Little Book of Qi is written for anyone who wants to know more about the mysterious energy known as Qi and how to enhance it through Qigong and Tai Chi practice. The author connects insights developed by ancient Taoists, hermits, healers, and warriors for over thousands of years. The book includes Buddhist teaching, feminism, and modern scientific understanding of ourselves and the universe. Janet shares memories of her own journey as a Tai Chi student growing in her practice. Her stories take us into the exciting time at the nexus of the women’s movement and the development of the martial arts on the west coast when women took their place as teachers and warriors. Janet includes simple Qigong practices that allow the reader to experience the principles she teaches in each chapter. These pracitces are healing and restorative. They strengthen the body, calm the mind, and lighten the spirit.

QI: The Pocket Book of General Ignorance is an illuminating collection of fun facts, perfect for general knowledge, trivia and pub quiz enthusiasts. This number-one bestseller is a comprehensive catalogue of all the interesting misconceptions, mistakes and misunderstandings in 'common knowledge' that will make you wonder why anyone bothers going to school. Now available in this handy pocket-sized edition, carry it everywhere to impress your friends, frustrate your enemies and win every argument. Henry VIII had six wives. WRONG! Everest is the highest mountain in the world. WRONG! Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. WRONG! QI: The Pocket Book of General Ignorance is the essential set text for everyone who's proud to admit that they don't know everything, and an ideal sack of interesting facts with which to beat people who think they do. Perfect for trivia, pub quiz and general knowledge enthusiasts, this is a number-one bestseller from the authors of The Book of General Ignorance and 1,277 Facts To Blow Your Socks Off, packed with weird, wonderful and really quite interesting facts.

While Chinese acupuncture and herbalism enjoy widespread popularity in the West, traditional Chinese exercise techniques—with the exception of qi gong—have rarely been taught outside China. This book is designed to change that. Written by Jun Wang, a doctor of Chinese medicine, Cultivating Qi draws on classic Chinese texts to introduce these body-mind healing exercises to Western readers. In simple, accessible language, Wang presents three specific qi exercises: the Yijin Jing, a popular form of calisthenics associated with both Chinese Buddhist and Daoist traditions; Taiji Neigong, a series of 34 movements adapted from the Wu-Hao style of Taiji Quan; and the “Six Healing Breaths,” which combines spoken sounds with movements associated with the six major vital organs of Chinese medicine. Written for beginning students of Chinese medicine as well as laypersons, healthcare practitioners, and martial artists, Cultivating Qi includes clear explanations of Chinese medical terminology—and provides the original Chinese characters for more advanced students—as well as step-by-step instruction in the three exercises. Accompanied by 100 photographs, these exercises are suitable for all ages and activity levels, and most of them take no more than 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

A Brief History of Qi takes the reader through the mysterious terrain of Chinese Medicine, Chinese language, Chinese martial arts and Qi Gong - a truly evocative guide to virtually all the traditional Chinese arts and sciences. This book is devoted to a topic represented by a single Chinese character, Qi. When presented with the concept of Qi, students of Chinese culture, Chinese medicine, Chinese martial arts and a wide range of Chinese traditional arts and sciences face one of the most perplexing challenges of their tenure. The book begins with an examination of Qi's linguistic and literary roots, stretching back through the shadowy mists of Chinese pre-civilisation. The authors then trace the development of the concept of Qi through a number of related traditional Chinese disciplines including painting, poetry, medicine and martial arts. The book concludes with an examination of the depth and breadth of Qi as manifested in life's cycles.

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.

EVERYTHING TO PLAY FOR - A NEW BOOK BY QI ELVES JAMES HARKIN AND ANNA PTASZYNSKI - IS AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER NOW *THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER* 'I love these books ... the best books ever. Brilliant' Chris Evans A bumper final edition of the most surprising, amazing, and hilarious facts on the planet from the clever-clogs at QI. QI is the smartest comedy show on British television. Here creator John Lloyd and QI Elves James Harkin and Anne Miller bring together 2,024 brain-tickling brand new facts to stop you in your tracks... Did you know that: Humans glow in the dark. The Pope drives a blue Ford Focus. One of the moons of Uranus is called Margaret. Scottish football referees are sponsored by Specsavers. Dogs visiting US National Parks can be certified as Bark Rangers. The world's smallest computer is smaller than a grain of sand. Candyfloss was invented by a dentist. Nobody knows who named the Earth.

Clear, step-by-step, carefully illustrated instructions present the basic body movement skills that are at the root of all qi gong and t'ai chi forms. Weight distribution, concentration, and visualization are extensively considered, providing an extraordinary level of detail. The forms depicted include Holding the Ball, Bending from the Waist, Riding a T'ai Chi Horse, the Springy Step, Carry Tiger Back to Mountain, the Rooting Exercise, and the Ascending Dragon. The author includes evocative stories of his encounters with tai chi masters and a synopsis of the nine secret messages. Kotsias's style is deft and concise, his message sincere and gut-level. As a preparation for study with a teacher, a guide to practice, or simply as a system of exercise to practice by oneself, this text admirably serves the student's needs.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more,The Book of General Ignorance is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school. Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again. You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out The Book of General Ignorance for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: How long can a chicken live without its head? About two years. What do chameleons do? They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. How many legs does a centipede have? Not a hundred. How many toes has a two-toed sloth? It’s either six or eight. Who was the first American president? Peyton Randolph. What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? Mostly hippopotamus. What was James Bond’s favorite drink? Not the vodka martini.

Pocket Tai Chi for Beginners is the perfect introduction to this popular exercise discipline--now in a handy, inexpensive format! This book presents the "Simplified Tai Chi" method created by China's Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports. Unlike traditional Tai Chi, which has over 80 complicated movement sequences or forms, Simplified Tai Chi has 24 short and easy-to-remember movement forms which provide all the health benefits but are far easier for ordinary people to learn and practice on a daily basis. This book provides everything you need--step-by-step instructions and over 160 clear and simple illustrations. Tai Chi is the fastest-growing martial art in the world today--due to its physical, mental and spiritual benefits--combining low-impact exercise, self-healing, meditation and a philosophy of life all in one. Benefits of Tai Chi include: Reducing falls by improving flexibility and balance Relieving joint pain Reducing stress and anxiety Lower blood pressure Strengthened core, legs and upper body Master Tri Thong Dang is one of America's most respected Tai Chi instructors who has trained many thousands of practitioners. His easy-to-follow method highlights the spiritual essence of Tai Chi and at the same time its graceful simplicity.

This work chronicles the history of China for over four hundred years through the spring of 1989.