Customer Reviews

Awaken Healing Energy Through the Tao: The Taoist Secret of Circulating Internal Power

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I read this book when it first came out. You can and will open the microcosmic orbit using this book. I went on to spend some time with Mantak Chia. He's a fine guy and an excellent teacher and communicator. No one EVER left one of chia's events thinking, "gee, I really don't know how to practice this." He's the best actual teacher of this sort of thing I've ever been with.

The problem with some of these lousy reviews is as follows. There's something about spiritual subjects--maybe because they're so dear to people's hearts--that arouses a nasty levelof fanaticism in human beings, especially westerners, but it's pretty universal. No matter how good and sincere a teacher you are there are always people in the back row sneering and screaming that you are "doing it all wrong!"

On top of that, and not to be at all discounted, is the fact that Mantak Chia is BY FAR the most succesful teacher of taoism in the west and there are a lot of people who are just plain old green with jealousy and envy and they hate him for it. It's an ugly side of human nature but one we all know all about.

The only legitimate criticism of Chia's books is this--he is consciously writing for "the ages" and he makes them almost encyclopedic, and the result is actually more information than you may need to do the practice. Some people find this confusing.

Lastly, Chia is one of the great modernizers and debunkers, doing basically for taoist spiritual practice what TCM in modern china tries to do for chinese medicine: sift it to find out what we actually can use and separate it from what we don't need because it is just superstition. There are some goofy people who seem to want the superstition and this also angers them, but for reasonable people like us it can save us lots of time in the future.

Chia's energy practices will make you healthier and you won't need any study to prove it to you--you'll know it cause you'll feel two hundred per cent better. Enjoy.

I have been working with Mantak Chia's materials for the past 17 years. Originally I found few of his books ine one small Chinese store, and decided to give them a shot. I was thrilled when even my very first attempt resulted in noticing the difference. While the books were wonderful I did wish to have personal instruction, too. Lucky for me, about few weeks after I purchased the books, Mantak Chia was teaching a workshop in Toronto. Even though thsee initial practices are rather simple, it helped attending a workshop, too. I have attended all the workshops he came to teach in Toronto at the time. In the meantime, videos came out, so in time I got those too.

You may or may not want to attend a workshop, but if for any reason you don't feel comfortable proceeding on your own, you may consider getting Mantak Chias videos. I like them very much (I have just about all of them) Another excellent resource is the book Qigong Empowerment.

The focus of this book, Awaken Healing Energy Through Tao, is learing to circulate the energy through Microcosic Orbit. It is the essential practice for all future practices in Taoist Alchemy. The book also gives an overview of practices you can do if you wish to continue with your studies and practice.

It is not hard to do. It is really simple. If you are new to this, the more complex part than the practice may be the use of different names in chinese for different points and a lot of theoretical information behind the practice.The practice essentially involves guiding the energy with your imagination - generating it, circulating it and storing it in your body.

You can experience many benefits of this practice from the very beginning. What I experienced from the very beginning is a sense of calm. If I were ever upset and then begin doing microcosmic orbit, the upset would immediately disperse and dissolve. Doing microcosmic orbit practice had a centering effect. The practice is very, very simple but the benefits are far greater than may be initially apparent.

As you keep on storing the energy, whenever any part of your body (organs) need more energy, they can use the energy you have stored instead of depleting the energy from other parts of your body. This in itself contributes to health. However, if you choose to continue your learning, there are many more advanced practices designed specifically for healing.

The main practice is the microcosmic orbit which uses the prenatal energy system. When you were in the womb you received all your nourishment and energy through the navel and this followed an energy pathway to the base of the spine and all the way up to your head, and back down the front to the navel to the dan tien where it is stored.

This exercise trains you get the pre natal energy flowing again.

Normally, as you go through life your energy does not flow upwards properly and becomes blocked contributing to the ageing process etc.

If you have any interest in energy practice, you should work with the microcosmic orbit. The only trouble is it may take a while before a conscious flow can be felt.

I recommend the five tibetans, which is a simple exercise routine you can do in five minutes. These are also referred to as the fountain of youth exercises. This also brings the energy up to your higher centers or psychic vortexes, and restores their function to youthful levels, thereby retarding the aging process. You can feel the kundalini (base of spine) energy being activated.

If you are new to energy, I recommend you also get Quantum Touch, which has some great exercises and visualizations which can literally have you moving energy within minutes.

Combining a few different methods has worked well for me. As with anything, the more you practice, the more you improve.

If you were to find this review helpful, please click yes.

THIS IS THE FOUNDATION BOOK OF MASTER CHIAS TEACHINGS ON THE TAO,
A SERIOUS LOOK AT HIS CREDENTIALS AND A READING OF THIS BOOK ,AND ALL HIS LATER WORKS, WILL GIVE YOU A BETTER GRIP ON LIFE, TRY "THE INNER SMILE". YOU CAN FEEL IT WORK IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS AN UNDER APPRECIATED CLASSIC AND A NEW WAY FORWARD TO GOOD THINGS IN LIFE.
I HAVE DONE SOME BEGINNING TAOIST EXERCISES FROM A VIDEO TAPE, BUT MANTAK CHIAS WORKS REALLY EXPLAIN THE INNER WORKINGS OF OF WHAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH.
I WOULD SAY THIS BOOK AND PRACTICES ARE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES, THE SOONER YOU START THE BETTER, BUT MYSELF ,I AM OVER 50 AND FINDING BENEFITS RIGHT AWAY.
I HAVE A LATER BOOK OF HISAwaken Healing Light Of The Tao THAT I HAVE PUT OFF READING UNTIL I CAN READ AND ABSORB AND DO THIS BOOK.
ITS A GEM AT ANY PRICE.

This is the first and only Mankak Chia book that I have as yet. It's good for the little details that other people and books might confuse - like which hand to use to closing the orbit. I really wish that this book had more information, especially about the orbit as it goes through the legs and arms. I have come back and added a star to my review as I realised that Mantak is such a reliable source that it makes reading other sources on the microcosmic orbit much more lucid. My tan tien is not at my navel though.

While Mantak Chia's works have boldly promoted Taoist qi gong into popular culture they've also, unfortunately, promoted fundamental mis-conceptions that inevitably lead to injury.

Yin and yang can't be successfully cultivated without knowledge of resolution into the neutral space. A wheel needs a hub or, in Buddhist terms, if you're going to invigorate a wheel you'd better also know how to get off of it... This makes the distinction between promoting agitation, addiction vs. promoting stability, freedom.

While Chia's modern renditions are obviously serious attempts they, sadly, are missing the deeper material that make this sort of work... actually work. Some review of classic texts is in order.

Suggested remedial texts:
"Tsongkhapa's Six Yogas of Naropa" transl. by Glenn H. Mullin
"Cultivating the Energy of Life" transl. by Eva Wong

master Chia draws in energy directly thru the third eye for the microcosmic orbit which may be questionable. Outer energy is not cleansed and to draw it thru your wisdom point does not seem wise. The chinese texts I have read first cleanse the energy before raising it to the third eye.

this is a great introduction for the middle . advanced, and neophyte practitioner.

However, I must beg to differ with the author on the Qee Bo Bogg navel-gazing meditation : it ought to start at the Left Great Toe, and then alternate blissfully from foot to foot in a small spiral pattern, gently concentrating in a row from toe-to-toe, until all toes have been met with by the Mind. Attention should then come peacefully, not forcefully, to rest on the upper first joint of the left ring finger. This should be as a small petal lands softly on the still water.

All such mentations should be performed, of course, while the Practitioner holds an Image of a bright yellow dandelion on a sunny summer's day in the forefront of his/her mind.

I hope this clarifies some points for the average reader/practitioner.

The amount of information in this book offers a solid foundation, in these theories, and in energy work. Remember all of the precautions, and take it slow, and enjoy.

This book is essential in the practice of Healing Tao meditations. In fact its the first book you need to study and practice before moving on to the other techniques. This is the base...everything else you build on this foundation. I got to easily understand the inner smile meditations easily from this book...but i am aware that there is another book by Master Chia which concentrates on just this and also the Healing sounds...i think its Transforming Stress into Vitality book. You can include this book too to work on your foundation. Hope this helps and have fun in the journey on the quest for balance!