5 Chinese Wellness Practices to Try
Published on June 1, 2026
Laura Mitchell
Wellness content creator with a background in holistic health and movement for healthy aging.
Table of Contents
- Qigong (气功)
- Tai Chi (太极拳)
- Baduanjin — Eight Brocades (八段锦)
- Acupressure — Meridian Self-Massage (穴位按摩)
- TCM Breathwork — Tiao Xi (调息)
- How to Get Started
Chinese wellness traditions have been refined over thousands of years — not as alternative medicine in opposition to modern health, but as systematic, practical approaches to maintaining the body, calming the mind, and sustaining energy through everyday life. In recent decades, a growing body of clinical research has confirmed what practitioners have long observed: these practices produce real, measurable health benefits.
This guide introduces five of the most accessible and well-studied Chinese wellness practices. Each one can be started at home with no equipment and no prior experience. Some involve movement, some stillness, and one requires nothing more than conscious attention to your breath.
Note: All five practices are complementary wellness activities. They are not medical treatments and should not replace professional healthcare or prescribed therapy for any health condition.
Qigong (气功)
What it is: Qigong — pronounced "chee-gong" — is a broad category of Chinese mind-body practice combining slow movement, regulated breathing, and focused mental awareness to cultivate and balance qi (vital energy). With roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taoist philosophy, and martial arts traditions, Qigong encompasses hundreds of specific practices ranging from gentle seated breathing to flowing standing movement sequences.
Unlike Tai Chi, which follows a specific sequence of movements, Qigong exercises are largely self-contained — each one teaches a complete principle and delivers benefit independently. This makes it one of the most accessible entry points into Chinese wellness practice.
What the research shows: A 2022 meta-analysis of 16 randomised controlled trials found that Qigong exercise significantly reduced both depression (SMD = −0.89) and anxiety symptoms (SMD = −0.78) in participants (Zhang et al., 2022). A separate systematic review confirmed consistent stress-reduction benefits across healthy adult populations. Clinical research has also documented improvements in blood pressure, sleep quality, immune function, and cognitive performance with regular practice.
How to start: Begin with Natural Abdominal Breathing — five minutes of slow, belly-led breathing — and Zhan Zhuang (Standing Like a Tree), holding a simple standing posture for two to three minutes. These two exercises alone constitute a genuine Qigong practice.
For a complete beginner's guide including five foundational exercises: Qigong for Beginners.
Tai Chi (太极拳)
What it is: Tai Chi (Taijiquan) is a Chinese internal martial art developed in the 17th century that has evolved into one of the world's most widely practised mind-body exercises. Its slow, flowing movements — performed with complete weight transfer, upright posture, and coordinated breathing — train balance, coordination, and postural control in a way that ordinary walking and most other exercises do not.
The most widely practised form is Yang-style Tai Chi, and in particular the simplified 24-form created in 1956, which distils the essential principles of the practice into a learnable sequence of 24 movements.
What the research shows: A 2023 meta-analysis of 24 randomised controlled trials found that Tai Chi reduced fall risk in older adults by 24% and produced significant improvements across multiple balance assessments (Chen et al., 2023). Separate research has documented benefits for blood pressure, cardiovascular health, sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and cognitive function — making Tai Chi one of the most comprehensively evidenced forms of gentle exercise available.
How to start: Begin with Wu Ji Standing (two minutes of aligned, relaxed stillness) and Commencing Form (coordinating slow arm raises with the breath). These two movements are the opening of the 24-form and a complete beginner practice on their own.
For step-by-step guidance on the foundational movements: Tai Chi for Beginners.
Baduanjin — Eight Brocades (八段锦)
What it is: Baduanjin — literally "Eight Pieces of Brocade" — is a fixed sequence of eight Qigong movements with documented history spanning over a thousand years to the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD). Each movement is designed to benefit a specific aspect of physical health, combining gentle stretching, weight-bearing postures, and coordinated breathing into a complete 15 to 20-minute practice.
A standardised modern form was developed by the Chinese Health Qigong Association in 2003, making it one of the most structured and teachable of all traditional Chinese exercises. It occupies a useful middle ground between free-form Qigong exercises and the longer, more complex forms of Tai Chi.
What the research shows: A 2022 systematic review published in Frontiers in Medicine found that Baduanjin significantly improved balance in older adults, with Berg Balance Scale scores meaningfully higher in Baduanjin groups than controls (MD = 4.82, p < 0.00001) (Frontiers in Medicine, 2022). Additional meta-analyses have documented benefits for blood pressure, cardiovascular function, and quality of life in adults aged 65 and above.
How to start: Learn the first movement — Two Hands Hold Up the Heavens — and practise it six to eight repetitions daily for the first week before adding the next. All eight movements can be learned over four to six weeks of consistent daily practice.
For a complete guide to all eight movements with descriptions: Baduanjin: Eight Brocades Basics.
Acupressure — Meridian Self-Massage (穴位按摩)
What it is: Acupressure is a self-applied wellness practice rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine's meridian system — the network of pathways through which qi is understood to flow. By applying sustained, moderate pressure to specific acupoints along these pathways, practitioners aim to support the balanced flow of energy associated with health and wellbeing.
Unlike acupuncture, which requires a qualified practitioner and needles, acupressure can be practised independently at any time, with no equipment. Several key acupoints are widely used for self-care: Nei Guan (PC6), located three finger-widths above the inner wrist, is traditionally used for nausea and stress; He Gu (LI4), in the webbing between the thumb and index finger, for headaches and tension; and Zu San Li (ST36), four finger-widths below the kneecap on the outer shin, traditionally associated with overall vitality and digestive health.
Note: The meridian and organ associations of acupressure points are based on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory. They represent a traditional wellness framework. Users with serious medical conditions should consult a healthcare provider before using acupressure as a complementary approach.
What the research shows: A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials published in PMC found that acupressure demonstrated effectiveness in providing immediate relief from anxiety with a medium effect size (PMC, 2024). Earlier clinical research has documented acupressure's effectiveness for reducing nausea, pain, fatigue, and insomnia as a complementary therapy — outcomes supported by multiple independent RCTs.
How to start: Apply firm but comfortable pressure to Nei Guan (PC6) — three finger-widths above the inner wrist crease, between the two central tendons — using your opposite thumb. Hold for one to two minutes, breathing slowly. Repeat on the other wrist. This is the most widely researched and accessible acupressure point for immediate stress and anxiety relief.
TCM Breathwork — Tiao Xi (调息)
What it is: Tiao Xi (調息) — meaning "regulating the breath" — is one of the three foundational pillars of all Chinese internal practices, alongside regulating the body (Tiao Shen) and regulating the mind (Tiao Xin). In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the breath is understood as the primary interface between the body's internal environment and the external world, and its regulation is central to maintaining health.
Unlike Western breathwork practices, TCM breathwork is not primarily about technique variety — it centres on one essential quality: slow, full, diaphragmatic breathing in which the inhale expands the lower abdomen outward and the exhale allows it to settle naturally inward. This pattern — called Fu Shi Hu Xi (腹式呼吸) or abdominal breathing — is the foundation of every Qigong, Tai Chi, and Baduanjin practice, and is equally valuable as a standalone daily exercise.
What the research shows: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials published in Scientific Reports found that breathwork significantly reduced self-reported stress, anxiety, and depression compared to control conditions (Fincham et al., 2023). A separate RCT published in Frontiers in Psychology found that eight weeks of diaphragmatic breathing training produced a significant reduction in cortisol levels and improvement in sustained attention compared to a control group (Ma et al., 2017). These outcomes align precisely with the TCM understanding of breath regulation as the most immediate tool for restoring physiological and mental balance.
How to start: Sit upright or lie flat. Place one hand on the lower abdomen, just below the navel. Inhale slowly through the nose for four counts — feel the belly expand outward against your hand. Exhale slowly for six counts — feel the belly draw gently inward. Repeat for five minutes. Practise daily at a consistent time, ideally in the morning or before sleep.
How to Get Started
Each of these five practices can be begun today, independently, with no equipment or prior knowledge. The most effective approach is to choose one and practise it consistently for two to four weeks before adding a second — building depth before breadth.
For those who want structured, guided programmes across all five practices, the ZenFit app offers instructor-led Qigong, Tai Chi, and Baduanjin sessions specifically designed for adults 40 and above. Sessions are 5 to 15 minutes, available offline, and progress systematically from beginner level.
