Press Release

Health, Happiness and Healing…Hawaii meets Qigong

New book reveals healing power of ancient Chinese practice

Honolulu, Hawaii, June 13, 2005,   by Laura Duggan

Living in Hawaii, it’s impossible to ignore the good energy all around us. Yet how often do we find ourselves rushing past the expansive ocean scenery, caught in our thoughts and worries about life, about health? Is it possible to really enjoy happiness when there’s so much to do?

Absolutely yes, according to Katherine Orr, author of Beautiful Heart, Beautiful Spirit: Shing-ling-mei Wudang Qigong (DragonGate Press, 2005, $16.95). We can learn how to consciously bring good energy into our bodies. Nature provides us with all the healing and uplifting energy we need, if we simply learn to how to access it.

This book reads like an intimate conversation with a good friend and will inspire even the most hesitant reader to try qigong (pronounced chee-gong). Filled with historical and anecdotal information and clear, practice instructions, it demystifies the principles behind qigong’s healing power.

Qigong is an ancient Chinese tradition of healing and energy practice that transcends time and cultural barriers. Master Qing Chuan Wang, the 18th patriarch of the Wudang qigong lineage, was raised with this tradition and it is his authentic mastery that makes this book extraordinary. The author, who is also his wife, has synthesized and explained his teachings in a way that is easily accessible to Westerners.

For those skeptical about an invisible energy with healing power, Ms Orr is the perfect author. She shares her personal investigation and experiences with qigong, saying, “The scientist in me still needed to know something was happening physiologically, that it wasn’t all just in my mind. And each class held some surprising new proof.”

Readers are guided through a series of safe, gentle and simple practices that anyone can master. The instructions to “relax, open and smile” make readers feel they are being led into their own secret world by a benign and loving grandfather, just as Master Wang himself was taught. The descriptions of qigong’s benefits create a sense of wonder and a longing to have the experience for oneself.

The book has five sections:

• Part 1: West Meets East presents the origins and culture of working with qi, explaining in simple terms this universal energy that exists within us and throughout nature.

• Part 2: With Roots in Ancient China – looks at the historical roots of qigong, as well as Qing Chuan Wang’s journey to mastering the tradition passed down from his grandfather.

 • Part 3: Welcome to Shing-ling-mei brings insight into the gentle and loving practice this master teacher has developed over a lifetime of investigating and working with qi.

• Part 4: A Practice for Life introduces the supporting elements that make qigong a way of life and offers questions and answers with the teacher, Master Wang. 

• Part 5: The Exercises leads readers into their own practice of qigong. It includes basic principles, precise instructions, helpful illustrations and useful tips.

Ms Orr offers a companion DVD, Six Qigong Exercises for Health Happiness and Healing, that perfectly supports the exercises described in the book. The viewer watches Master Wang demonstrate each exercise and practices along with him.

“If you’re concerned that you don’t have time to take up a serious practice, then this is the perfect book for you,” Ms Orr says. “Even ten minutes a day can bring significant changes. My goal is to inspire you. I love qigong so much that I want to share this practice with everyone. I want to encourage other scientists like myself to expand their horizons. Knowing that the benefits are a happier and healthier life, who wouldn’t want to?”

About the Author:

Katherine Orr’s primary job is as a teaching assistant to her husband, Master Wang. When she’s not teaching, she is an accomplished writer of nature books for children. She has published articles in numerous popular and scientific journals.

About the Book:

Beautiful Heart, Beautiful Spirit and its companion DVD are available on line at the Wudang Qigong Web site, www.wudangqigong.com, and Amazon.com. The book is also available through Borders.com and Barnesandnoble.com and can be ordered through your local bookstore.

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