Beginning Qigong

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.

For thousands of years the Chinese have had a secret. A secret that has allowed them to treat illness in its earliest stages, a secret that allows athletes to perform amazing, seemingly superhuman, feats of strength and agility, a secret that promises a long and healthy life to those who understand and apply it. That secret is Qigong. In this book you will learn: Introductory meditation techniques Exercises to develop your breath capacity Principles of posture for qigong Exercises to become aware of your own energy Qigong concepts from Chinese medicine The location of the twelve major meridians Exercises for each of the twelve major meridians These exercises provide an excellent starting point for beginning qigong practice, and provide a firm foundation for further study.

Discover Qigong and its health benefits! Are you living with optimal health and wellbeing? Do you want to increase your energy and feel rejuvenated? Have you heard of the many benefits of Qigong but don't know where to begin? If you said yes to any of these questions, then this book is for you! With our stressful pace of life and the plethora of illnesses, it's no wonder more people are suffering from chronic and acute illnesses that could otherwise be prevented. Lack of energy and vitality due to stress keeps many of us from living a full and satisfying life. In this book, you'll learn all the important things you need to practice Qigong and enjoy its benefits. In this book, you will: Learn why you should practice Qigong every day. Discover the three important components of Qigong. Uncover the three key areas of the body that need to be intentionally corrected. Learn the 12 important Qigong exercises. Find an entire chapter on the Qigong diet. See examples of general and benefit-specific Qigong daily routines. And so much more! By the time you finish reading Qigong: An Essential Beginner's Guide to Developing Your Chi and Cultivating Healing Energy, you can hit the ground running and start a daily Qigong routine for optimal health and well-being. Click on the "add to cart" button to grab a copy of this book and start cultivating healing energy!

This unique new and enlightening text on the ancient Chinese Art of Qigong (Ch'i Kung) has been brought up to date with the world's first description of what Qi (Ch'i or Bioenergy) is and does. The resource is illustrated throughout with detailed exercises, descriptions, and safety advice.

The leading clinical reference and text on stress management has now been significantly revised with 60% new material reflecting key developments in the field. Foremost experts review the "whats," "whys," and "how-tos" of progressive relaxation, biofeedback, meditation, hypnosis, cognitive methods, and other therapies. Chapters describe each method's theoretical foundations, evidence base, procedures, applications, and contraindications. Assessment and implementation are illustrated with extensive case examples. The volume examines the effects of stress on both mind and body, from basic science to practical implications for everyday life and health care. New to This Edition *Greatly expanded evidence base--every method is now supported by controlled clinical research. *Advances in knowledge about stress and the brain are integrated throughout. *Chapter on children and adolescents. *Chapter on selecting the best methods for individual patients. *Chapter on hyperventilation and carbon dioxide biofeedback. *Chapter on neuroinflammation.

Early-stage Qigong practitioners often find it difficult to establish a daily Qigong practice. This useful handbook teaches simple Qigong exercises that can be easily practised in the home every day. The book provides guidance for a series of warm-ups and exercises which are easy to learn, very effective and all based on ancient and traditional practice. These include refreshing Early Morning Meditations; the classic Eight-Sectioned Brocade; the dynamic Three Circles Posture; the Ten Aggrievement Exercises, which are great for combating bad moods; and the Three Lowerings, an exercise for sound sleep; as well as Rubbing Exercises, self-massage for combating stiffness, aches and pains. The author offers advice throughout on important points to remember when practising Qigong at home and how to deal with any problems that arise in a straightforward and relaxed manner. Suitable for young and old, this introduction to classic Qigong for daily practice translates the traditional Chinese teaching expressions into English that reflects the multi-layered meaning of the original; intuitively grasped, meaning deepens on reflection. The meditations and exercises will be particularly healing for those recovering from illness.

Structured for optimal use as a clinical reference and text, this comprehensive work reviews effective stress management techniques and their applications for treating psychological problems and enhancing physical health and performance. Leading experts present in-depth descriptions of progressive relaxation, hypnosis, biofeedback, meditation, cognitive methods, and other therapies. Tightly edited chapters examine each method's theoretical and empirical underpinnings and provide step-by-step guidelines for assessment and implementation, illustrated with detailed case examples. The volume also explains basic mechanisms of stress and relaxation and offers research-based guidance for improving treatment outcomes.

The widespread use of nonconventional treatments, or complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and the increasing evidence supporting their therapeutic benefits call for a concerted scientific effort to integrate treatments that work into mainstream medicines. Answering that call is the groundbreaking Complementary and Alternative Treatments in Mental Health Care, a concise, practical reference that reviews the many CAM approaches used in North America and Europe to treat -- or self-treat -- mental health problems, and the history and rationale for a variety of CAM treatments, including the risks and benefits of their integration into mainstream mental health care. Two dozen contributors with both conventional and nonconventional expertise present current information about safe, effective mental health treatments -- including herbals and other natural products, stress management, homeopathy, Ayurveda, and traditional Chinese medicine -- that have not yet been fully examined or endorsed by the institutions of conventional biomedicine. This book: Covers background issues, including conceptual and historical foundations, emerging ideas and trends, safety issues, potential drug interactions and adverse effects, and medical-legal issues pertaining to use of nonconventional treatments in mental health care. Reviews the evidence and offers practical clinical guidelines for the most widely used nonconventional treatments. Twelve chapters cover specific nonconventional modalities or alternative professional systems of medicine currently used to treat mental illness, addressing historical uses of the specified modality, significant recent research findings, unresolved safety issues, and evidence supporting use of the specified approach in common psychiatric disorders, from major depressive and bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and generalized anxiety disorder to obsessive-compulsive disorder, dementia, and sleep and substance abuse disorders. Practical clinical applications of complementary and alternative approaches are discussed throughout the book. Closes with three appendixes and a subject and author index. Appendix A ranks evidence for the various treatment modalities by major psychiatric disorder and is cross-referenced with the material in Part II. Appendix B lists important Web sites, textbooks, professional associations, and other resources. Appendix C contains a glossary of key terms used in complementary and alternative medicine. Written for both conventionally and nonconventionally trained mental health care professionals, Complementary and Alternative Treatments in Mental Health Care provides both an ideal reference for clinicians whose patients inquire about the uses of many CAM therapies and a critical, balanced review of the nonconventional modalities most widely used in Western countries to treat mental or emotional problems.