The Chinese healing arts have a long, proud history of over 5,000 years, and combines meditation, relaxation, physical movement, mind-body integration and breathing exercises to restore harmony to mind, body and spirit. Australian Qigong Master Simon Blow has created a unique series of three Book/DVDs incorporating his own healing journey from a near-fatal accident at the age of 19 to becoming an inspiring, internationally respected teacher. In The Art of Life, Absorbing the Essence and Restoring Natural Harmony, Simon shares the techniques and philosophies taught to him by Qigong Masters in the sacred mountains of China and at a Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Beijing. The books contain the 'why to' and how to' of this powerful technique, and the DVDs present the exercises and meditations in a clear, easy-to follow format, and in peaceful surroundings. The books also contain inspiring stories of those who have transformed their lives by practising this ancient healing art. In Absorbing the Essence (Book/DVD No. 2) Simon shares with you the ancient Daoist cultivation techniques that were taught to him at the sacred Wudang Mountain in China. These practices strengthen the flow of Qi around the body, calm the emotions, improve organ function and help develop spiritual awareness. The sequences include Wudang Longevity Qigong, and the Ba Duan Jin Nurturing Life Qigong (Sitting). Run time: 60 minutes. Australian.

This volume offers unique interdisciplinary views on issues in communication and culture with a central focus on Chinese perspectives as China and the world face the 21st century. These perspectives are based upon comparative data and East-West cross-cultural experience. Seventeen chapters, plus an introductory chapter that places the topics in perspective, report and interpret data here for the first time. The majority of the contributors are Chinese scholars from various disciplines, who now share their research on communication with Western as well as Eastern readers. The common thread of the essays is the way in which communication influences culture and cultural dimensions impact the processes of communication. The authors represent scholars from education, communication studies, mass communication, intercultural communication, sociology, rhetoric, literature, law, linguistics, telecommunications, international relations, journalism, and sociolinguistics. Part I presents cultural perspectives on ethics, East-West relations, translation issues, cross-cultural competence, persuasion, journalistic acculturation, and gender representation in advertisements. Part II addresses international and intercultural communication as seen in comparative campus cultures, cross-cultural interaction between Chinese and Americans, the practice of taijiquan, the media depiction of watching, the legal implications of the internet, and the issues of nation building. Part III focuses on mediated communication issues in Chinese films, China's media campaign for the olympics, Chinese youth's use of Western media, talk radio in China, and the use of new technologies in the post-Cold War era.

A leading scholar feng shui master presents the great depth and diversity of Taoist philosophy, practices, and history in this accessible manual to the oft-misunderstood spiritual tradition. Millions of readers have come to the philosophy of Taoism thanks to the classics Tao Te Ching and the I Ching, or through the practices of t'ai chi and feng-shui, but the Tao is less known for its unique traditions of meditation, physical training, magical practice, and internal alchemy. Eva Wong, a leading Taoist practitioner and translator, provides a solid introduction to the Way. All of Taoism’s most important texts, figures, and events are covered, as well as its extraordinarily rich history and remarkable variety of practice. Sections include: • The History of Taoism traces the development of the tradition from the shamans of prehistoric China through the classical period (including the teachings of the famous sage Lao-tzu), the beginnings of Taoism as a religion, the rise of mystical and alchemical Taoism, and the synthesis of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. • Systems of Taoism explores magical sects, divination practices, devotional ceremonies, internal alchemy, and the way of right action. • Taoist Practices discusses meditation, techniques of cultivating the body, and rites of purification, ceremony, and talismanic magic. This roadmap to the spiritual landscape of Taoism not only introduces the important events in the history of Taoism, the sages who wrote the Taoist texts, and the various schools of Taoist thinking, but also gives readers a feel for what it means to practice Taoism today. A comprehensive bibliography for further study completes this valuable reference work.

"The Tao that can be spoken of is not the real Way," reads a famous line from the Tao-te-ching. But although the Tao cannot be described by words, words can allow us to catch a fleeting glimpse of that mysterious energy of the universe which is the source of life. The readings in this book are a beginner's entrée into the vast treasury of writings from the sacred Chinese tradition, consisting of original translations of excerpts from the Taoist canon. Brief introductions and notes on the translation accompany the selections from the classics; books of devotional and mystical Taoism; texts of internal alchemy; stories of Taoist immortals, magicians, and sorcerers; ethical tracts; chants and rituals; and teachings on meditation and methods of longevity.

The biggest cause of illness and disease in our lives today is that we have lost connection with the natural world, resisting the nurturing, healing and support that is offered to us. The Rush Hour Shaman is a "how to" book for living shamanically in our modern world. It offers a detailed protocol for reconnecting to ourselves, Mother Earth and all our Helping Spirits, and through that reconnection, find love, healing and meaning in one's life. ,