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Rating: 
Summary: Advanced Chi Training for Balancing Yin & Yang Energy
Review: AWAKEN HEALING LIGHT is written by Mantak Chia, founder and director of the Universal Tao Center. Chia has devoted his life to studying meditation, tai chi chuan, aikido, yoga, kundalini, and many forms of inner alchemy. Chia's books are intended to be supplemental guides to energy training, and are primarily intended for readers who are familiar with energy work. The focus in this book is primarily on inner yin and yang breath work (nei kung), rather than outer breath work such as chi kung -- although some of these techniques are described in detail in this book as well. AWAKEN HEALING LIGHT is one of an estimated 35 books that Chia intends to write in order to fully cover the Universal Tao system (Chia has completed more than 20 of these books already). I am very pleased to see how Chia explains the founding principles of his Universal Tao system: "The system I learned from my master is based on the positive energies of love, kindness, gentleness, respect, and honesty; this is the highest Chi Kung practice. With these energies an adept can counteract all kinds of evil. It is said that even fire cannot hurt one who has perfected their use." At more than 550 pages, AWAKEN HEALING LIGHT is a veritable encyclopedia of information. It's the kind of book I like to read cover-to-cover and then return to as a reference book for refreshers on various aspects. This book is organized into sixteen information-packed chapters which describe: an overview of Taoist inner alchemy, the connection between chi and meditation, how to transform negative emotional energies, techniques for activating and amplifying original chi, points along the microcosmic orbit (a circular path for circulating chi in the body), the microcosmic orbit, how to work with Earth energy, how to work with Cosmic (higher self) energy, how to open the heart and practice the Cosmic inner smile, and much, much more. Chia includes numerous illustrations to thoroughly clarify how to work with yin and yang energy. I highly recommend AWAKEN HEALING LIGHT to anyone who is seriously interested in improving the energy flow in their body for improved mental and physical health and well-being and wants precise, detailed information on mastering the flow of yin and yang energy in the body.
Rating:
Summary: Advanced Chi Training for Balancing Yin & Yang Energy
Review: AWAKEN HEALING LIGHT is written by Mantak Chia, founder and director of the Universal Tao Center. Chia has devoted his life to studying meditation, tai chi chuan, aikido, yoga, kundalini, and many forms of inner alchemy. Chia's books are intended to be supplemental guides to energy training, and are primarily intended for readers who are familiar with energy work. The focus in this book is primarily on inner yin and yang breath work (nei kung), rather than outer breath work such as chi kung -- although some of these techniques are described in detail in this book as well. AWAKEN HEALING LIGHT is one of an estimated 35 books that Chia intends to write in order to fully cover the Universal Tao system (Chia has completed more than 20 of these books already). I am very pleased to see how Chia explains the founding principles of his Universal Tao system: "The system I learned from my master is based on the positive energies of love, kindness, gentleness, respect, and honesty; this is the highest Chi Kung practice. With these energies an adept can counteract all kinds of evil. It is said that even fire cannot hurt one who has perfected their use." At more than 550 pages, AWAKEN HEALING LIGHT is a veritable encyclopedia of information. It's the kind of book I like to read cover-to-cover and then return to as a reference book for refreshers on various aspects. This book is organized into sixteen information-packed chapters which describe: an overview of Taoist inner alchemy, the connection between chi and meditation, how to transform negative emotional energies, techniques for activating and amplifying original chi, points along the microcosmic orbit (a circular path for circulating chi in the body), the microcosmic orbit, how to work with Earth energy, how to work with Cosmic (higher self) energy, how to open the heart and practice the Cosmic inner smile, and much, much more. Chia includes numerous illustrations to thoroughly clarify how to work with yin and yang energy. I highly recommend AWAKEN HEALING LIGHT to anyone who is seriously interested in improving the energy flow in their body for improved mental and physical health and well-being and wants precise, detailed information on mastering the flow of yin and yang energy in the body.
Rating: 
Summary: sidetrack
Review: For those who study the Great Way this book is of no use; however, if you like to train your imagination then, have at it.
Rating:
Summary: Opening realms of consciousness you'd never imagine
Review: I agree with the reader below -- this book's cover should make it much more explicit that "Awaken Healing Energy Through Tao" must be bought and read first. If you don't know that, you'll feel somewhat out of your league here. On the other hand, if you devote any amount of time to the study of taoist meditation, this book will be a godsend (regardless of what or whom you regard as god or no god). While all the subjects covered here have been covered in greater detail in Chia's other books, there is enough about each to get you started, or at least whet your appetite for me information. If I may draw an analogy to music, this book is like a 2CD retrospective of a specific artist's career. At first, it seems long and almost impenetrable, but if you really want to get to the heart of the matter, this will provide you with all the basic building blocks you'll need to explore further. If you've read two or more of Chia's books, this book will serve as an excellent connecting point between seemingly disparate art forms. Elements of "Healing Energy," "Taoist Secrets of Love," "Fusion of the Five Elements I," "Iron Shirt Chi Kung" and "Inner Smile/Six Healing Sounds" are covered here in enough detail to get you started. Of course, once you really start down the path in earnest, you'll definitely need to explore the above books further, and possibly seek out the assistence of a teacher in your area. Gook luck! As someone who makes a daily practice of the Microcosmic Orbit (I'm still very new on the path), I can say without hesistation that these techniques do work, and there is indeed a great energy to be found inside of you and all around you, but you must be willing to work hard to intensify and purify this energy.
Rating: 
Summary: This is a nice book but not a good intro to taoism!
Review: I bought this book and then read the introduction, which promptly told me that in order to practice these techniques one must first be familiar with other fundamental practices (specifically the microcosmic orbit) which are outlined in an earlier publication. Therefore I would say that to buy this book without knowing about Qi/Chi/Ki would be a waste of money. I would suggest the first book one should buy is "Awaken the Healing Energy of the Tao" by the same author, which I have read and it is very nice. Although applying any of these techniques takes dedication and practice (like any accomplishment) and reading these books does not lead to immediate apprehension of the subject. This book may be very confusing to someone who has never read about energy cultivation...
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive Microcosmic Orbit Instruction
Review: I just read this book. It took me about a year to do so and
to get a good sense practicing what it preaches. As with many of us, I seek not Enlightenment (yet), I seek to understand qigong. What is qi? Specifically. As a Western scientist, I want to know what qi is/does. Is it physiologic? Is it truly spiritual? Psychological? A mixture? What I do know is that it is not something that someone can teach, or prove/disprove. Once I find the answer, I can have that answer only for myself. That being said, this book by Mantak Chia is an extremely long, comprehensive, step-by-step guidebook on establishing the Microcosmic Orbit through a series of meditation practices ranging from the beginning to the advanced. Some reviewers are arguing that it is right/wrong, that imagery is right/wrong (let me guess, you're from the Kumar Frantzis camp, right?)-- well I'm here to tell you that I'm simply looking for what works. I don't care about right/wrong. Does it work for me? Chia goes on to explain that eventually, you can dispense with such ancillary tools as focusing on the breath, or imagery, or others, but in the beginning, they help facilitate mastery. This was a great book. A nice roadmap of things to try. I've been trying now for awhile, and I believe I am feeling my microcosmic orbit, the energies that Chia describes from the earth and cosmic forces. I have even begun experiencing, ironically, what seems very much like the "mindstream" described by BK Frantzis in his Water Meditation Books (which I have also reviewed), by using some of Chia's techniques. Ironical, eh? So far, I have gathered together an eclectic sequence that WORKS FOR ME. This is a great source of information for meditation techniques. I have adapted some from Frantzis, as well as from translations from Cleary and others. On top of formal instruction in regular classwork. I doubt I'll use it all, but for any of you out there looking for at least one roadmap, this is a good one, IMO. I think there are many paths to this journey. This is one path. I will probably walk many paths before espousing a route of my own...
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive Microcosmic Orbit Instruction
Review: I just read this book. It took me about a year to do so and
to get a good sense practicing what it preaches. As with many of us, I seek not Enlightenment (yet), I seek to understand qigong. What is qi? Specifically. As a Western scientist, I want to know what qi is/does. Is it physiologic? Is it truly spiritual? Psychological? A mixture? What I do know is that it is not something that someone can teach, or prove/disprove. Once I find the answer, I can have that answer only for myself. That being said, this book by Mantak Chia is an extremely long, comprehensive, step-by-step guidebook on establishing the Microcosmic Orbit through a series of meditation practices ranging from the beginning to the advanced. Some reviewers are arguing that it is right/wrong, that imagery is right/wrong (let me guess, you're from the Kumar Frantzis camp, right?)-- well I'm here to tell you that I'm simply looking for what works. I don't care about right/wrong. Does it work for me? Chia goes on to explain that eventually, you can dispense with such ancillary tools as focusing on the breath, or imagery, or others, but in the beginning, they help facilitate mastery. This was a great book. A nice roadmap of things to try. I've been trying now for awhile, and I believe I am feeling my microcosmic orbit, the energies that Chia describes from the earth and cosmic forces. I have even begun experiencing, ironically, what seems very much like the "mindstream" described by BK Frantzis in his Water Meditation Books (which I have also reviewed), by using some of Chia's techniques. Ironical, eh? So far, I have gathered together an eclectic sequence that WORKS FOR ME. This is a great source of information for meditation techniques. I have adapted some from Frantzis, as well as from translations from Cleary and others. On top of formal instruction in regular classwork. I doubt I'll use it all, but for any of you out there looking for at least one roadmap, this is a good one, IMO. I think there are many paths to this journey. This is one path. I will probably walk many paths before espousing a route of my own...
Rating:
Summary: Great book.
Review: The best all in one guide to opening up your energy channels. Buy, read, practice!
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