The First Steps: Short-Term Benefits of Qigong and Taijiquan People often come to qigong or taijiquan with high hopes, sometimes expecting transformation from a weekend workshop or a thirty-day “certification.” Those promises may sound appealing, but anyone with experience knows that mastery requires years, if not a lifetime. Still, it would be a mistake to assume that nothing worthwhile can be gained in the short term. Even within the first weeks or months of practice, meaningful benefits can b