Práticas integrativas e complementares: percepções de praticantes de Chi Kung

This is a qualitative and descriptive research carried out in a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in the first half of 2016. This study aimed to understand the condition and perception of health, as well as the corporeality after the practice of Chi Kung in users of a specialized rehabilitation unit. Individual interviews and focus groups were used in an audio recorded way. Nine users participated, most of which were female, aged 19 to 59 years old, declared themselves pardo (mixed raced), in a stable relationship and with incomplete elementary education. In the content analysis, two categories emerged: Walking through the  SUS network ; and Perceptions of health and corporeality . Adherence to Chi Kung was related to: improvements in health conditions; previous care and bonding experiences with the professional. The development of self-care, de-medicalization and the expansion of perceptions of health and corporeality were highlighted as contributions of practice. The possibility of setting up groups in primary care was recognized by the participants. The institutionalization of integrative and complementary practices in the municipality is fundamental for the expansion of initiatives and access.