QiGong or Tai Chi - which one is for me?

If you were to ask us the question we often hear from people, "Which should I learn: QiGong or Tai Chi?", the answer you don't want to hear is, "It depends."

But actually, that is the correct answer.

To help you decide, you should know the following:

1. Both QiGong and Tai Chi are energy workouts. Practically speaking, Tai Chi is an advanced form of Qi Gong.

2. Tai Chi requires more attention and focus than QiGong does.

3. Tai Chi is a martial art, but can learned and practiced as a form of exercise for its health benefits. QiGong is a kind of natural medicine and some of its styles or forms can be used to enhance martial arts skills or be used as a therapy for martial arts injuries.

4. Tai Chi, often referred to as "meditation in motion", is practiced while "walking". Once you begin your Tai Chi routine - no matter which one you do - your body and mind do not stop at any time between the opening and closing of the set. QiGong is usually done while standing or with some foot movement, but many forms can be adapted to a seated position, and some forms, like Meditation QiGong, are done while sitting and focussing on the breath and moving internal energy with the mind.

5. Tai Chi is more challenging to learn than QiGong. Beginners can sometimes get frustrated with Tai Chi because it takes longer to see the results.

6. There are five main styles of Tai Chi, with subsets within each style. There are four main categories of QiGong, with hundreds of different forms.

Here are two short videos about Tai Chi and QiGong and how they are related:

A Journey into Tai Chi: An Ancient Martial Art unfolding into modern day "Medicine in Motion"

https://youtu.be/9lD337rpR5c

Super Simple History of Qigong, Kung Fu, & Tai chi

https://youtu.be/BPlu9pIIHWQ