Living Qigong is one of the first truly accessible books on this important healing tradition. The book presents a narrative description of the author's own studentship under a Chinese Qigong master. Then, drawing on Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and Eastern philosophy, the author shows how the fundamental principles of health and healing in Qigong are also found in the traditional medical practices of other cultures. He also offers easy-to-follow descriptions of the eight essential Qigong movements, accompanied by numerous photographs, so that readers can begin to practice Qigong for themselves.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
While Living Qigong gives beginners a few basic steps to start with, it is not a how-to manual so much as a guide to the inner workings of Qigong. John Alton's book is much like a travel diary from someone's visit to a foreign country. He describes this ancient art form with compelling detail, but you will never get the full effect unless you experience it yourself. When it comes to actually working with Qi, Alton encourages you to find a teacher. Why so much emphasis on first-hand experience? Throughout Living Qigong, Alton makes wonderful comparisons between Qigong and swimming: anyone can get in the water and splash around, and some people even learn to swim, but there are multiple strokes one can learn, and even then there is a whole other world beneath the surface of the water. The realm beneath the surface of Qigong is where Alton encourages you to explore on your own, and Living Qigong will point out some of the interesting stops along the way. --Brian Patterson
Review
John Alton spent two years in Beijing studying qigong (chi kung) after many years of martial arts practice in this country, and he was an apt student, becoming fluent in both Chinese and energy healing. Alton now presents what he learned in an outstanding book that demonstrates a deep understanding of the art and conveys, in moving, funny, and astonishing anecdotes, the mind-bending experience of being a foreigner in China. His vivid storytelling carries us along on his journey from naïve American to seasoned practitioner, sharing with refreshing honesty the steps along the way. – Holly Hammond, Yoga Journal , September/October 1997, p 124
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best treatment of subject yet,
By A Customer
This review is from: Living Qigong: The Chinese Way to Good Health and Long Life (Paperback)
I am typically leery of books on the subject, but this is one book I highly recommend. Alton's treatment is comprehensive and surprisingly frank and impartial. Rather than deride Western science and praise the virtues of Chinese medicine, he takes an honest, open-minded view of both and applies cold logic to arrive at conclusions. In other words, he does not insult the reader's intelligence. The stress of the book is more on the exposition of the theory, rather than a how-to manual. Persons interested in taichi and qigong will find this book very informative, while practitioners will find it inspiring and enriching.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good and simple, one view on Qigong...,
By
This review is from: Living Qigong: The Chinese Way to Good Health and Long Life (Paperback)
Unlike other books on Qigong, this one does not strive to provide scientific validation for Qigong, nor is it filled with scholarly references and parallelisms with other systems of excercise a/o health and healing. Neither is it a vast array of different Qigong practices presented as a catalog for the reader to pick and choose from.Rather, this book chronicles Alton's experinces during the two-year period he spent in China learning Qigong from his teacher. Loosely chronological, Alton's story is freely interspersed with theoretical information on both Qigong and Chinese Medicine, presented the way a good teacher would present it to the student as he/she progresses in his/her learning. There are a couple of details which I've never heard any of my teachers mention, yet they make sense, both in theory and in practice. His Qigong set is presented at the end of the book, and although the author repeatedly emphasizes the need to learn from a good teacher, the set is simple enough to try it out yourself. It is one of the best Qigong routines I've ever practiced! There are no extensive discussions on the hows and whys, yet all the main tenets and principles of Qigong practice are presented in this book, in a comprehensive, down-to-earth manner. This book, simple, slim, and full of wisdom, is also one of the deepest and most heartfelt discussions I've read on Qigong.
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