The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing - Hardcover

Kenneth S. Cohen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0345395298 ISBN 13: 9780345395290

Publisher: Ballantine Books, 1997

Synopsis

Qigong, which literally means "working with the energy of life," is an integrated mind-body healing method that has been practiced with remarkable results in China for thousands of years. The Chinese have long treasured qigong for its effectiveness both in healing and in preventing disease, and more recently they have used it in conjunction with modern medicine to cure cancer, immune system disorders, and other life-threatening conditions. Now in this fascinating, comprehensive volume, renowned qigong master and China scholar Kennneth S, Cohen brings the ancient healing power of qigong to Western readers.
The essence of qigong can be understood by comparing the body to a battery: stress and bad health habits act to dissipate the battery's charge, its "qi," while self-care and self-awareness help to maintain and improve qi. Qigong is a gentle yet rigorous program for working with our life energy through breathing and relaxation exercises, massage, visualization, meditation, and other natural methods. Using qigong, each one of us can learn to improve health and enhance vitality by cleansing, gathering, releasing, and circulating qi so that it reaches all the body's cells. It's rather like acupuncture without needles--it's pleasurable to do, it costs nothing, and it's wonderfully life-enhancing.
This accessible, beautifully written book provides a step-by-step program detailing how we can all integrate qigong into our busy lives. Ken Cohen explores every aspect of this Chinese healing art and science. The benefits of qigong are obvious in those who practice it correctly--these exuberant individuals sleep more soundly, their skin glows with vitality, they feel increased strength and heightened sexuality, and their minds and bodies achieve the harmony of true health. These benefits have been analyzed and calibrated by contemporary medical researchers who confirm resoundingly that qigong really does work. As a result, leading medical schools around the country are now incorporating qigong into "complementary medicine" programs that combine the wisdom of alternative medical modalities with the technological expertise of modern medicine. Now with The Way of Qigong, the power and clarity of qigong is finally available to all of us. This is truly a volume that will enlighten, instruct, enliven, and delight

all who use it.

About this title

Review:

Qigong (ch'i kung) is the modern incarnation of a Chinese energy art that goes back over 2,000 years. With superior scholarship and scientific acumen, The Way of Qigong covers the entire range of theory and practice, including relaxation, meditation, massage, therapeutic touch, and postures. Qi (ch'i) means "life energy," and the goal of qigong, master and Chinese scholar Ken Cohen tells us, is "to train the mind to send qi where it is needed." In this encyclopedic work, Cohen teaches us not only how to do qigong, but what it means and how it benefits us, from what kind of tea is best in the summer to how to have better sex. Cohen is at his best when reducing arcane Chinese theories to plain English, and as a result, The Way of Qigong is as interesting as it is useful. --Brian Bruya

From the Back Cover:

Qigong is an integrated mind-body healing method that has been practiced with remarkable results in China for thousands of years. The Chinese have long treasured qigong for its effectiveness both in healing and in preventing disease, and more recently they have used it in conjunction with modern medicine to cure cancer, immune system disorders, and other life-threatening conditions. Now in this fascinating, comprehensive volume, renowned qigong master and China scholar Kenneth S. Cohen explains how you too can integrate qigong into your life -- and harness the healing power that will help your mind and body achieve the harmony of true health.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0345395298
• ISBN 13: 9780345395290
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 427