Xingqi (circulating breath)

Xingqi Circulating Breath
Daoyin technique for conserving one's Yuanqi (Original Qi), 1875 Daoyin tu (導引圖, Drawings of Guiding and Pulling [Qi Circulation])
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	行氣
Simplified Chinese	行气
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin xíngqì Wade–Giles hsing2-chʻi4 Yue: Cantonese Jyutping hang4 hei3 Southern Min Hokkien POJ hêng-khì Middle Chinese Middle Chinese hængH khjɨjH Old Chinese Baxter–Sagart (2014) *[ɡ]ˁraŋ-s [k]ʰəp-s
Korean name
Hangul	행기
Hanja	行氣
Transcriptions Revised Romanization haenggi
Japanese name
Kanji	行気
Hiragana	ぎょうき
Transcriptions Revised Hepburn gyōki

Chinese xingqi (行氣, "circulating qi / breath") is a group of breath-control techniques that have been developed and practiced from the Warring States period (c. 475-221 BCE) to the present. Examples include Traditional Chinese medicine, Daoist meditation, daoyin breathing calisthenics, taixi embryonic breathing, neidan internal alchemy, neigong internal exercises, qigong deep-breathing exercises, and taijiquan slow-motion martial art. Since the polysemous keyword qi can mean natural "breath; air" and/or alleged supernatural "vital breath; life force", xingqi signifies "circulating breath" in meditational contexts or "activating vital breath" in medical contexts.