Customer Reviews

Liangong: Healing Exercises for Better Health

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This is a very easy book to follow. Gives history of Liangong, some basic acupoint, meridian, and chi information, and an easy to follow discription of the 36 exercises which make up Liangong. Liangong is similar to chi kung, and is based on many old chi kung exercises. It is primarily used for healing and health maintnance and each exercise is designed to work a particular region or problem. Can be practiced anytime and used as a warm up for other activities, such as tai chi and other martial arts. Videos are available for further study.

This set of stretching postures and movements was specifically designed to improve balance and maintain muscle and joint health. Not just that, but it was adjusted and tested for years before release by the Chinese leadership to deliver the most time efficient possible routine.

In other words, what really distinguishes this set, is that it is extremely efficient, delivering the most "results per unit of effort" scientifically possible, based on then current knowledge in China.

Therefore, this is a great everyday routine. It takes only a few minutes (9 to 10 minutes) and delivers a satisfying overall feeling of well being. Not only that, but you can expect a definite, noticeable, improvement if you are currently experiencing some form of joint or muscle dysfunction. For example, muscle aches diminish or dissipate, joints limber up and stop aching, balance improves. Try it for yourself, the initial results are surprisingly fast, (just a few days), and overall quite remarkable.

Longer term practice significantly reduces, and in some cases eliminates, a variety of the "achy" discomforts usually associated with aging, martial arts practice, or strenuous sports, leaving you more limber and with better balance.

This is why many Kung Fu classes use this routine as a warm up. That is how I learned it.

When this was first developed, most of the Chinese people were not able to access medicine in the Western style. This set of exercises was commissioned by the Peoples Republic of China leadership in the late 1970's to enhance and protect the physical well being of it's populace. There is a good forward in this book describing how Lian Gong was initially visualized and then developed. It uses both historical temple-developed martial arts concepts (from Kung Fu, etc.), and modern scientific anatomical and physiological ideas.

Be aware that the full Lian Gong system is made up of three sets. This is set #1 only.

Set #1 is the primary, base, set. The other two sets are also useful, but not strictly necessary.

My tai chi teacher recommended this book and it's great for de-stressing. I use the "exercises" in it to warm up before I golf. If done first thing in the morning, it sets the tone for a great day.

This book has all of the excercises and shows them in an easy to follow format. I showed my Tai Chi instructor and he thought it would be beneficialto have the book. What I did not realize though, is that we do Liangong as three different sets and this book does not separate the excercises that way.