Chinese Yoga was a term, that came up when Western Europe tried to understand Chinese Spirituality, C. G. Jung used it a lot. In Chinese the Term ‚Nei Jia‘- Internal Arts has a similar meaning. It covers all kinds of Qi Gong, Nei Gong and Internal Martial Arts. Qi Gong means literally ‚Energy Work‘, or ‚Energy Skill‘, ‚Nei Gong‘ means ‚Internal Skill‘ (Internal Work). Qi Gong usually uses external physical movement, to influence the internal. Internal means stretching the tissue, strengthening the tissue, opening the joints, and moving the energies (Qi) within and outside of the body. Qi can mean many things, ‚energy‘ is not really a correct translation, one could write many pages about the real meaning of Qi. For here I will use the word ‚energy‘. Through Qi Gong movements and thought intentions, happen concrete changes within the body and within perception, that are applicable to partner training and life in general. There exist thousands of different Qi Gong systems with different aims and focuses. All of them build a healthy body, want to prepare the body for the brutal and catastrophic changes of meditation. Lead into meditation and, often as a side effect, build energetic skills (siddhas). We train Qi Gong exercises, that are especially helpful for internal martial arts. Nei Gong changes the body, the energies from within, through the mind. That can mean a still sitting position, but not necessarily, especially in Tai Chi Chuan, Nei Gong is done within the frame of the standing and moving exercises. Nei Gong leads directly to meditation. It is probably the most powerful tool within Internal Martial Arts. The strongest Nei Gong, is to become still, enter Samadhi, without forcing it, and all those ‚energetic‘ changes happen naturally.
I think, that all Yogas, Qi Gongs etc. developed, after someones had some when become still and died while being alive, or in other words had gone through that process, we call enlightenment. Afterwards their body transformed,- worked and moved visibly differently. People then tried to copy that quality to facilitate and be prepared for that cataclysmic transformation.
UG Krishnamurti who went through a process, which other people called ‚awakening‘ or ‚enlightenment‘, wrote in his book about his experience:
‚The body feels very stiff — slowly it begins to move of its own accord, limbering itself up. The movements are more like the Chinese T’ai Chi than like Hatha Yoga.`
(UG Krishnamurti Penguin Reader , Throwing away the clutches, Interview about the state (of awakening))