Updated November 11, 2026
By Tevia Feng, founder of White Tiger Qigong. Tevia has practiced qigong for over 40 years.
Reiki and qigong fit together well. Reiki is a Japanese hands-on practice for directing energy to another person. Qigong is a wider Chinese system of movement, breath and mind work, and it also has an outgoing form that is close in spirit to Reiki. Tevia Feng sees Reiki as a Japanese style of outgoing qi therapy, and calls it complementary to qigong.
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What is Reiki, and where does it come from?
Reiki is a practice in which the practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above a person, with the aim of directing energy to support the person's own healing response. NCCIH describes it as based on an Eastern belief in an energy that supports the body's natural healing abilities. It was developed in Japan in the 1920s by Mikao Usui (Wikipedia, Mikao Usui). The Japanese word is 霊気 (rei ki).
What is qigong, and what is external qigong?
Qigong (气功, qìgōng) is a Chinese system that combines coordinated posture and movement, breathing and meditation to cultivate and balance life energy (Wikipedia). It is usually described in two parts. Internal qigong is self-practice. External qigong is when a practitioner directs or transmits qi to another person (Wikipedia, EBSCO).
Peter Wayne, a Harvard Medical School researcher, has described external qigong as a practice that "looks like distant Reiki healing" (Live Science). That overlap is why Reiki practitioners often feel at home in qigong.
Here is a small detail that helps: the Japanese ki (気) is the same character as the Chinese qi (气 or 氣). Same root idea, two traditions. Qigong appears in Japanese as 気功 (kikō) (Wikipedia).
Reiki and qigong compared
| Question | Reiki | Qigong |
|---|---|---|
| Where it comes from | Japan, 1920s, Mikao Usui | China, with roots in much older health practices |
| Core idea | Directing energy to support a person's own healing response | Cultivating and balancing qi through movement, breath and mind |
| Main method | Hands placed lightly on or just above the body | Postures, flowing movement, breathing, meditation |
| Who does the practice | A practitioner works with a client | You practice for yourself (internal), or a practitioner works with a client (external) |
| Where they meet | Both work with the idea of qi or ki, and both can be part of a healing practice | |
Sources: NCCIH, Wikipedia, White Tiger Qigong medical qigong page.
Why do Reiki and qigong complement each other?
Reiki gives you a way to work with another person. Qigong gives you a daily practice for your own body, breath and mind, and a deeper map of how qi moves. Many healers want both: a service they offer and a discipline they keep for themselves.
White Tiger Qigong teaches medical qigong, the healing branch of qigong. It sits beside acupuncture, herbs and tui na in Chinese medicine, and it works with the meridians, the organs and the breath (read the medical qigong page). It is used as a complementary practice, alongside regular medical care, never instead of it.
To be clear about the word "energy healing": it is a broad term, and Tevia Feng vouches for the Reiki-style kind. If you practice Reiki, you are working in a tradition that sits comfortably next to qigong.
What can qigong add to a Reiki or energy healing practice?
- A body practice of your own. Movement and breath you can do every day, separate from your client work.
- A framework from Chinese medicine. Meridians, organs and the flow of qi, taught in a clear order.
- A path to teach. Qigong can be taught to groups, which gives a practitioner a second way to share their work.
How can a Reiki practitioner start with qigong?
- Learn the styles. Qigong is many systems, not one. Read the main styles of qigong to see which fits you.
- Look at medical qigong. It is the branch closest to a healing practice. See what medical qigong certification means and what it does and does not allow.
- Follow a clear order. The White Tiger Qigong training path shows the systems and levels in sequence.
- Decide if you want to teach. The teacher certification page explains the format, the levels and the exam.
How does White Tiger Qigong teacher training work?
The training is online, with live classes with Tevia and recordings you keep. It has five levels in each system: Body, Breath, Spirit, Prescription and Teacher Training. The exam is a written theory test plus a video of your forms, reviewed by Tevia or a senior certified instructor. There is no time limit, and no experience is needed for Level 1 (details here). Certified teachers are listed in the instructor directory.
A note on health. This article is for education. It is not medical diagnosis or treatment.
Next step
If you already run a healing practice and want a structured path to teach qigong, start with the Teacher Training and Certification page. If you have questions first, book a free consultation.
Keep reading
- Energy Healing Certification: How to Choose a Training
- Qigong vs Reiki: What Is the Difference?
- Medical qigong vs qigong and potential qigong
Sources
- NCCIH, Reiki
- Wikipedia, Reiki
- Wikipedia, Mikao Usui
- Wikipedia, Qigong
- Live Science, What is Qigong?
- EBSCO Research Starters, Qigong
Frequently asked questions
Is qigong the same as Reiki?
No. Reiki is a Japanese hands-on practice in which the practitioner directs energy to another person. Qigong is a broader Chinese system of movement, breath and mind practice. One branch, called external qigong, is also about directing qi to another person, which is why people often compare the two. (NCCIH, EBSCO)
Can Reiki practitioners learn qigong?
Yes. Nothing about learning qigong asks you to give up Reiki. Tevia Feng sees Reiki as a Japanese style of outgoing qi therapy that fits well with the White Tiger Qigong system, and some White Tiger Qigong instructors are Reiki masters.
Is qigong better than Reiki?
No. We do not rank them. They are different practices with some shared ground, and many people find they work well together.
What is energy healing, and is Reiki one kind?
Energy healing is a broad term that covers many different practices. Reiki is one specific, well-known style. Because the term is so wide, it helps to name the exact method you practice or want to learn.
Do I need qigong experience to join a White Tiger Qigong teacher training?
No experience is needed for Level 1. You can read how the program works on the teacher certification page.