Tim,

I have practiced chi gung on and off for several years now. The reason for the times I've stopped practicing in the past is that it didn't seem that I was getting tangible results. I should define my goals in order to clarify what I mean by results: general health improvement, improving poor digestion and increased strength and robustness.
A number of the methods that I've tried are things which I've read in books, as opposed to hands on detailed guidance. I'm wondering if I should seek professional instruction. So I have essentially two questions.

1. What chi gung teachers (or books/tapes) would you most highly recommend in Taiwan, China or America (I speak Mandarin)? Where else can I seek good information about this?

2. Besides daily practice, what other suggestions can you offer me to maximize the effectiveness of my practice?

Thank you for your help.

Lin Fung,
Although there are some good books on qi gong, you may need to find a qualified teacher to get the results you are looking for.

Your goals are still a little vague. For example, if you want to increase your strength, bodyweight calisthenics with a high degree of difficulty or weight lifting would be better options than qi gong practice. As for 'general health improvement,' any type of sensible exercise should help.

My advice would be to have very specific goals, and consider looking outside the confines of qi gong if necessary. If you really feel the need to stay within related Eastern disciplines,you may have a better chance of finding quality Yoga instruction.

Thank you for those perspectives, Tim. It's interesting that you suggest looking into methods other than chi gung. I'm infering (perhaps incorrectly) that you suggest trying other methods because you consider them to perhaps be more effective for what I want. This raises the question in my mind, for what purposes is chi gung best suited? What are the goals of chi gung and what results should one realistically expect to acheive? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.

Since "qi gong" has become a kind of blanket term for all kinds of exercises, (the term literally means "breath work") it is hard to say specifically what the benefits of practice are unless you specify the particular system.

There are many types of "hard" (ying qigong) that are designed to condition the body against blows and develop power in particular parts of the body. You'll often see practitioners taking blows and smashing various hard objects. Many of the "softer" types of qigong are akin to breathing and visualization exercises and are designed to increase flows of energy, release stress or increase the health of the internal organs.

In addition, many systems are taught as single exercises, while others are taught as linked forms. There are new systems being invented all the time.