Accessories

Encyclopedic overview of the fundamentals
Dr Yang Jwing-Ming seems to know more about the subject of qi than anyone else on the planet, as evidenced by this exhaustive overview of "basic" qigong massage for health -- book one of a series which goes far more in depth regarding healing in other volumes.

This is a difficult subject for Westerners to grasp, but Dr Yang Jwing-Ming is able to explain the concepts and techniques clearly, and the hundreds of photos and illustrations make the lessons easy to learn. Qi is a difficult topic since Western science has only recently begun to gradually acknowledge its existence -- the Chinese have been studying it for years, though, and have kept detailed records of their findings. I do not know if the Chinese interpretation of qi is 100% accurate -- it probably isn't -- but nonetheless, their speculations and hypotheses are sound and make a lot of sense. This book had me looking at qi a whole new way.

There is SO MUCH useful information crammed into this text I hardly know what to comment on first -- and I don't even think I'm QUALIFIED to comment on much of it. I've read other books on similar subjects (qi, accupuncture, even Erle's infamous Dim Mak Encyclopedia) which barely seemed to scratch the surface, were confusing to read, and left many unanswered questions. None of those books stayed in my collection long. Qigong Massage is a definite keeper, though, as I'm certain to be referring to it many times in the years to come.

Even if you are not a massage therapist (I'm certainly not), this text is an invaluable resource on the subject of qi. A remarkable work.

Real info
This book gives the real info that I needed to understand Chinese massage. Excellent and understandable. Plus the in depth self massage and massage for others chapters are highly usable information. I'm grateful for this book.

comprehensive yet easy for a beginner to follow
I especially enjoy this book because, like Dr. Yang's other works, it contains considerable information about qigong and chinese medicine. I find this refreshing, because most books about alternative medicine or exercise-related subjects contain techniques with little or no theoretical explanation. Yang, on the other hand, seems to believe in imparting a good theoretical foundation. this is great for people like me, who need to understand the why and not just the how of what we learn.

the book begins by discussing the history and theory of chinese massage and then provides a concise outline of the meridians (energy pathways) of the human body. the following sections include an exhaustive (30+ pages) and well-illustrated catalog of the techniques used in chinese massage, followed by a detailed routine for clearing the major pathways of the body.

I have no formal background in massage and this book was my first introduction to the subject. Yang's friendly writing style and the book's exhaustiveness made me feel encouraged rather than overwhelmed by the subject. I immediately began practicing the techniques on my friends and have gotten good results from them.

I recommend this book to anyone else who is interested in experimenting with chinese massage techniques. if the intellectual material doesn't appeal to you, the sections on the techniques are well-illustrated and easy to understand.

A valuable resource, holistic and well-written
Chinese medicine considers inner body energy or qi foundational to health and longevity of the physical body or yang. Consequently when the internal energy gets out of balance physical illness or injury arises. Quigong massage has been used for centuries to help maintain health and prevent illness by restoring the proper balance. It's a natural extension of martial arts training to learn not only how to hurt but also how to heal. Theoretically these techniques can even slow the aging process (or at least the affects thereof).

This book is an update to the original 1992 edition which includes a new preface and some updated information. Contents include foundational principles such as understanding qi and yang; gates and junctions in the human body; important points for quigong massage; theory, practice, and techniques of quigong massage; rules and theory of massage; applications for specific body parts; and self-massage. Massaging the mental body, head, back, limbs, chest, and abdomen of others, self-massage, and self massage of the internal organs are also covered. The principles, theories, and techniques are pretty complex yet all aspects of quigong massage are comprehensively described, very well illustrated, and relatively easy to understand in this well-written book.

The author's extensive knowledge, experience in treating actual injuries, and academic research really shine through. I practice Japanese martial arts rather than Chinese ones yet I believe that anyone interested in energy healing and massage will find this work a valuable resource. Very well done!

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction