Customer Reviews

Qi Dao - Tibetan Shamanic Qigong: The Art of Being in the Flow

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Art of Being in the Flow tries to pass itself off as something secretive and different or better yet Chi Gong. I bought this book and the Dvd with the understanding you would learn a somewhat formless form. Deep spiritual and Physical healings. In other words you would create your own way of moving in the flow by learning these moves.
After completing the book and Dvd I found this to be very misleading. The content is good enough, you can learn about proper alignment. You can learn some descent strikes. But there is nothing new here whatsoever. And it certainly doesn't teach you how to create your own flow. It's okay but not nearly worth the praises it has received. You want proper alignment or flow then read some works by Tai Chi masters Ben Lo , William CC Chen (and his daughter Tiffany) or Cheng Man Ching.

Having read through the qigong literature for some years now, I find nothing particularly "groundbreaking" in this writing. The erudition of the writing is light; without a single citation for the sources the author quotes. Go to any park in Beijing and you'll see people doing warm-up exercises for their taijiquan or gongfu practice. These have been re-packaged as "harmonious culture of movement" or "earth kicks" and the "holding patterns" are reminiscent of Lowen's Bioenergetics. Nevertheless, the explanation of the mechanics of the movements or psychological source of the holding patterns are well done and offer some useful tidbits of insight. The written explanations of the "six directional movements" and martial applications are difficult to understand, perhaps needing the DVD to better complete the explanation.

Lama Tantrapa's "The Art of Being in the Flow," as expressed by his Qi Dao from Tibetan Qigong, and which he refers to as the "Harmonious Culture Movement," the student is awakened to the Body-Mind-Spirit connection and how they behave as unified force within the energy flow of movement.
The flow of the movements are executed to defend the integrity of one's space from violation.
The self realization manifested by the flowing positions reach a spiritual plane parallel to meditation, and in the case of Qi Dao, a wonderful & simultaneous physical payoff; but is more than an endorphin elevation: One is fully in a graceful presence
Lama Tantrapa's book is a well-spring of discovery and potential of "Being." Simple, yet elegant writing explores the deeper truths of our spiritual nature.
The DVD is an essential companion, as it concentrates on how to perform the movements necessary for success. In addition, the DVD has an entire part on body conditioning for maximum performance. You'll want to enlist a partner for the best results.
Arthur Mitchell

I thoroughly recommend Lama Tantrapa's book, Qi Dao - Tibetan Shamanic Qigong. It is well written, systematically laid out and enables anyone from absolute beginner to expert to follow the principles of Lama's Qi Dao. One way to explain the meaning of Qi Dao can be The Way of the Uniting with the Universe's Energy.

The benefits of achieving this union are innumerable. Most of us are already much too familiar with the problems associated with remaining cut off from ourselves and the Dao. The path to Enlightenment is not really complicated. It really can't be. Nature is simple. It always does what it needs to do without any thought process. It naturally flows just as it should. In fact, it is the complications we make in our lives that separate us from Qi Dao. The flow of our lives should be as easy as the flow of Nature. We need to wake up!

In my humble opinion, no one system which is capable of being explained to us mortals will have all of the answers. However, some systems will harmonize or resonate with you more than others. Qi Dao follows the Principles which will resonate with many who are looking for a Way to BE more natural. It has something for everyone; and, no one who reads this book will walk away without a new insight into themselves and the workings of the Dao! That alone makes it worth reading.

The uniqueness of Lama Tantrapa's book is in its emphasis on the foundational principles of Qigong rather than on the details of a particular form. This book is definitely not another exercise book. It is a deep exploration into the nature of "Being" as revealed through movement and energy awareness. This book will help you focus on the process rather than the end results and build the foundation for understanding the importance of movement in shaping the way you are.

This is a great book about how to be in the flow of life, so that we meet every situation, no matter what it is, with equanimity, intelligence, and authenticity. Lama Tantrapa has distilled his teachings into an easy-to-read format, and provides illustrations that clearly demonstrate the simple postures and movements that best help us to be more in the flow.

--Jim Dreaver, author End Your Story, Begin Your Life (www.endyourstory.com)

The practice of Qi Dao is not just another exercise program. It is a journey along the way of being free and natural. I knew from the first time I met Lama Tantrapa that what he had to offer was very different from anything I had ever experienced before. To my surprise, practicing Qi Dao has far exceeded my expectations. I now live my life with more joy, freedom, and excitement than I ever dreamed possible. If you take the time for yourself, as I did, and continue your exploration of Qi Dao, I'm certain it will transform your life and empower you to manifest your dreams.

~ Kali Samaya Tara, JD, Certified Coach
Center for Conscious Living
[...]

Great audio book that is also part of a life transforming home study course! The practice of Qi Dao is not just another exercise program. It is a journey along the way of being free and natural. I knew from the first time I met Lama Tantrapa that what he had to offer was very different from anything I had ever experienced before. To my surprise, practicing Qi Dao has far exceeded my expectations. I now live my life with more joy, freedom, and excitement than I ever dreamed possible. If you take the time for yourself, as I did, and continue your exploration of Qi Dao, I'm certain it will transform your life and empower you to manifest your dreams.

~ Kali Samaya Tara, JD, Certified Coach
Center for Conscious Living
[...]

The challenge of attempting to teach movement through the pages of a book is one that is familiar to anyone who has ever tried to learn from one! I have done both: trying to impart movement instruction across the printed page as well as trying to learn movement programs from a book.

Given that experience, I can in all honesty say that Lama Tantrapa has done an excellent job with his book, giving complete and comprehensive instruction using both step-motion photographs that show beginning-to-end motion and written step-by-step instruction, teaching the basics for the kinesthetic, energy awareness, and the foundation of the practice of Qi Dao. He also explains the "why" as well as the "how," knowing that spiritual wisdom, being "in the flow," empowers and strengthens the practitioner.

As both a student and teacher of other styles of qigong, I highly recommend both the practice of Qi Dao and Lama Tantrapa's book Qi Dao - Tibetan Shamanic Qigong. I own the Home Study Course which includes the book and work book, DVD, and two CDs which I have found to be of great value to me in my practice.

I don't have this book but have briefly skimmed over it in the online preview and spent perhaps an hour of research, and generally think it's something you should take with a huge grain of salt.

My first problem is that the author claims Tibetan origin for his martial arts system and yet says he learned this through his Russian grandfather. Tibet is far from Russia, and any cultural migration would have been likely 1000 years ago. At that point, it would not be any more Tibetan than English people be Germanic in origin. It seems like Tibetan Bon was utilized either out of blind assumption or for marketing purposes, to sound exotic. I'm sorry, but 27 generations within his family (since 1227 AD as the book cover suggests) is no longer Tibetan in origin.

I would strongly doubt the historical validity of any spiritual/martial system whose most recent teacher is not well known (ie his Russian grandfather) or not of the same national origin of the system in question.

My second gripe is that he utilizes the phrase "Qi Dao", which is clearly Chinese. He says it's used because it sounds nicer than "Trul Khor", but in terms of energy work, he could have used "Tsa Lung" like more common in Bon tradition. And yet if I were a Tibetan (and even though I'm not), I would find this highly offensive, to use Chinese language to describe anything Tibetan, given that the Chinese have invaded and committed genocide within Tibet. Associating anything Tibetan with anything Chinese is a serious no-no.

Also, "Lama" is a Buddhist, NOT Bon, title, for a monk or tantric practitioner. I don't believe this guy is Tibetan Buddhist, so how can he use the title "Lama"? I also question his name change (Somananda), whether it's genuine or out of marketing purposes.

Finally, why does he constantly reference "Dao"? Daoism has absolutely nothing nothing nothing to do with Bon shamanism OR Tibetan Buddhism. Daoism (or Taoism) was invented by Lao Tse in China, far from Tibet, and Tibetan Bon has no similarities. Besides, Bon is shamanic in origin and thus thousands of years old (some say 17,000), much older than Daoism.

It really seems like Bon and Tibet were plugged in for marketing fluff, to sound exotic and make it stand out rather than be ignored or compared.

I don't necessarily invalidate the genuineness of his system, just that with all the names flying everywhere, the constant! re-reference to Bon and Tibet and Dao, it sounds fake, or at least a mix of various systems. Mixing things up very easily could dilute the genuine teachings and benefit of the system, whatever the origin may be. Teachings could sound so watered down that nothing resonates and awakens truly within yourself other than some illusion based upon being gullible that can easily be shattered through debate. Assuming it's genuine and not a mish-mash he made up himself. I find it hard to believe that it was something solely a part of his family for 900 years and nobody else knew about it. The timeline almost makes it sound like it was a part of Bon religion that escape persecution from the Buddhists once Buddhism took over. How convenient.

If you want genuine Tibetan Bon energy/physical practices, look for any books by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. He actually is Tibetan.

If you're looking for something hatha-yoga like, check out Namkai Norbu's Yantra Yoga book.

Otherwise, stick to something Chinese or Japanese and stop looking for some utopia within Tibetan culture. I find it bothersome how easily they are abused in their name for the sake of someone else when they have been unfairly thrust into the modern world, where hundreds of thousands of them have suffered and been killed in the last 50 years, for the sake of 'progress' and 'modernism'.

Stick with a book written by a Tibetan or at least by someone publicly recognized as a student of someone Tibetan, at least sometime in the last 900 years, that is.