Beginning Qigong

Book excerpt: Learn traditional Chinese Qigong with this illustrated guide. The urgent pace of modern life has led to a quest for ways to relieve stress. One of the best methods for doing so is Qigong—an ancient Chinese system of breathing techniques and exercises that strengthen the mind, body, and spirit as they balance and augment Qi, or “life force.” This thorough volume presents many different forms of Qigong in detail and through fully illustrated exercises. Included are an explanation of the principles of Qigong, warming–up exercises, breathing exercises, and a guide to massaging the inner organs. The authors have also provided a table that describes the various exercises, listing their physical benefits and classifying them according to level of difficulty, so that readers can practice their own routines.