The Taijiquan Triangle
"The Taijiquan Triangle" consists of three elements:
1, Yi- the mind, or intention.
2, Qi- the internal strength, or life force.
3, Xing- the form, or appearance.
"Yi" is intangible, and "Xing" is tangible. "Qi" is something you can feel, but is not something we can substantiate, or assign physical substance to. Nevertheless "Qi" is a bridge connecting the "Yi" and "Xing". That's why we say, in Chinese, that the, "Qi" goes together with "Yi". Beginners may have doubts in regards to the subsistence of "Qi". The usual advice is to train harder. "Qi" is a product of dedicated hard work. Another way of looking at "Qi", one that many Western practitioners find useful, is to substitute the word "Yi" or one's intention or mindful awareness of the body during practice, for the word "Qi," at least at first, until the movement of energy in one's body becomes perceptible.
A common misconception is that breath training and "Qigong" are one in the same. Actually training in breathing technique and "Qigong" are two separate endeavors. Breathing is a natural instinct; we need to breath in order to live. However, even though breathing is not "Qigong," or energy practice, in and of itself, correct breathing methods help to enhance our bodily activities as well as cultivation of inner "Qi". We could say that correct breathing is an aid to qigong training.