Customer Reviews

Chi Gung: Chinese Healing, Energy and Natural Magick

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I find this book to be superb. I am particularly attacted to its flexibility, which fits in with the fact that the form of Chi Gung which Ms. Carnie practices is "The Flowing".
Lily Carnie is a skilled teacher unlike many who know *how* to do something but don't know how to pass on that ability. The Olympic coach Laurence E.Morehouse found that an extremely ineffective way to teach someone how to use their body is to tell them what to do with the various parts of their body. What works is to give them an IMAGE to hold in their mind. Ms. Carnie in her section on breathing, "... the most important skill you will learn in practicing this ancient art.", shows her awareness of this principle: "Imagine you are inhaling a delicate silk thread and if you breathe too harshly, quickly, or spasmodically, it will break."
What motivated me to write this review was the "Astonishing bad" review of Kenneth Robinson. I found his review "helpful" in recommending anything on Chi Gung by Lam Kam Chuen or B. K. Frantzis. I have to assume that, in sharp contrast to the flexibility of Lily Carnie, their works would exhibit the rigidity so dramatically displayed by Mr. Robinson.
But to return to "Life as it Should be" as we say in Maine, L.V.Carnie's "Chi Gung" will broaden the vistas of your life.

I highly recommend this book. This is a rare book. It covers both the physical (Wai Dan), and mental (Nei Dan) aspects of Chi Kung, and Tai Chi Chuan.

This book has approximately 100 exercizes to try.

This book is very easy to read and more importantly easy to understand.

The Information dealinng with the meridians discussed on pages 34-40 is worth the cost of the book alone!

This book was very enlightening . The author wrote this in a very unique way, very personal and to the second person which makes it very intimate. This reading was easily absorbed and the graphics make it visual from cover to cover. It covers the meridians and theory in general. Then gives you exercises to help you develop your Chi. Then how to include Chi Gung exercises into your daily actions. It even discusses some things that can be made possible at even higher levels. This book had truly wonderful insight how Chi Gung can help you change your awareness and refurbish your child-like wonder and positive reception for the world just about. All and All a wonderful book!

Being a reader of many Chi Gung books, I've noted that some tend to focus on techniques and systems, going into elaborate details on forms, postures, diagrams and the like. Others tend to discuss principles and concepts and then demonstrate how various Chi Gung practices incorporate them. Ms Carnie's book definately falls into the latter category and takes it to level I've not seen before. It seems like her fundamental precept is this...if Chi is indeed a universal force then it is available to be experienced, sensed and applied everywhere not just in a martial arts studio while doing this form or that exercise. Ms Carnie helps to bring an "everyday" aspect to the study of Chi. She begins by laying the foundation and then goes on to an extremely diverse variety of training exercises intended to enhance your experiences with Chi. The last portion of the book does discuss some extraordinary abilities that have been traditionally associated with Taoist Wizardry, yet I found that the way she handles those topics to be a reasonable extension of the principles of Chi awareness she discusses earlier. Some may prefer a detailed focus on technique while others may prefer the more relaxed and open style of Ms Carnie. Each reader will have to decide if this approach is effective for them, but I've found this book to be an honest and sincere work dedicated to increasing one's awareness of Chi.

This book is much deeper than any other self-help type book that I have ever read. The material is fresh and the perspective is totally unique. It is a right-brained styled, easy to read and understand book. The secret to the book seems to be that the exercises only appear to be simple. In actuality, they are able to improve the skill of not only the beginner but also the advanced student and even the master. In fact, the secret behind this book seems to be its very simplicity because the book shows how mastering the basics is really the key to success in any field from business to professional sports.

This is truly a wonderful book. Lily is a knowledgeable and understanding teacher who knows how to present and teach advanced topics using simple exercises and concepts. All that the reader needs is an open mind and patience.

Many of the advanced techniques might be unfamiliar to the average reader but Lily's stories and examples are detailed and if the reader is open-minded, it is easy to sense the genuiness and authenticity of what she says.

The 100 or so exercises consist of apparantly simple activities such as breathing and meditation but as any skilled practitioner in any field knows, it is the repeated practice of the basics which leads to mastery.

One of the unique elements of this book is that Lily reveals the skills of a full Chi Gung program ranging from the beginner to the master. She openly stresses the basics and only apparantly alludes to some of the most advanced skills, but in actuality, she carefully weaves a pattern of writing that teaches the reader the proper skill development at the proper time for their personal situation. In other words, if someone is not ready to learn a skill, the section may confuse them but when they are ready, they will see the lessons jump off the page even though on first reading they may have seemed hidden to the closed minded. If the reader reads carefully and takes the book as a whole, the lessons for any level of attainment are indeed revealed.

This book contains wonderful philosophical insights that can really help anybody if one is willing to open their mind. Concepts such as visualization, softness, and adaptability are shown to really work.

The book even gets into some really advanced subjects like communicating with animals, healing others, and picking up someone's thoughts. The neat thing is that Lily shows how we all do that to some degree but she shows actual concrete exercises anybody can do to increase their skill to their belief level. In other words, Lily shows that the only limitations are actually yourself.

Whether a person is a beginner or a master with decades of experience, anybody can find life changing lessons in this book. In fact, on the back cover two world renowned masters of chi kung, Wong Kiew Kit and James MacRitchie, talk about how they feel the book can help anybody at any level of experience.

I have looked at hundreds and hunderds of Qigong books and out of all of those, this book is the perfect chi kung book for anybody to have in their personal library because it shows things that no other chi kung book in print reveals. It shows the Westerner how to adapt the principles and lessons of Chi Gung to their lives.

I have practiced chi kung for over 20 years and I highly recommend this book to everybody. The information in the book changed my life. It helped me to realize that it's not just the words in a book that are important but also the shape and size of the book, the color of it, and even more importantly the hidden information that is between the lines. This book itself, regardless of the words it contains is a literal example of Chi Gung. Just holding this book fills me with energy.

I have been amazed at the discordance of the reviews posted here. I've noticed that those who like Lily of the Valley Carnie's book write reviews in which they talk about the applications of the book's ideas, exercises or activities in their lives and the positive effect it's had. They enjoy its genuine and flexible approach to Chi Gung.

Those who write disapproving reviews also follow a basic pattern. They note that Ms Carnie's presentation of Chi Gung isn't like the way they've experienced Chi Gung from books by other authors and they don't seem to understand the depth of her presentation of the material.

I really enjoy Lily of the Valley's book because in it she captures the most important lesson of any Martial Art or Chi Gung practice, namely that the point of training is to move beyond the practice and be able apply it to all parts of your life. The way Ms Carnie invites and guides you to explore Chi Gung in a hundred different applications is the goal of anyone who seeks to be a Master. A simple approach that can lead to great understanding.

So I find it interesting that the open, flexible and eclectic approach that bothers some reviewers is actually its greatest strength and I highly encourage you to read her book and experience it for yourself.

This book is helpful guide to becoming aware of energy in your body and in the world.

I am not really a fan of most martial arts books. This one surpasses the rest by having clear directions, helpful illustrations and pictures (especially of the meridians), and a new perspective on the subject. She is not bound by restrictive ideas, of there being only one right way to do anything. She encourages readers to explore and experience for themselves the energy and how it feels. This is the best way to come to an understanding of how to move energy around the body. It's all just talk until you can feel it for yourself.

By recognizing the greater applications of energy, you can see why this book is so different from other martial arts books. Chi is not limited to uses in physical combat. It's not limited only to those who follow Eastern religious practices. The energy between you and nature is so evident once you take time to slow down and notice! It revolutionizes your view of everything around you.

Ms. Carnie shows you how to find ways to use your energy to improve yourself. You are encouraged to go beyond her exercises to apply Chi Gung to whatever activity you are engaged in, making this book about you, your art, and your way of doing things.

I wish scientists read this book too, and do a research.

In one of the chapter in Part III (Advanded Chi Gung), Carnie explained how those magic work (Telekinetic, Predicting the Future, Reading People's Mind, etc). In fact, the explanation showed that those things are logic, not magic.
In short, all are about our senses' sensitivity (Sensory training is also provided in part II).

What needs to be found in the research is: How to define/measure the human senses' sensitivity in "units".

In today's world, for example, we could define our punch (force) in Newton, sounds in Decibel, speed in Km/Hour, etc.
If we could define our senses' sensivity in units, then we could tell what could be achieved at what units level, the chi gung practitioners could measure the progress of their senses' sensitivity, etc.

My circumstances do not allowed me to do this research.
I really wish somebody could do it, find the unit measurement for the senses' sensitivity, and use the research's result for good/positive things.

This book is highly recommended for all Chi Gung practioners as a reference. It tells us what Chi gung could do, and what need to be done in order to achieve that level (Physical training, Mental training, Emotional training, etc).

The brillance of L.V. Carnie is displayed as well as her knowledge of Chi Gung in the most resourceful book on the subject ever circulated through the printing press. Carnie's book, Chi Gung: Chinese Healing, Energy, and Natural Magick, is beneficial to all audiences regardless of age, gender, or occupation. The beauty of Carnie's work is that everyone from the business man, athlete, actor, or housewife can find value in it, apply the techniques, and see positive results unfold before their eyes.

In the fast paced hussle and bussle of modern society, stress builds and energy depletes. In Carnie's masterpiece, she teaches how to relax, to slow the merry-go-round of life, and revitalize your energy regardless of where you happen to be: school, work, home, or any where for that matter. This is only a fraction of the positive energy that can be obtained with the information from Carnie's book. There are virtually unlimited applications that you can find for yourself after reading her book. Unlike most books on the subject, her work reveals the theory and principles behind Chi Gung instead of simply demonstrating a few exercises. In this way, the reader can expand the concepts and fully embrace them no matter who they are or what they do in life. The book is very well catorgorized to cater to individual needs and is very simple to follow, making it easy to apply in daily living. This is a must read for those individuals interested in health, longevity, and prosperity.

From a personal stand point, being a highly trained athlete and an Olympic hopeful in the sport of Judo, after reading Carnie's book I am learning to generate and absorb more energy from my surroundings, relax, and develope a more positive attitude due to the results and accomplishments I am witnessing in my own life. By learning to generate and absorb energy, my training sessions have become more intense and longer lasting. L.V. (Lily of the Valley) Carnie's book is a major asset for all athletes and any open minded willing individual.

All professional athletes in any sport could truly benefit from this incredible book. This book could indeed revolutionize modern amateur and professional sports as we know them.

(Nathan D. Pietsch-USA Olympic Judo hopeful)

As a holistic M.D., I have found this book to be a valuable guide to experiencing energy. Its very effective in teaching practices to cultivate the energy of the life force that is in us and surrounds us, everywhere. By emphasizing chi gung with a connection to nature this book forms a wonderful guide for self-discovery of energy and living in a manner that is more awake and alive. I found this book to be clear, direct, and free of the near-religious type of dogma that is found in some chi gung circles. There are also many suggestions for practices and exercises to help develop awareness and sensitivity in our daily lives. The author is not a newcomer to energy work, having been taught chi gung in her childhood and practicing it for over 30 years. It is a book that I often recommend to patients.