Qigong originated in ancient times and has a long history in China. According to historical records and medical records, ancient qigong was called qi-flowing, guidance, breathing, fetal breathing, pressing, meditation, mindfulness, internal strength and so on. There are many names, which shows that there are many forms and practices of ancient Qigong. Its formation is definitely not from one person, not from a certain god, but the result of the joint efforts of many people in the long historical process. The name "Qigong" was first seen in Jing Ming Jiao Zhi written by Xu Xun in the Jin Dynasty, and the word "Qigong" was also used in the modern book "The Tips of Shaolin Boxing", but this name has not been favored and has not been popularized. The name Qigong is widely recognized and used, and it only started after the liberation of the whole country. Qigong originated from ancient medical and health care activities. There is a record in "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals and Ancient Music": "In the early days of Kangjia, Yin qi was stagnant and the waterways were congested, which was not the origin. The people are depressed and stagnant, and their bones and muscles can't shrink, which is passed down as a dance. " Kang Yin is an ancient emperor in the legendary Fumai era, second only to Shennong in Yan Di. At the beginning of Kang Yin's rule, there was a flood. Because the river is blocked, people's homes are soaked in wet and cold gas. Many people are stuck by Yin Qi, their joints are not smooth, their bones and muscles are not up to standard, and they have rheumatism. In order to fight the pain, people found that dancing can relieve the pain and stretch the joints, so they made up appropriate dance steps to announce the qi stagnation in command. The events described in this record can be considered as excessive tendons to guide the circulation of qi. 1975, a painted pottery jar with two ears was unearthed in Ledu, Qinghai. According to textual research, it belongs to Machang culture in Mid-Levels, which has been around for 4000-4500 years, which is equivalent to the legendary era of the Yellow Emperor. This jar has ears, a small mouth, a big belly and a tight bottom, and the area is like the mouth of the jar. Tanks have a clear portrait of floating nudes. This figure is like a person, his feet are flat, slightly wider than his shoulders, his lower limbs are bent in a crouching fork shape, his abdomen is slightly raised, his hands are surrounded, his mouth is open in front of his abdomen, his eyes are slightly closed, and he seems to stare at God, and his expression is peaceful and quiet. The whole body is standing on a pile, showing great strength. Surprisingly, this nude portrait shows a man on the top and a woman on the bottom, which embodies the idea that the lower yin is the upper yang and the yin and yang are in harmony. According to experts, this is the earliest physical object discovered by China to show qigong skills in an artistic image. This posture of sticking to the abdomen must have greatly promoted the medical and health care function of Qigong in ancient times and become an example for people to learn from each other. Therefore, ancient artists created such pottery sculptures. This colorful binaural pottery pot fully proves that Qigong not only appeared very early in China, but also became very popular in ancient times, and has formed quite mature exercise methods and ideas. According to legend, Yu Fu, a famous doctor in the era of the Yellow Emperor, often used qigong therapy when treating diseases. Biography of Historical Records of Bian Que records: "In ancient times, there was a doctor named Yu Yu who didn't use soup to treat diseases. That stone, that bridge, that case, that poison ironing, it's time to see a doctor. " Bridging bridges and handling cases are all qigong therapy. The dance and qigong exercises designed by the ancients are often modeled on the gestures and movements of animals, and some special behaviors and effects of animals may inspire the ancients. "Zhuangzi Deliberately" said: "Blow one breath, spit out the old and bring in the new, the bear reaches over the bird, and live a long life. This guiding thing and the person who raises the shape are also good for Peng Zushou. " The sound of "luck" is empty, and you may inhale. "Blowing" and "breathing" have the same meaning, both of which mean exhaling and inhaling. It means, through breathing, spit out the foul breath, blend in the fresh breath, stretch your neck like an old bear climbing a tree, spread your wings and stretch your feet like a flying tiger flying in the sky. This is an action that qigong experts practice in order to live longer. Among the precious cultural relics unearthed in Mawangdui, Changsha, there is a silk painting "Guide Map". Its age is about earlier than BC 168. There are 44 kinds of guiding images drawn on the map, including standing, lying, squatting and sitting. The recognizable bionic movements are the back of a kite, the wolf in a ditch, the climbing of a dragon, the stretching of a bird, the noise of a macaque, the mouth of a pigeon, the screaming of an ape, the passage of a bear and the back of a crane, which are very spectacular. There are more than ten kinds of diseases in this picture, including: induced deafness, product accumulation, induced items, induced spirits, induced thirst, induced arthralgia, induced knee disease, induced annoyance, syncope and so on. Unfortunately, the guide map only records the guide "death" map circulated in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, with few inscriptions, so it is not easy for modern people to practice according to the map. Happily, in 1984, in Zhangjiashan, Jiangling, Hubei Province, archaeologists found a pre-Qin qigong monograph "Yin Shu" in a tomb in the early Western Han Dynasty. Illustrated with pictures and texts, it records the theory, practice and treatment methods of Qigong in the pre-Qin period, including a large number of bionic techniques. It also discusses the function, time and course of treatment of more than 40 diseases (involving internal medicine, surgery, gynecology and pediatrics), as well as daily life and sexual life in four seasons, and so on. Readers can practice themselves selectively according to the guidance of this book. All the documents vividly show the development of Qigong therapy in China before the 2nd century BC, which strongly proves that Qigong was formed on the basis of ancient medical practice and was created by ancient doctors. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Chinese medicine was very developed, and Qigong played an important role in medical skills. In addition to "Guiding the Map and Guiding the Wind", the jade inscription on Qi and the silk book "Que Gu Chi Qi" unearthed in Mawangdui, Changsha are also rare early qigong monographs. Foot-arm eleven-pulse moxibustion regulating yin-yang eleven-pulse moxibustion is the earliest monograph on meridian science, which is also closely related to Qigong. Huangdi Neijing, a book written in Han Dynasty, is the theoretical source of China's medical qigong, which must be carefully studied by doctors in past dynasties. The existing Huangdi Neijing consists of Su Wen and Ling Shu, each containing 865,438+0 articles. It has been circulated so far and has been edited and revised by doctors in Han, Jin, Tang and Song Dynasties. The collected papers are quite different in content, writing style and style, so it can be concluded that they were not written by one person at a time. The writing time of its main chapters can last from the Warring States to the Eastern Han Dynasty or even later. It can be seen that the Huangdi Neijing we are seeing now is a collection of academic achievements of many medical schools in a long historical period, which has concentrated the wisdom of many medical experts. In this medical code, there are quite a few pages devoted to qigong health preservation and qigong treatment. For example, Su Wen's Theory of Ancient Naivety holds that keeping in good health should be "harmonious between Yin and Yang, adjusted to four o'clock", "breathing the essence and keeping the spirit independently", "suitable for secular desires, without resentment" and "no external work, no worries, taking pleasure as the service and taking self-satisfaction as the merit." It means that life should adapt to the changes of yin and yang in nature, such as four o'clock day and night. Secular desires should be restrained, not overworked, not angry or resentful, quiet and happy, comfortable and optimistic. Every day, we should also do necessary qigong exercises such as breathing and breathing guidance, sitting and watching, so as to make the body's qi and blood run smoothly and maintain harmony with nature. Huangdi Neijing holds that if we persist in doing so, we can live a long and healthy life. For qigong treatment, Huangdi Neijing also has a lot of discussions. For example, Su Wen said: "The ancient treatment only turns essence into qi, and you can only wish it." "Turning essence into qi" means hiding the spirit in it and guiding the circulation of qi. "Desire", that is, explaining the cause through language and providing psychological treatment for patients, also belongs to the category of Qigong. It is worth noting that Huangdi Neijing not only contains many classic explanations about qigong health preservation and qigong therapy, but also talks about what kind of people are suitable to be qigong doctors. "Lingshu Functional Chapter" said: "Those who relax muscles and mind can guide qi." It means that people with mild joints, soft bones and harmonious mind can learn the medical skill of guiding Qi.