The Xingqi School 行气派

An important school of the pre-Qin Fangxian Dao (Dao of Preserving Health and Immortality). It was popular in regions such as Wuyue, Jingchu, and Bashu. The Xingqi School originated from the witchcraft religion of primitive society and had developed to a relatively high level by the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

The Xingqi School of Fangxian Dao traced its origins to Wang Ziqiao and Chi Songzi. Its practices included daoyin (guidance of qi through movement), cunsi (visualization), fuqi (breathing exercises), absorbing the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars, caiqi (gathering qi), qijin (controlling qi to ward off harm), and techniques of circulating qi along the body's meridians. Later, it merged with the Fu'er School (School of Taking Elixirs) and the Fangzhong School (School of Sexual Cultivation), giving rise to methods such as fuqi (breathing exercises), bixi (holding one's breath), guixi (turtle-like breathing), taixi (embryonic breathing), and techniques of combining qi between men and women.

China's inner-alchemy immortality studies and various qigong therapies have deep origins with this school.