A Balanced Weekend

The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing by Kenneth S. Cohen is a great accompaniment to my current Qigong class. Qi (氣) means "life energy," and the text provides a fascinating introduction to Chinese models of energy. Though many of the exercises are estimated to be between two and three thousand years old, qigong was prohibited during the Chinese Cultural Revolution from 1966-1976, with a revived interest including a number of clinical studies since that time. As well as providing practice background, the book is a gentle introduction to breath awareness and a number of qigong meditative positions.

One Thing Led to Another

I thought I might delay the reading of my next book after finishing Shantaram. Wednesday night, however found me with The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing having decided the best way to get over the book (like some relationships) was to move to a new one. My interest with Tai Chi began in Shanghai a few years ago when I found the motivation to attend a few 6:00 a.m. classes in the park with my fellow travelers. From there I was hooked and have been interested to find a local class. My local search for Tai Chi has led me to Qigong. When I received a background sheet that included the sections "Purpose" and "Assumptions," my engineering mind was hooked and I wanted to learn more. My assumption is that you will want to know too, so look a review in the coming weeks.