Report on qigong practice in Bologna til the first quarter of year 1996

This report is made to illustrate the history and the actual state of Qigong practice in the city of Bologna, Italy.
Until the end of the years 80s, no one knew anything about Qigong, even less practiced it. From 1989, some people joined in the meeting held by Prof. Li Xiaoming. Some of them are doctors. For many years, the practice of Qigong was only limited to private interest, from 89' to 94' few others joined in the first group.
In 1995, driven by the necessity to make the patients practice some of the exercises of self treatment, we formed a circle of 'Qigong People' made of students of Master Li Xiaoming and some of them, with permission of their master, started their constant and systematic activity of training course and the propedeutic training for the basic techniques of medical Qigong.
During the year 1995, about 60 persons have participated in the meetings of instruction on Qigong.
The interest in the practice of these techniques is extending not only to the persons suffering from specific illness but also to those eager to learn the preventive and strengthening techniques.
In the first quarter of the year , people who practice it have increased to 172, among whom, 95 women, and 77 men, of the ages variable from 72 to 20. The techniques taught and practiced are only basically and one cultivates only the therapeutic aspect of Qigong.
The propedeutic training course should undergo the controls of Prof. Li Xiaoming during his presence in Italy.
The training activity is carried out by the students of Prof. Li Xiaoming, who have passed the 2' level of practice and who are registered in the list of Qigong practitioners in Italy and it is done not for profit, often free of charge, in order not to stop anyone from approaching to this richness.
The increasing interest and the results of the practicing these techniques make one foresee the unexpectedly rapid and interesting development in propagation of this knowledge even in cultural ambit. We feel it is a movement in expansion and that as Qigong people, we should only run and utilize well, letting it develop with its own force structuring it according to a project which goes beyond the initial intentions.

1996