Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful book on Chi.
Review: Lily Carnie's book is an excellent way to learn more about chi, the life energy that flows through the universe. She teaches in a way that is informative but most importantly - fun! In an easy-to-read, almost conversational fashion, she explains how to incorporate chi awareness into your day-to-day activities...everything from reading a book to flying a kite. What I found most delightful is that it is organized so that once you've covered the basics in the introductory section, you can literally open the book to any page and have a self-contained lesson on chi applied to a specific topic ( like healing or enhancing your sense of smell or training with colors or even fly-fishing ). I highly recommend it to anyone interested in exploring this ancient art.
Rating:
Summary: Verve! Animated and Comprehensive, a joy to read!
Review: Lily helps one to realise that "Chi" is indeed everywhere, within everything, and is the annimating force within all living things. Better yet, we can all utilize its gifts when we learn how to feel the "flowing" of it, as she vivaciously expresses in her work. I especially like the chapter on "Activity Training", which suggests that we play games, go fly fishing, listen to music, even pick up a musical instrument that we have never touched before, and breathe live into it, without inhibition. In addition to offering very comprehensive martial arts instruction in the art of Chi Gung, she teaches in a way that makes it possible for anyone to begin discipline in the arts, without it seeming like discipline, but fun! From a beginning or an advanced viewpoint on the arts, this is a must read. It will ignite that divine spark within you, and awaken the special, childlike wonder that is within everyone, though some of us may have forgotten...
Rating: 
Summary: Finally, real instruction in plain language!
Review: Ms. Carnie really lays it all out for the reader. Other writers/researchers in the fields of body energy and chi-kung need to take a lesson from this book. Clear, concise, no bull.But the author does not write a mere dry list of instrucitions, she weaves in enough lore and story to make it entertaining also. This reader really felt Ms. Carnie knew of what she spoke...relating a lot of personal experience. The material in this book is one of the most accessible of this genre. (PS. For all those disappointed in the Magus of Java -and- Nei Kung: The Secret Teachings of the Warrior Sages books, this is the one for you.)
Rating:
Summary: Very easy to read , understand and put into daily practice.
Review: My salute to Lily on her new book. Being a licensed Body Worker and having 30 years background in alternative healing practices I recognize her book as a first hand practical guide for everyone. Very easy to read, understand and put into daily practice.
Rating: 
Summary: I was disappointed
Review: The book contains a brief introduction on the basics of Chi Gung, and a few simple Chi Gung exercises. It does not contain a complete Chi Gung system, in fact it even lacks a clear explanation for some of the exercises it advises the reader to use. The Author and Publisher make many fantastic claims about the abilities that one can develop using Chi Gung, and though the majority of the book is spent describing these various abilities, the instruction on how to perform them is "Focus your Chi." I am not an expert on Chi Gung, though I am familiar with the concepts of it and Chinese medicine in general, and have practice a simple form of Chi Gung for several years.
Rating:
Summary: A life changing reading.
Review: The brillance of L.V. Carnie is displayed as well as her knowledge of Chi Gung in the most resourceful book on the subject ever circulated through the printing press. Carnie's book, Chi Gung: Chinese Healing, Energy, and Natural Magick, is beneficial to all audiences regardless of age, gender, or occupation. The beauty of Carnie's work is that everyone from the business man, athlete, actor, or housewife can find value in it, apply the techniques, and see positive results unfold before their eyes. In the fast paced hussle and bussle of modern society, stress builds and energy depletes. In Carnie's masterpiece, she teaches how to relax, to slow the merry-go-round of life, and revitalize your energy regardless of where you happen to be: school, work, home, or any where for that matter. This is only a fraction of the positive energy that can be obtained with the information from Carnie's book. There are virtually unlimited applications that you can find for yourself after reading her book. Unlike most books on the subject, her work reveals the theory and principles behind Chi Gung instead of simply demonstrating a few exercises. In this way, the reader can expand the concepts and fully embrace them no matter who they are or what they do in life. The book is very well catorgorized to cater to individual needs and is very simple to follow, making it easy to apply in daily living. This is a must read for those individuals interested in health, longevity, and prosperity. From a personal stand point, being a highly trained athlete and an Olympic hopeful in the sport of Judo, after reading Carnie's book I am learning to generate and absorb more energy from my surroundings, relax, and develope a more positive attitude due to the results and accomplishments I am witnessing in my own life. By learning to generate and absorb energy, my training sessions have become more intense and longer lasting. L.V. (Lily of the Valley) Carnie's book is a major asset for all athletes and any open minded willing individual. All professional athletes in any sport could truly benefit from this incredible book. This book could indeed revolutionize modern amateur and professional sports as we know them. (Nathan D. Pietsch-USA Olympic Judo hopeful)
Rating:
Summary: too bound up in ephemera
Review: This book *COULD HAVE* been a fair book had the authoress had more skill in the topic she wroet about. It is too bound up in ephemera that has nothing to do with qigong. She should just stuck to qigong. Unfortunately, she did NOT.
Thus, this book is a horrible hodge podge of other new age claptrap ideas, notions and nostrums. In conclusions, I say that I feel sorry for those who have been pulled off the path to view this sad little piece. Mine served for some time as a door stop.
Rating:
Summary: A helpful guide to becoming aware of energy in your body.
Review: This book is helpful guide to becoming aware of energy in your body and in the world. I am not really a fan of most martial arts books. This one surpasses the rest by having clear directions, helpful illustrations and pictures (especially of the meridians), and a new perspective on the subject. She is not bound by restrictive ideas, of there being only one right way to do anything. She encourages readers to explore and experience for themselves the energy and how it feels. This is the best way to come to an understanding of how to move energy around the body. It's all just talk until you can feel it for yourself. By recognizing the greater applications of energy, you can see why this book is so different from other martial arts books. Chi is not limited to uses in physical combat. It's not limited only to those who follow Eastern religious practices. The energy between you and nature is so evident once you take time to slow down and notice! It revolutionizes your view of everything around you. Ms. Carnie shows you how to find ways to use your energy to improve yourself. You are encouraged to go beyond her exercises to apply Chi Gung to whatever activity you are engaged in, making this book about you, your art, and your way of doing things.
Rating:
Summary: This book changed my life, I love it.
Review: This book is much deeper than any other self-help type book that I have ever read. The material is fresh and the perspective is totally unique. It is a right-brained styled, easy to read and understand book. The secret to the book seems to be that the exercises only appear to be simple. In actuality, they are able to improve the skill of not only the beginner but also the advanced student and even the master. In fact, the secret behind this book seems to be its very simplicity because the book shows how mastering the basics is really the key to success in any field from business to professional sports. This is truly a wonderful book. Lily is a knowledgeable and understanding teacher who knows how to present and teach advanced topics using simple exercises and concepts. All that the reader needs is an open mind and patience. Many of the advanced techniques might be unfamiliar to the average reader but Lily's stories and examples are detailed and if the reader is open-minded, it is easy to sense the genuiness and authenticity of what she says. The 100 or so exercises consist of apparantly simple activities such as breathing and meditation but as any skilled practitioner in any field knows, it is the repeated practice of the basics which leads to mastery. One of the unique elements of this book is that Lily reveals the skills of a full Chi Gung program ranging from the beginner to the master. She openly stresses the basics and only apparantly alludes to some of the most advanced skills, but in actuality, she carefully weaves a pattern of writing that teaches the reader the proper skill development at the proper time for their personal situation. In other words, if someone is not ready to learn a skill, the section may confuse them but when they are ready, they will see the lessons jump off the page even though on first reading they may have seemed hidden to the closed minded. If the reader reads carefully and takes the book as a whole, the lessons for any level of attainment are indeed revealed. This book contains wonderful philosophical insights that can really help anybody if one is willing to open their mind. Concepts such as visualization, softness, and adaptability are shown to really work. The book even gets into some really advanced subjects like communicating with animals, healing others, and picking up someone's thoughts. The neat thing is that Lily shows how we all do that to some degree but she shows actual concrete exercises anybody can do to increase their skill to their belief level. In other words, Lily shows that the only limitations are actually yourself. Whether a person is a beginner or a master with decades of experience, anybody can find life changing lessons in this book. In fact, on the back cover two world renowned masters of chi kung, Wong Kiew Kit and James MacRitchie, talk about how they feel the book can help anybody at any level of experience. I have looked at hundreds and hunderds of Qigong books and out of all of those, this book is the perfect chi kung book for anybody to have in their personal library because it shows things that no other chi kung book in print reveals. It shows the Westerner how to adapt the principles and lessons of Chi Gung to their lives. I have practiced chi kung for over 20 years and I highly recommend this book to everybody. The information in the book changed my life. It helped me to realize that it's not just the words in a book that are important but also the shape and size of the book, the color of it, and even more importantly the hidden information that is between the lines. This book itself, regardless of the words it contains is a literal example of Chi Gung. Just holding this book fills me with energy.
Rating:
Summary: Skims many issues, doesn't seem to know much about many!
Review: this book touches on many kinds of chi gung related things. It does not, though, explain in any kind of in-depth manner any thing. The worst part is when she talks about things like how chi gung helps you relate to plants and your pets better. Please don't make the same mistake I did in buying this! Books that I have read and do recommend are: Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body by B. K. Frantzis The Way of Energy by Lam Kam Chuen Chi Kung for Health and Vitality by Wong Kiew Kit
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