In Bagua and Tai Chi, noted teacher Bruce Frantzis demonstrates through these two important practices what is required to develop and embody high levels of chi flow. Inside the slow-motion movements of tai chi is a sophisticated mind/body/spirit practice. Derived from the I Ching (Book of Changes), bagua is unique in its circular movements, spiraling energy, and unpredictable changes of direction.
 
Frantzis begins with an overview of both bagua and tai chi and their origins in Chinese culture, followed by comprehensive advice on how to incorporate these practices into daily Western life. Written in an easy, conversational style, the book provides an explanation of an art that is practiced by millions in China to release stress and maintain a vigorous level of health. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the 2.3 million Americans who currently practice tai chi report improved sleep, conditioning, and overall wellness. Bagua and Tai Chi offers a gentle healing and strengthening system that will appeal to a wide audience, including martial artists, meditators, dancers and athletes, personal trainers, and anyone looking to reduce stress and increase calmness and clarity through an effective, low-impact body practice.

Drawing from 30 years of training in Tai Chi and Qigong with some of the most respected masters of these traditions, Dr. Mayer shows how to integrate the essence of these practices into psychotherapy and into our healthcare without ever doing a Tai Chi/Qigong movement, and without mentioning a word about Qigong. From this co-founder of an integrated medical clinic and award-winning author in the field of mind-body healthcare, you ll see how this integrative approach contributes to alleviate the current healthcare crisis. Ancient and modern, East and West, psychotherapy and mind-body medicine are amalgamated to make a stronger integrative medicine. Theory, research, and case illustrations are blended as you learn bodymind healing methods for anxiety, chronic pain, hypertension, insomnia, trauma, and other common issues plaguing the modern world. You ll learn how to use a variety of ancient pathways to help heal the mind and body such as: Chinese medicine approaches including Qigong and acupressure self-touch Innovative symbolic process methods stemming from age-old mythic storytelling, guided imagery, and breathing techniques Methods drawn from ancient traditions of meditation and postural initiation This book is oriented to mental health workers, health professionals, and members of the lay public who are interested in self-healing methods for physical and mental health. Bodymind Healing Psychotherapy is Volume II of The Tao of Bodymind Healing Series. Volume 1 was Secrets to Living Younger Longer: The Self-healing Path of Qigong, Standing Meditation and Tai Chi..

A longtime student of the taiji grand master Yang Cheng-Fu, Chen Wei-Ming became famous himself as a scholar, martial artist, and proponent of the Yang style of t’ai chi. In the 1920s, he wrote a number of influential books on taiji, among them Taiji Sword (1927), which detailed a rare method of fencing. Translated here for the first time, this book serves as both a historical document and a training manual for an increasingly popular sport.

Along with Chinese art, medicine, and philosophy, taijiquan has left the confines of its original culture, and offers health, relaxation, and a method of self-defense to people around the globe. Using the early texts now known as The Taijiquan Classics which have served as a touchstone for t’ai chi practitioners for 150 years, this book explores the fundamental ideas and what they mean to practitioners, students, and scholars. It also incorporates newly discovered sources that address the history of taijiquan and newly translated commentaries by Chen Weiming.