6 Healing Movements: Qigong for Health, Strength & Longevity [Paperback]

Gin Foon Mark (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2001

A Qigong Book for Everyone! The perfect introduction to America's fastest growing self-healing exercise. For men and women, young and old, in-shape and out! Everywhere you look people taking care of themselves. But some are looking beyond the usual fitness regime. They want to take care of more than just their bodies they want total well-being. Many are looking to the Eastern disciplines: Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong. Qigong is an ancient and clinically proven mind/body fitness system for preventing and curing all manners of illnesses as well as enhancing mind and spirit. But it does not have to be a mysterious and complicated program. It can be as easy as breathing and moving ...and fun! Find out with Six Healing Movements. Providing a brief introduction to the history and meaning of Qigong, Six Healing Movement presents the exercises and sounds to make in easily understood segments, giving English phonetic pronunciation for each sound, and clear sets of sequenced photos to follow. No matter your age, gender, or physical condition, you can practice this easy-to-learn and fun-to-do holistic program. With regular practice, you'll feel positive results in as little as two weeks! Overall the book is easy to learn and easy to practice. You can reap immense health benefits, relaxation and peace of mind. It is for all ages and levels of fitness for both men and women. There are step-by-step photos and easy-to-follow instructions. The book is an ideal guide for beginners and intermediate practitioners.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gin Foon Mark was born in 1927 in Toison, China, a small village near Canton (Guandong). At the age of five he began his studies in the art of Gongfu, under the supervision of his uncle Kong Boon Fu, a 4th generation master of White Crane Gongfu. His grandfather, who was also a master, tutored him in their family style known as Mok Gar (Mark Style) Gongfu.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Ymaa Publication Center (September 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886969906
• ISBN-13: 978-1886969902
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,298,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Introduction for qigong beginners using a medical style, May 13, 2006

By 

Adrian S. (Redmond, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 6 Healing Movements: Qigong for Health, Strength & Longevity (Paperback)

This work introduces a qigong medical style created around five decades ago (by one of author`s teachers), aimed towards beginners. This seems to have been created specifically for targeting specific health problems, and actually the exercises are targeted to specific organs (5 of them; actually 10 - in the Chinese medicine internal organs are paired, e.g. lungs and large intestine); there is also another one for an pseudo organs translated as "Triple Burner", Triple Heater" ot "Triple Warmer", which Chinese doctors consider to be important in balancing energies of the body and preventing illnesses. I've learned from Dr. Jwing-Ming Yang's "Eight pieces of brocade" DVD - targeted for beginners too - that usually in qigong one exhales when moving the arms towards the body, but for medical styles this is usually opposite. Well, the style described in this book fits that description.
The book begins by talking about what is qigong, its history in China, and reasons to practice it. One somewhat unique feature of the style presented here is that various but specific sounds are used during exhalation - each sound being "connected" to a pair of internal organs. Since ancient times, there are six healing sounds in the Taoist tradition (for the five organ pairs and one for the Triple Burner) - and this modern style created specific exercises to enhance the power of the sounds. According to the author, this qigong style speeds up the heat exchange from the different organs, moving the heat through the digestive system and then allowing it to escape from the mouth as a sound.
The author then touches about the importance of relaxing ("regulating") the mind, body and breath for an efficient practice, and presents the basic postures of Qigong. He then talks about breathing, which is something absolutely essential to our well being. In this style, during breathing you also use tongue and PC muscles (those that can stop urine stream). There is a chapter on minor but yet important issues, such as preparation, where to practice, when and when not to practice (this includes specific advice for women; there are very few qigong books introducing different advices for men and women - traditionally, it was a men's practice, but since last century women have started training and some female specific effects are yet to be found). Master Mark advices how much to practice as a beginner, and about normal effects of qigong (indicating progress) and abnormal (showing the technique is incorrect).
The main chapter describes the 6 exercises (5 organ pairs plus the Triple Heater), plus an exercise to be done and the beginning of the set, at the end, and between the organ exercises. Although there are some places where more explanations are to be desired, generally the text is very clear, and there are lots of pictures, showing the flow. Again, difference between men and women is emphasized for some aspects of the execution. For each exercise, in addition to movements and sounds, there is a table presenting the association of the organ in Chinese tradition (e.g heart: small intestine/South/fire/red/bitter etc. - see the book), and it ends with a description (and picture) of the acupuncture meridian of that organ, also telling at what time of that is that organ most active. The five organ pairs are: heart/small intestine, liver/gall bladder, lungs/large intestine, kidneys/bladder, spleen/stomach.
The book also presents additional exercises - some of them available in other books - but here the exhale is also using the sounds.
Finally, the last chapter talks about how energy (Qi) travels in the body, about the two most important channels (vessels) - which are the base of acupuncture - and how through persistent practice one can open them. As a conclusion, Master Mark tells us that Qigong can heal ailments, and this style is particularly suited for that purpose.
All in all, this is a good book - it's practical and has a lot of pictures - but doesn't go too deep in explaining the theory behind, which is probably a good thing for beginners.