 Over the past few years the market has been flooded by a seemingly endless stream of information on energy medicine and chi cultivation. The sources are numerous, secular and non-secular, believable and unbelievable. Many of these offerings do little to serve practitioners of the "energy arts" and far too many manage to do real disservice to both practitioner and an inexperienced, unsuspecting public.
I once swore to shoot myself if I ever again saw an advertisement promising benefits "based on the ancient principles of _____________ fill in the blank with: acupuncture, chi kung, or Chinese Medicine." After suffering multiple gunshot wounds, I gave up. Most of these offerings provide details and insights every bit as empty as their promises. So, what makes Waysun Liao's newest offering different? Well, a number of things. First, he's been at his job along time. Liao stands on a strong foundation and thoroughly knows his subject. I've never met him, but he seemingly walks the walk and is never glib when he talks the talk. Liao talks openly, promising no miracles and promoting no shortcuts. His message is straight forward and he provides detailed explanations and good, common sense examples to support his insights and opinions. If you are familiar with his earlier Nine Nights with the Taoist Master, this book is far less esoteric in nature. A quick aside — Nine Nights is a great read. While I'm sure many seasoned practitioners will find Chi: How to Feel Your Life Energy rather rudimentary, it contains some valuable nuggets. And these gems are surrounded by the ultimate treasure, a well-placed reminder to keep it simple. Far too often skilled chi enthusiasts make things harder and much more complex than need be. This book serves as a call to keep one's cup less than full and to always be a beginner. Liao begins with a detailed explanation of chi, its nature, its role in our lives, our connection to the universe, and what happens when that connection is ignored or weakened. Liao also offers simple examples of how that connection is often corrupted. He begins at the universal beginning using the example of a newborn and its subsequent development to illustrate the one-chi concept, its initial manifestations, and the effortless wu wei cultivation of someone without expectation or agenda. Within that same context Liao goes on to detail the gradual decline of chi as the mind develops, colors our vision, and too quickly dominates our daily existence. From internal influences Liao moves on to the many external drains of the life-force, explaining how to recognize and limit or avoid their effect. Again, he does so in simple terms, easily understood by just about anyone. Every bit as important, Chi: How to Feel Your Life Energy also contains solid information, again in easy to understand language, on the benefits of rebuilding our chi and our connection to the ultimate source. After all, if there is no understanding of the need, who's going to bother? While this may seem obvious to those with some experience, it will serve novices and those of us in need of an occasional reminder. There is also detailed information on the maintenance and strengthening of the life force. This segment begins with a simple breath practice, expanding and building on it, moving on to meditative movement. Despite their simplicity, Liao has taken the extra step of having all of these exercises fully illustrated. This makes practice about as easy as it can be — keeping in mind that not everyone has access to good in person instruction. If you are a long time practitioner of chi kung or related energy arts, how much this book will benefit you is up to you and you only. It will surely depend on how full you keep your cup. On the other hand, if you are an acupuncturist or a health care practitioner looking for a good book to share with clients and patients, something easy and accurate, this book is a good starting point. |
