Customer Reviews

The CHI Revolution: Harnessing the Healing Power of Your Life Force

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bruce Frantzis' books on chi gung top of my list for useful, immediately applicable explanation and technique. And, for an overall introduction to the possibilities offered by chi gung, this newest book is the best of the best. It's the most user-friendly of his books yet. He provides an excellent context so you understand what he means by chi, and how delving into the world of chi can improve your life and enable you to take responsibility for your health. Then he gives clear directions for 5 energy exercises that will give you immediate results. So you get both from this book: first the words, the explanation about why you would want to develop your chi, and then practices that actually give your body the experience he's been talking about.

I've been doing Frantzis's Energy Gates exercises for a few years now, and was excited that his Chi Revolution book teaches three exercises from the Dragon and Tiger set, which are new to me. The exercises are simple but powerful, and I was surprised that doing even the very first step revealed structural imbalances that I hadn't noticed--while simultaneously providing an avenue to correct them! Doing the exercises for just a couple weeks has already improved my ability to feel the energy in my other practices. I got so excited about this that I ordered Frantzis' new Dragon and Tiger Teaching Manual so I can learn the rest of the exercises. That's the greatest thing to me, that everything you learn from The Chi Revolution is remarkably useful as it is, and, if you get excited by your progress, you can go more deeply into any of the practices through Frantzis's other books and training programs.

Another accessible, very practical book by Bruce Frantzis. Read the first section of this book if you are looking for information on the benefits of chi gung and you want to understand what it will do for your health and well being. Not only is chi gung a great way to feel better and have more energy, but people are using it to prevent and heal all kinds of chronic degenerative conditions, improve their mental function, and balance their emotions.
Read the second section of the book if you are interested in understanding the breadth and depth of what Taoist practices can offer you. In this very readable book, you will begin to understand what Taoism is all about, rather than some poetic or cryptic philosophy that is not very understandable.
In the last part of the book, you are given an amazing gift. This section teaches you five very easy to learn, yet very potent exercises. These exercises are quite effective. Don't be surprised if you feel benefits right away. The price of the book is miniscule compared to the benefits you can begin to feel from doing these exercises. The information in the first two sections of the book will inspire you to do the exercises taught very clearly here.

This little book has quite a lot in it. Frantzis manages to make it both a beginner's book about Taoist Chi practices and a book relevant to those who are more advanced and are curious about the heart and soul of Taoist Chi and spiritual practices.

I really found it very useful to my own Chi Gung practice. The things he emphasizes over and over again, like getting go, training to feel inside your body, relaxing at physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels really revamped my ideas of how to do Chi Gung. It is also an entertaining read, as the author has an entertaining writing style and puts in personal stories here and there about his own very interesting life.

The practices towards the end of the book are taken from some of the other things that he teaches (Dragon & Tiger Chi Gung comes to mind most prominently) and to my inexperienced eye it seemed like a very good starting point for beginner practitioners. The moves are simple, and portrayed in a candid and straightforward manner.

Bang for the buck, this is a must have in any Chi Gung practitioners library. Destined to become a classic of books on the subject IMHO.

I have been interested in meditation, healing, martial arts, and spirituality in general for about 5 years. For 3 years all of the information I found was vague and shallow. The information left me with more questions than answers and my friends and family thought I was going crazy. Ever since I have found Bruce Frantzis' system of spiritual practice I have been amazed at the depth and clarity of the information. I feel that my pursuits of spirituality are much more grounded in reality now. Bruce is unique in that he is willing to divulge the secrets of a chinese esoteric (inner teaching) lineage in a straight forward, practical, and scientific way that makes it easy and accessible for westerners. My life is fuller, richer, and healthier after practicing Bruce's material and I know that yours can be too.

The Chi Revolution taught me a lot about how a very ancient and revered spiritual tradition is manifested in pragmatic, every-day life for millions of people all over the planet. The link to bettering your life on virtually every level is getting in touch with the energy (chi) inside you and getting it to flow cleanly and smoothly. You can choose any number of methods. You want to get really healthy? Do tai chi or chi gung (qigong). Want to learn to relax into your stretching? Try Tao yoga. Want to quell some of your fears and manage your anger without prozac? Try breathing and meditating. Want to learn a martial art? Hard to beat the internal martial arts of tai chi, ba gua and hsing-i. And the really, really wonderful thing about any of the Taoist energy practices (and I can say this because I have done many of them for over ten years) is that they aren't static. You never stop learning from them. They are, as the book says, "The gift that keeps on giving." The revolutionary challenge is to take the inspiration that this book can give you, learn one or more of the Taoist energy practices and make them part of your daily life. Then the revolution starts becoming an evolution inside you that tips your life towards joy and freedom.

I can't recommend this book enough, I received it on a saturday morning and by the end of the weekend I had read three quarters of it. Over the years I have read a fairly large number of books on related subjects; martial arts, chi kung, spirituality etc but from the start and throughout it was different.
What was covered was not essentially different but it came accross in a very practical and more accessible way, as with all of Bruce's books. Alot of things made so much more sense after reading and trying to practice as described here.

1. Experience how deeply troubled you are about an unwanted occurrence, emotion, or illness, and become aware of your anger and resentment toward it. Become conscious of your resistance to it. You must experience the feelings about unwanted occurrences or illness in your life, so you can begin to heal. "I have created this hurt and sadness by forgetting my essence".

2. See and realize how you are powerless to change the past or the fact that the unwanted occurrence or illness has occurred. You have pride in your abilities, your achievements, and your power to overcome adversity. Say to yourself, "I maybe powerless to change the past, but I am no longer powerless to change my attitudes, thoughts, and outlook. I am no longer powerless to bring healing from my essence." How does my realization that I'm powerless to change this occurrence make me feel?"

3. Surrender to the fact that the unwanted occurrence or illness is a reality and has occurred. Your mind naturally resists the idea that this unwanted occurrence is a reality. Your mind rejects the acceptance of the this unwanted occurrence and goes automatically to its old, negative, conditioned patterns. It is only by accepting the unwanted realities in life that you can begin to grow and approach your essence. Spend a few minutes feeling the power associated with this thought.

4. Bring to your essence the guilt, anger, and fear, as well as any feelings of unworthiness, which may have contributed to the unwanted occurrence or illness. Say to yourself, "I empower myself to remove the barriers I have created to healing. These barriers block me from knowing the vast power that lies within me."

5. Nurture the realization and experience of the power within your essence. Contemplate that this higher self or power within you has the capacity to bring healing to the situation. The awareness of your essence allows for these unwanted occurrences to be accepted with hope, trust, and understanding. The understanding of your essence will bring you closer to God. It can bring you wisdom and knowledge of universal truths. Once adversity is accepted, you can begin to see the many ways you can transform. Perhaps and adverse occurrence reveals to you that you need to obey your heart more than your mind. Adversity brings a blessing in some form. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God", Romans 8:28.

6. Create a space where you can embrace your soul in trust, so that all necessary lessons can be learned and healing can be given. This process is done in solitude of your own heart through quiet contemplation. You can touch the power and energy of your essence through a quiet mind and an open heart. A quiet mind comes by examining the origin of the thought. "Is my thought about this occurrence based on my essence, or is it just another negative, conditioned thought pattern?" An open heart is reached simply by the intent to touch the source of your compassion. Create an energy bubble of protection.

7. Embody and actualize transformation of your mind and body by deeply feeling your desire for this to occur. "I will continue on the path of transformation. I will do this by living my life with an awareness of who I am. I will endeavor to learn my purpose each day."

This book was given to me by a friend and I have found it quite beneficial. It is a great read and constructed in such a way that it's easy to grasp and understand complex concepts. He demonstrates practical and accessible ways to get in contact with your Chi and foster a more relaxing way to live, and all without being condescending or sounding like some phony New Age-type guru. This is one of my first experiences delving into Taoism and Chi, and I have to say after reading Bruce's books, there's no other means I'd rather seek to understand Taoism and Chi than through his books or knowledge.

Bruce Frantzis shares what he knows; from his long study of taoist philosophy and health systems he explains the importance of Chi, with step-by step simple exercises for readers of any level. Why isn`t qi gong as important as the 3 R`s ?
Also:
Relaxing into Your Being: The Water Method of Taoist Meditation Series, Vol. 1Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body: Chi Gung for Lifelong Health (The Tao of Energy Enhancement)

This is my second book from the author. It is great introductory material on the benefits of Chi. However, it is VERY basic and merely for overview of the benefits of building up your energy system.

In my opinion this book in conjunction with Robert Bruce's 'Energy Work'(The BEST hands on RESULTS oriented book) are an excellent starting point. Also, 'Opening the Energy Gates of the Body' would be a natural companion to these.