A comprehensive reference guide to the foundational Taoist practices taught by Master Mantak Chia • Organized by level and chi kung system for quick reference during practice or teaching • Includes 220 exercises from more than 20 of Master Chia’s practice systems, including the Inner Smile, the Six Healing Sounds, the Microcosmic Orbit, Chi Self-Massage, Cosmic Detox, and Iron Shirt Chi Kung • Covers all of the basic exercises in the Universal Tao’s first 6 levels of instruction Organized progressively by level and system for quick reference during practice or teaching, this illustrated guide covers all of the foundational exercises in the Universal Healing Tao’s first 6 levels of instruction. Keyed to the corresponding book for each complete practice, such as Healing Light of the Tao and Chi Self-Massage, this guide includes 220 exercises from more than 20 of Master Mantak Chia’s practice systems, including the Inner Smile, the Six Healing Sounds, the Microcosmic Orbit, Iron Shirt Chi Kung, Wisdom Chi Kung, Tao Yin, Chi Nei Tsang, Cosmic Detox, Bone Marrow Nei Kung, Cosmic Healing, Tendon Nei Kung, and Karsai Nei Kung. Offering a comprehensive reference to the beginning and intermediate practices of the Universal Healing Tao, this book allows you to build a regular Taoist practice combining internal and external chi and sexual energy exercises from the full range of Master Chia’s teachings, enabling you to purify, transform, regenerate, and transcend not only your own energy but the energy around you as well.

All women want to feel is valued. But problems arise when we seek confirmation that we are enough using the world's standards. Almost from birth, we are trained to find the approval and acceptance we crave in the eyes of family, friends, and even strangers. The result is that we cannot believe we are who God says we are--accepted, loved, beautiful, and treasured. We get tangled up in the world's assessment and our own self-judgment. With hope-filled writing and plenty of hard-won personal advice, Carey Scott shows women how to untangle their self-esteem from the world and anchor it in Jesus. She lovingly shows readers that God was intentional in how he made them and that he is well pleased with his work. Women will learn practical strategies to escape unattainable standards and the performance-based measuring stick of the world, and find comfort in the fact that they are not alone on the journey.

With interest in beadweaving on the rise, Mastering Peyote Stitch provides a much-needed look into the most integral technique--peyote stitch. With 15 styles in all, beading geniuses will finally have an accessible, easy-to-understand guide to one of the fundamentals of beadweaving, brought to you courtesy of Beadwork Editor Melinda Barta. In the "Peyote Basics" chapter, you will learn the basics of creating flat peyote bands, then advance to circular and tubular variations, eventually learning to fashion dimensional jewelry pieces. Once you've mastered the basics, Melinda dives into designing dimensional jewelry pieces. Additional chapters cover combining peyote with other popular beadweaving techniques (right-angle weave, herringbone, and bead embroidery) and creating unique edgings and embellishments for finished pieces. Melinda, together with Beadwork's Designers of the Year, including Jean Campbell, Lisa Kan, Carole Ohl, Melanie Potter, Jean Power, Cynthia Rutledge, and Sherry Serafini, demonstrates a range of styles in 15 beautiful jewelry projects.

The fresh new handbook on how to achieve and maintain stylish natural hair, from the savviest and most revered expert on coils and curls These days there's a revolution going on. Relaxers are out. Weaves are so yesterday. Tired of damage from expensive chemical treatments and artificial enhancers, women of color are going natural thanks to Nikki Walton of CurlyNikki.com, the natural hair blogger and online hair therapy expert. In Better Than Good Hair, this gifted "curl whisperer" educates women on how to transition from relaxed to completely natural hair, with advice and styles for every length—from Fierce Braid-and-Curls to Fancy Faux Buns. She also counsels those considering the "big chop"—cutting it all off at once to sport a bold and beautiful "teeny weeny afro." Here, too, is essential guidance for parents of mixed-race children dealing with new and unfamiliar hair textures and styles. Combining Walton's expansive knowledge with tips from other experts in the field, Better Than Good Hair includes: Product recommendations Home hair care recipes Advice for parents on how to manage their children's natural hair Tips for using henna on gray hair Guidance on dealing with detractors Step-by-step illustrated directions for nearly two dozen hairdos, from frohawks to twist-outs Full of indispensable information, as empowering as it is accessible, and with a foreword by actress and comedian Kim Wayans, Better Than Good Hair is a must-have natural hair care bible that will help women of all ages and styles achieve their natural beauty.

Turkey on fire? No plans for New Year's Eve? Obnoxious relatives headed your way? The authors of the best-selling The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook are here to help you survive the dangers of the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. Learn how to rescue someone stuck in a chimney, survive the office holiday party, and escape a runaway parade balloon. Expertly deal with a meddling parent, silence a group of carolers, and treat a tongue stuck to a frozen pole. Illustrated, step-by-step instructions guide you through these and dozens of other festive scenarios. With a helpful appendix of holiday excuses, last-minute gift ideas, and creative drink recipes for when the liquor runs out, this is truly the perfect holiday book.

Knots are familiar objects. Yet the mathematical theory of knots quickly leads to deep results in topology and geometry. This work offers an introduction to this theory, starting with our understanding of knots. It presents the applications of knot theory to modern chemistry, biology and physics.

- Do you find you're always strapped for cash at the end of the month? - Are you worried about paying your credit card bills? - Would you like some practical advice on how to make your money go further? Perfect Money Saving is the essential guide for anyone who wants to take control of their finances. Covering everything from home-made presents to cheaper mortgages, it gives step-by-step guidance on how to cut your costs without giving up the things you enjoy. With sections on debt management and your financial portfolio, as well as a month-by-month breakdown showing where and when to grab the best bargains, Perfect Money Saving has all you need to make the most of every penny. The Perfect series is a range of practical guides that give clear and straightforward advice on everything from getting your first job to choosing your baby's name. Written by experienced authors offering tried-and-tested tips, each book contains all you need to get it right first time.

A fully illustrated guide to abdominal massage for improved cardiovascular health, organ detoxification, and enhanced vital energy • Includes fully illustrated massage instructions to open restricted blood vessels, direct blood flow for healing, balancing blood pressure, and detoxifying organs • Details specific massage treatments for many common ailments such as lower back pain, sciatica, asthma, headaches, and reproductive issues • Explains the ancient art of reading pulses to diagnose organ health • Reveals how blood acts as the vehicle for our vital energy Blood and chi often flow side by side throughout the body, the blood acting as the vehicle for our vital energy. Areas of slow or congested circulation lead to blockages in the flow of vital energy and toxin accumulation in the body. The practice of Life Pulse Massage allows these blockages to be cleared, revitalizing cardiovascular function, detoxifying the organs, and restoring the flow of blood and chi throughout the body. In this fully illustrated guide to Life Pulse Massage, Master Mantak Chia details abdominal massage practices to open restricted blood vessels, direct blood flow to specific areas for healing, release arterial tension to rebalance high or low blood pressure, and detoxify individual organs and body systems such as the liver, lungs, lymph nodes, and colon. He shows how to clear and activate the master pulses of the navel and aorta and synchronize these master pulses with the 52 pulses of the whole body for optimum circulation and energy balance. He explains the ancient art of reading pulses to diagnose organ health as well as how to recognize internal health states through the unique positions and shapes of the navel. Detailing specific Life Pulse Massage treatments for many common ailments such as lower back pain, sciatica, asthma, headaches, and reproductive issues, Master Chia shows how liberating the flow of blood and chi can prevent illness before it takes hold, revitalize the organs, and set the stage for optimum health.

The Curly Girl manifesto is back, now completely revised, updated, and expanded by more than a third with all-new material. Created by curly hair evangelist Lorraine Massey—the go-to curl expert featured in Allure, InStyle, Lucky, Seventeen, and The New York Times; and founder of several curly salons and curly products in New York City—Curly Girl is the surprising bible for the 65 percent of women with naturally curly or wavy hair and a desire to celebrate it. Curly Girl is packed with unique and fail-proof hair-care methods, inspiration, and an empowering pro-curl attitude. It’s all here: daily routines for Botticelli, fractal, and wavy curls; Lorraine’s no-more-shampoo epiphany—handle your hair as gently as you do your best cashmere sweater; homemade lotions and potions. New to this edition: an illustrated, step-by-step guide to trimming your own hair (remember: it’s not what you take off; it’s what you leave on); a section on the particular needs of wavy hair; Lorraine’s Down-and-Dirty Curly Boy Routine; more fabulous ’dos for weddings and other special occasions; a chapter on multicurltural hair written by an African American specialist. Plus, updated information on green and chemical-free products, 20 new Q&As, and a DVD with tutorials on caring for four different types of curls. From now on, there’s no such thing as a bad hair day.