coordinate posture, gentle movement and breathing to cultivate what Chinese medicine calls qi. Sets such as the Eight Brocades consist of individual exercises repeated several times rather than linked into a form, so they are quick to learn and easy to practise daily. Qi gong can be done standing, seated or even lying down, and includes breathing and meditative practices as well as movement.
Which to choose
Qi gong if you want something simple to learn and practise daily at home, if mobility is limited, or if the main goal is calm and breathing. Tai chi if you want a fuller practice that challenges balance and coordination more, and are willing to invest time in learning. Many teachers, including ours, teach both in the same class, using qi gong as a warm-up and tai chi as the main practice.
What they share
Slow movement, relaxed posture, breath awareness, and a nervous system effect that most people notice in the first session. Both have evidence for balance, blood pressure, mood and chronic pain.
At Omnia
Classes at our Chiswick clinic combine tai chi and qi gong and are taught by a sixth-generation lineage holder and a senior practitioner. Group sessions are £15, one-to-one £50, with a seated option.