Cultivating Qi: An Introduction to Chinese Body-Mind Energetics

While Chinese acupuncture and herbalism enjoy widespread popularity in the West, traditional Chinese exercise techniques—with the exception of qi gong—have rarely been taught outside China. This book is designed to change that. Written by Jun Wang, a doctor of Chinese medicine, Cultivating Qi draws on classic Chinese texts to introduce these body-mind healing exercises to Western readers.

In simple, accessible language, Wang presents three specific qi exercises: the Yijin Jing, a popular form of calisthenics associated with both Chinese Buddhist and Daoist traditions; Taiji Neigong, a series of 34 movements adapted from the Wu-Hao style of Taiji Quan; and the “Six Healing Breaths,” which combines spoken sounds with movements associated with the six major vital organs of Chinese medicine.

Written for beginning students of Chinese medicine as well as laypersons, healthcare practitioners, and martial artists, Cultivating Qi includes clear explanations of Chinese medical terminology—and provides the original Chinese characters for more advanced students—as well as step-by-step instruction in the three exercises. Accompanied by 100 photographs, these exercises are suitable for all ages and activity levels, and most of them
take no more than 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

Jun Wang, CMD, is an assistant professor at the Institute for Holistic Health Studies at San Francisco State University. Born in Beijing, China, she obtained a PhD in medical anthropology from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill in 2003. The author of several articles on Asian traditional medicine in American and British peer-reviewed journals, she lives in San Francisco.