5 Best Qigong Books
ByAstennu SeverDecember 2, 2019
I’ve focused a lot on Western esotericism in my previous articles as well as my book The Warrior-Magician Manual. But my personal practice is actually a combination of Western and Eastern influences. More precisely, a combination of Ceremonial Magick and Qigong.
Western esotericism is focused more on changing the way our mind operates through rituals which often don’t require much physical prowess. Eastern esotericism is different because it combines physical, mental and spiritual transformation.
From the Eastern esoteric tradition, I’m especially fond of Qigong. It’s my favorite practice for manipulating bodily energy currents for improved health, vitality, mental sharpness and related benefits. Qi Gong is quite similar to Yoga since both practices are focused on controlling and expanding one’s vital life force. Chinese call this energy qi or chi, Indians call it prana.
I prefer QiGong over Yoga because it doesn’t require as much flexibility, but the positive effects are similar. In other words, you can get equal benefits from either QiGong or Yoga. But Qi Gong is easier for beginners to get into and it’s safer to perform if you have physical ailments and injuries because the movements aren’t as physically demanding.
I highly recommend learning about QiGong by combining video demonstrations and books. It’s a Yin and Yang situation: Videos by respectable teachers are great for learning how to perform movements properly. But books are essential tools for the other side of the coin: theoretical knowledge.
Remember that theory is just as important as practice. Otherwise you will constantly wonder why movements are performed in one order and not the other, and how to combine them on your own. Or why you should never perform Qi Gong when it’s windy outside, or why you should only store your extra energy in the lower Dan Tien etc. There are many nuances that can have a huge impact on the results. Nuances that can only be found in high quality QiGong books.
To make your journey through this vast literature easier, I’ve created this list of Qigong books that have served me well on my own progress from beginner to advanced practitioner.
Contents show
Best Qigong Books
The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing
This is the essential Qigong book that every beginner should read at least once. But it’s packed with so much useful information that I come back to it every few months.It provides an excellent overview on how Qigong works, including the best scientific research on the subject. There are also plenty of illustrations of movements together with thorough descriptions. So you can consider this a great theory + practice starter’s pack.
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Since the writer Kenneth S. Cohen has a Western background, the terminology and explanations are simpler. It’s a book that answers the frequently asked questions a foreigner interested in Qigong would have. Some books written by Chinese natives don’t take this difficulty that some of us have into consideration.
Available on Amazon
