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Qi means energy, subtle life force, internal energy, internal power. Manifested energy that empowers something to work and function. The concept of chi underlies Chinese, Japanese, and Korean culture, in which the world is perceived not purely in terms of physical matter but also terms of invisible energy and vibrations. There is a Chinese saying, "You can live three weeks without food, three days without water, and three minutes without air, but you cannot live a second without chi."

Qigong (Chi Kung) means energy work/power. Qigong is the ancient Chinese art of developing and cultivating chi by one's own effort. Qigong can be as subtle as sitting perfectly still observing air and energy entering and leaving the body, or healing a chronic ailment with a gentle touch, or as powerful as breaking a brick with a bare hand. My analogy of Qigong is that of an electric light bulb. The light bulb represents my body, electricity is the Qi, and the emitted light is the work produced by the body.

Qigong has many formalized exercises designed to teach a person how to develop internal chi for their own health and well being.