Neigong
/ˌneɪˈɡʊŋ/noun
A Chinese system of internal cultivation involving breath, posture, attention, and sometimes martial training.
Did you know?Neigong is not a single universally defined technique: Daoist, medical, and martial traditions have used the term for different forms of breath regulation, meditation, visualization, and internal training.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, before 2nd century BCE
Old Chinese
内 (*nˤə-s)
“Inside; within”
Old Chinese, before 2nd century BCE
Old Chinese
功 (*kˤoŋ)
“Merit, achievement, effective work, or accomplishment”
Medieval China
Middle Chinese
內功
“Inner cultivation or internal accomplishment”
19th–early 20th Century
Mandarin Chinese
nèigōng
“Internal training or cultivation, especially in Daoist and martial contexts”
20th Century
English
neigong
“A transliterated term for Chinese internal cultivation practices”
Modern English
English
neigong
“A system of internal training involving breath, awareness, posture, and energy-oriented practice”