Is tai chi or chi gung a religion?

No. To practice tai chi or chi gung you do not have to believe or disbelieve in gods, spirits, or an afterlife. There are large numbers of practitioners of all religions. Yet many consider the practice of tai chi or chi gung to be a spiritual practice. The line between art and spirituality is often very thin. Techniques of art can stimulate creative forces and refine them. If that intensity is directed toward inner revelation, rather than external accomplishment, the training that the art provides may bridge the gap between the secular and the spiritual. If so, tai chi or chi gung becomes a tool for spiritual awakening. For more details on tai chi and spirituality see The Big Book of Tai Chiⁱ, Chapter 8.